diff --git a/runtime/src/serde_snapshot.rs b/runtime/src/serde_snapshot.rs
index f5d291e49..b2666529e 100644
--- a/runtime/src/serde_snapshot.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/serde_snapshot.rs
@@ -429,8 +429,8 @@ where
         snapshot_version,
         snapshot_slot,
         snapshot_bank_hash_info,
-        _snapshot_historical_roots,
-        _snapshot_historical_roots_with_hash,
+        snapshot_historical_roots,
+        snapshot_historical_roots_with_hash,
     ) = snapshot_accounts_db_fields.collapse_into()?;
 
     let snapshot_storages = snapshot_storages.into_iter().collect::<Vec<_>>();
@@ -441,6 +441,12 @@ where
             .unwrap_or_else(|err| panic!("Failed to create directory {}: {}", path.display(), err));
     }
 
+    reconstruct_historical_roots(
+        &accounts_db,
+        snapshot_historical_roots,
+        snapshot_historical_roots_with_hash,
+    );
+
     // Remap the deserialized AppendVec paths to point to correct local paths
     let num_collisions = AtomicUsize::new(0);
     let next_append_vec_id = AtomicAppendVecId::new(0);
@@ -576,3 +582,25 @@ where
         ReconstructedAccountsDbInfo { accounts_data_len },
     ))
 }
+
+/// populate 'historical_roots' from 'snapshot_historical_roots' and 'snapshot_historical_roots_with_hash'
+fn reconstruct_historical_roots(
+    accounts_db: &AccountsDb,
+    mut snapshot_historical_roots: Vec<Slot>,
+    snapshot_historical_roots_with_hash: Vec<(Slot, Hash)>,
+) {
+    // inflate 'historical_roots'
+    // inserting into 'historical_roots' needs to be in order
+    // combine the slots into 1 vec, then sort
+    // dups are ok
+    snapshot_historical_roots.extend(
+        snapshot_historical_roots_with_hash
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|(root, _)| root),
+    );
+    snapshot_historical_roots.sort_unstable();
+    let mut roots_tracker = accounts_db.accounts_index.roots_tracker.write().unwrap();
+    snapshot_historical_roots.into_iter().for_each(|root| {
+        roots_tracker.historical_roots.insert(root);
+    });
+}
diff --git a/runtime/src/serde_snapshot/newer.rs b/runtime/src/serde_snapshot/newer.rs
index 4716f006b..4d486f128 100644
--- a/runtime/src/serde_snapshot/newer.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/serde_snapshot/newer.rs
@@ -238,14 +238,13 @@ impl<'a> TypeContext<'a> for Context {
             .unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("No bank_hashes entry for slot {}", serializable_db.slot))
             .clone();
 
-        // for now, historical_roots is the same as 'roots' and is redundant with the storages we persist in the snapshot
         let historical_roots = serializable_db
             .accounts_db
             .accounts_index
             .roots_tracker
             .read()
             .unwrap()
-            .alive_roots
+            .historical_roots
             .get_all();
         let historical_roots_with_hash = Vec::<(Slot, Hash)>::default();
 
diff --git a/runtime/src/serde_snapshot/tests.rs b/runtime/src/serde_snapshot/tests.rs
index f95312a50..a57bcd352 100644
--- a/runtime/src/serde_snapshot/tests.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/serde_snapshot/tests.rs
@@ -333,3 +333,35 @@ mod test_bank_serialize {
         .serialize(s)
     }
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn test_reconstruct_historical_roots() {
+    {
+        let db = AccountsDb::default_for_tests();
+        let historical_roots = vec![];
+        let historical_roots_with_hash = vec![];
+        reconstruct_historical_roots(&db, historical_roots, historical_roots_with_hash);
+        let roots_tracker = db.accounts_index.roots_tracker.read().unwrap();
+        assert!(roots_tracker.historical_roots.is_empty());
+    }
+
+    {
+        let db = AccountsDb::default_for_tests();
+        let historical_roots = vec![1];
+        let historical_roots_with_hash = vec![(0, Hash::default())];
+        reconstruct_historical_roots(&db, historical_roots, historical_roots_with_hash);
+        let roots_tracker = db.accounts_index.roots_tracker.read().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(roots_tracker.historical_roots.get_all(), vec![0, 1]);
+    }
+    {
+        let db = AccountsDb::default_for_tests();
+        let historical_roots = vec![2, 1];
+        let historical_roots_with_hash = vec![0, 5]
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|slot| (slot, Hash::default()))
+            .collect();
+        reconstruct_historical_roots(&db, historical_roots, historical_roots_with_hash);
+        let roots_tracker = db.accounts_index.roots_tracker.read().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(roots_tracker.historical_roots.get_all(), vec![0, 1, 2, 5]);
+    }
+}