diff --git a/lib/block/merkleblock.js b/lib/block/merkleblock.js
index 74d425c58..d2012664a 100644
--- a/lib/block/merkleblock.js
+++ b/lib/block/merkleblock.js
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ function MerkleBlock(arg) {
     throw new TypeError('Unrecognized argument for MerkleBlock');
   }
   _.extend(this,info);
-  this._validMerkleTree = null;
   this._flagBitsUsed = 0;
   this._hashesUsed = 0;
   return this;
@@ -144,18 +143,15 @@ MerkleBlock.prototype.toJSON = function toJSON() {
 MerkleBlock.prototype.validMerkleTree = function validMerkleTree() {
   $.checkState(_.isArray(this.flags), 'MerkleBlock flags is not an array');
   $.checkState(_.isArray(this.hashes), 'MerkleBlock hashes is not an array');
-  if(_.isBoolean(this._validMerkleTree)) {
-    return this._validMerkleTree;
-  }
 
   // Can't have more hashes than numTransactions
   if(this.hashes.length > this.numTransactions) {
-    return this._setValidMerkleTree(false);
+    return false;
   }
 
   // Can't have more flag bits than num hashes
   if(this.flags.length * 8 < this.hashes.length) {
-    return this._setValidMerkleTree(false);
+    return false;
   }
 
   var height = 0;
@@ -167,9 +163,9 @@ MerkleBlock.prototype.validMerkleTree = function validMerkleTree() {
   this._hashesUsed = 0;
   var root = this._traverseMerkleTree(height, 0);
   if(this._hashesUsed !== this.hashes.length) {
-    return this._setValidMerkleTree(false);
+    false;
   }
-  return this._setValidMerkleTree(BufferUtil.equals(root, this.header.merkleRoot));
+  return BufferUtil.equals(root, this.header.merkleRoot);
 }
 
 /** Traverse a the tree in this MerkleBlock, validating it along the way
@@ -229,17 +225,6 @@ MerkleBlock.prototype.hasTransaction = function hasTransaction(tx) {
     || this.hashes.indexOf(revHash) !== -1);
 }
 
-/**
- * @param {Bool} - set the merkle tree validity
- * @returns {Bool} - return true/false
- * @private
- */
-MerkleBlock.prototype._setValidMerkleTree = function(valid) {
-  this._validMerkleTree = valid;
-  return valid;
-}
-
-
 /**
  * @param {Buffer} - MerkleBlock data
  * @returns {Object} - An Object representing merkleblock data
diff --git a/test/merkleblock.js b/test/merkleblock.js
index 61e52011e..236f863fa 100644
--- a/test/merkleblock.js
+++ b/test/merkleblock.js
@@ -129,19 +129,9 @@ describe('MerkleBlock', function() {
       data.JSON.forEach(function(json) {
         var b = MerkleBlock(JSON.stringify(json));
         b.validMerkleTree().should.equal(true);
-        b._validMerkleTree.should.equal(true);
       });
     });
 
-    it('should respect _validMerkleTrees', function() {
-      var b = MerkleBlock(blockJSON);
-      b._validMerkleTree = false;
-      b.validMerkleTree().should.equal(false);
-      b._validMerkleTree = true;
-      b._validMerkleTree.should.equal(true);
-      b.validMerkleTree().should.equal(true);
-    });
-
     it('should not validate merkleblocks with too many hashes', function() {
       var b = MerkleBlock(JSON.stringify(data.JSON[0]));
       // Add too many hashes