diff --git a/db/src/storage.rs b/db/src/storage.rs
index 4219aef0..786106f6 100644
--- a/db/src/storage.rs
+++ b/db/src/storage.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ pub const COL_BLOCK_HEADERS: u32 = 2;
 pub const COL_BLOCK_TRANSACTIONS: u32 = 3;
 pub const COL_TRANSACTIONS: u32 = 4;
 pub const COL_TRANSACTIONS_META: u32 = 5;
-const COL_BLOCK_NUMBERS: u32 = 6;
+pub const COL_BLOCK_NUMBERS: u32 = 6;
 const _COL_RESERVED3: u32 = 7;
 const _COL_RESERVED4: u32 = 8;
 const _COL_RESERVED5: u32 = 9;
@@ -62,9 +62,18 @@ impl Storage {
 
 	/// new storage at the selected path
 	/// if no directory exists, it will be created
-	pub fn new<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: P) -> Result<Storage, Error> {
+	pub fn with_cache<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: P, total_cache: usize) -> Result<Storage, Error> {
 		try!(fs::create_dir_all(path.as_ref()));
-		let cfg = DatabaseConfig::with_columns(Some(COL_COUNT));
+		let mut cfg = DatabaseConfig::with_columns(Some(COL_COUNT));
+
+		cfg.set_cache(Some(COL_TRANSACTIONS), total_cache / 4);
+		cfg.set_cache(Some(COL_TRANSACTIONS_META), total_cache / 4);
+		cfg.set_cache(Some(COL_BLOCK_HEADERS), total_cache / 4);
+
+		cfg.set_cache(Some(COL_BLOCK_HASHES), total_cache / 12);
+		cfg.set_cache(Some(COL_BLOCK_TRANSACTIONS), total_cache / 12);
+		cfg.set_cache(Some(COL_BLOCK_NUMBERS), total_cache / 12);
+
 		let db = try!(Database::open(&cfg, &*path.as_ref().to_string_lossy()));
 
 		let storage = Storage {
@@ -102,6 +111,10 @@ impl Storage {
 		Ok(storage)
 	}
 
+	pub fn new<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: P) -> Result<Storage, Error> {
+		Self::with_cache(path, 256)
+	}
+
 	fn read_meta(&self, key: &[u8]) -> Option<Bytes> {
 		self.get(COL_META, key)
 	}
diff --git a/pbtc/config.rs b/pbtc/config.rs
index 10cb531a..7e20d896 100644
--- a/pbtc/config.rs
+++ b/pbtc/config.rs
@@ -11,8 +11,11 @@ pub struct Config {
 	pub inbound_connections: u32,
 	pub outbound_connections: u32,
 	pub p2p_threads: usize,
+	pub db_cache: usize,
 }
 
+pub const DEFAULT_DB_CACHE: usize = 512;
+
 pub fn parse(matches: &clap::ArgMatches) -> Result<Config, String> {
 	let print_to_console = matches.is_present("printtoconsole");
 	let magic = match (matches.is_present("testnet"), matches.is_present("regtest")) {
@@ -52,6 +55,11 @@ pub fn parse(matches: &clap::ArgMatches) -> Result<Config, String> {
 		None => None,
 	};
 
+	let db_cache = match matches.value_of("db-cache") {
+		Some(s) => try!(s.parse().map_err(|_| "Invalid cache size - should be number in MB".to_owned())),
+		None => DEFAULT_DB_CACHE,
+	};
+
 	let config = Config {
 		print_to_console: print_to_console,
 		magic: magic,
@@ -61,6 +69,7 @@ pub fn parse(matches: &clap::ArgMatches) -> Result<Config, String> {
 		inbound_connections: in_connections,
 		outbound_connections: out_connections,
 		p2p_threads: p2p_threads,
+		db_cache: db_cache,
 	};
 
 	Ok(config)
diff --git a/pbtc/util.rs b/pbtc/util.rs
index 79579999..f1d37e49 100644
--- a/pbtc/util.rs
+++ b/pbtc/util.rs
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ use chain::RepresentH256;
 use {db, APP_INFO};
 use config::Config;
 
-pub fn open_db(_cfg: &Config) -> db::SharedStore {
+pub fn open_db(cfg: &Config) -> db::SharedStore {
 	let db_path = app_dir(AppDataType::UserData, &APP_INFO, "db").expect("Failed to get app dir");
-	Arc::new(db::Storage::new(db_path).expect("Failed to open database"))
+	Arc::new(db::Storage::with_cache(db_path, cfg.db_cache).expect("Failed to open database"))
 }
 
 pub fn node_table_path() -> PathBuf {