diff --git a/trie/hasher.go b/trie/hasher.go
index be0936dd3ec58..b3a3b7c94c7a9 100644
--- a/trie/hasher.go
+++ b/trie/hasher.go
@@ -53,8 +53,7 @@ func returnHasherToPool(h *hasher) {
 	hasherPool.Put(h)
 }
 
-// hash collapses a node down into a hash node, also returning a copy of the
-// original node initialized with the computed hash to replace the original one.
+// hash collapses a node down into a hash node.
 func (h *hasher) hash(n node, force bool) node {
 	// Return the cached hash if it's available
 	if hash, _ := n.cache(); hash != nil {
@@ -86,8 +85,8 @@ func (h *hasher) hash(n node, force bool) node {
 	}
 }
 
-// hashShortNodeChildren collapses the short node. The returned collapsed node
-// holds a live reference to the Key, and must not be modified.
+// hashShortNodeChildren returns a copy of the supplied shortNode, with its child
+// being replaced by either the hash or an embedded node if the child is small.
 func (h *hasher) hashShortNodeChildren(n *shortNode) *shortNode {
 	var collapsed shortNode
 	collapsed.Key = hexToCompact(n.Key)
@@ -100,6 +99,8 @@ func (h *hasher) hashShortNodeChildren(n *shortNode) *shortNode {
 	return &collapsed
 }
 
+// hashFullNodeChildren returns a copy of the supplied fullNode, with its child
+// being replaced by either the hash or an embedded node if the child is small.
 func (h *hasher) hashFullNodeChildren(n *fullNode) *fullNode {
 	var children [17]node
 	if h.parallel {