diff --git a/substrate/core/client/db/src/lib.rs b/substrate/core/client/db/src/lib.rs
index afa28efeb3..b36d3ade4a 100644
--- a/substrate/core/client/db/src/lib.rs
+++ b/substrate/core/client/db/src/lib.rs
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ pub fn new_client<E, S, Block>(
 }
 
 mod columns {
-	pub const META: Option<u32> = Some(0);
+	pub const META: Option<u32> = ::utils::COLUMN_META;
 	pub const STATE: Option<u32> = Some(1);
 	pub const STATE_META: Option<u32> = Some(2);
 	pub const HASH_LOOKUP: Option<u32> = Some(3);
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ pub struct BlockchainDb<Block: BlockT> {
 
 impl<Block: BlockT> BlockchainDb<Block> {
 	fn new(db: Arc<KeyValueDB>) -> Result<Self, client::error::Error> {
-		let meta = read_meta::<Block>(&*db, columns::META)?;
+		let meta = read_meta::<Block>(&*db, columns::META, columns::HEADER)?;
 		let leaves = LeafSet::read_from_db(&*db, columns::META, meta_keys::LEAF_PREFIX)?;
 		Ok(BlockchainDb {
 			db,
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ impl<Block: BlockT> Backend<Block> {
 	///
 	/// The pruning window is how old a block must be before the state is pruned.
 	pub fn new(config: DatabaseSettings, canonicalization_delay: u64) -> Result<Self, client::error::Error> {
-		let db = open_database(&config, "full")?;
+		let db = open_database(&config, columns::META, "full")?;
 
 		Backend::from_kvdb(db as Arc<_>, config.pruning, canonicalization_delay)
 	}
diff --git a/substrate/core/client/db/src/light.rs b/substrate/core/client/db/src/light.rs
index 8131ec135b..cf24499f6b 100644
--- a/substrate/core/client/db/src/light.rs
+++ b/substrate/core/client/db/src/light.rs
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ impl<Block> LightStorage<Block>
 {
 	/// Create new storage with given settings.
 	pub fn new(config: DatabaseSettings) -> ClientResult<Self> {
-		let db = open_database(&config, "light")?;
+		let db = open_database(&config, columns::META, "light")?;
 
 		Self::from_kvdb(db as Arc<_>)
 	}
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ impl<Block> LightStorage<Block>
 			columns::HEADER,
 			columns::AUTHORITIES
 		)?;
-		let meta = RwLock::new(read_meta::<Block>(&*db, columns::META)?);
+		let meta = RwLock::new(read_meta::<Block>(&*db, columns::META, columns::HEADER)?);
 		let leaves = RwLock::new(LeafSet::read_from_db(&*db, columns::META, meta_keys::LEAF_PREFIX)?);
 
 		Ok(LightStorage {
diff --git a/substrate/core/client/db/src/utils.rs b/substrate/core/client/db/src/utils.rs
index ac9f5e336c..9065b3e620 100644
--- a/substrate/core/client/db/src/utils.rs
+++ b/substrate/core/client/db/src/utils.rs
@@ -100,14 +100,14 @@ pub fn db_err(err: io::Error) -> client::error::Error {
 }
 
 /// Open RocksDB database.
-pub fn open_database(config: &DatabaseSettings, db_type: &str) -> client::error::Result<Arc<KeyValueDB>> {
+pub fn open_database(config: &DatabaseSettings, col_meta: Option<u32>, db_type: &str) -> client::error::Result<Arc<KeyValueDB>> {
 	let mut db_config = DatabaseConfig::with_columns(Some(NUM_COLUMNS));
 	db_config.memory_budget = config.cache_size;
 	let path = config.path.to_str().ok_or_else(|| client::error::ErrorKind::Backend("Invalid database path".into()))?;
 	let db = Database::open(&db_config, &path).map_err(db_err)?;
 
 	// check database type
-	match db.get(COLUMN_META, meta_keys::TYPE).map_err(db_err)? {
+	match db.get(col_meta, meta_keys::TYPE).map_err(db_err)? {
 		Some(stored_type) => {
 			if db_type.as_bytes() != &*stored_type {
 				return Err(client::error::ErrorKind::Backend(
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ pub fn open_database(config: &DatabaseSettings, db_type: &str) -> client::error:
 		},
 		None => {
 			let mut transaction = DBTransaction::new();
-			transaction.put(COLUMN_META, meta_keys::TYPE, db_type.as_bytes());
+			transaction.put(col_meta, meta_keys::TYPE, db_type.as_bytes());
 			db.write(transaction).map_err(db_err)?;
 		},
 	}
@@ -175,14 +175,14 @@ pub fn read_header<Block: BlockT>(
 }
 
 /// Read meta from the database.
-pub fn read_meta<Block>(db: &KeyValueDB, col_header: Option<u32>) -> Result<
+pub fn read_meta<Block>(db: &KeyValueDB, col_meta: Option<u32>, col_header: Option<u32>) -> Result<
 	Meta<<<Block as BlockT>::Header as HeaderT>::Number, Block::Hash>,
 	client::error::Error,
 >
 	where
 		Block: BlockT,
 {
-	let genesis_hash: Block::Hash = match db.get(COLUMN_META, meta_keys::GENESIS_HASH).map_err(db_err)? {
+	let genesis_hash: Block::Hash = match db.get(col_meta, meta_keys::GENESIS_HASH).map_err(db_err)? {
 		Some(h) => match Decode::decode(&mut &h[..]) {
 			Some(h) => h,
 			None => return Err(client::error::ErrorKind::Backend("Error decoding genesis hash".into()).into()),
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ pub fn read_meta<Block>(db: &KeyValueDB, col_header: Option<u32>) -> Result<
 	};
 
 	let load_meta_block = |desc, key| -> Result<_, client::error::Error> {
-		if let Some(Some(header)) = db.get(COLUMN_META, key).and_then(|id|
+		if let Some(Some(header)) = db.get(col_meta, key).and_then(|id|
 			match id {
 				Some(id) => db.get(col_header, &id).map(|h| h.map(|b| Block::Header::decode(&mut &b[..]))),
 				None => Ok(None),