diff --git a/src/ripple/app/misc/SHAMapStoreImp.cpp b/src/ripple/app/misc/SHAMapStoreImp.cpp
index 42a6bc188..3930e04bf 100644
--- a/src/ripple/app/misc/SHAMapStoreImp.cpp
+++ b/src/ripple/app/misc/SHAMapStoreImp.cpp
@@ -168,7 +168,23 @@ SHAMapStoreImp::SHAMapStoreImp(
 std::unique_ptr<NodeStore::Database>
 SHAMapStoreImp::makeNodeStore(std::int32_t readThreads)
 {
+    auto nscfg = app_.config().section(ConfigSection::nodeDatabase());
+
+    // Provide default values:
+    if (!nscfg.exists("cache_size"))
+        nscfg.set(
+            "cache_size",
+            std::to_string(app_.config().getValueFor(
+                SizedItem::treeCacheSize, std::nullopt)));
+
+    if (!nscfg.exists("cache_age"))
+        nscfg.set(
+            "cache_age",
+            std::to_string(app_.config().getValueFor(
+                SizedItem::treeCacheAge, std::nullopt)));
+
     std::unique_ptr<NodeStore::Database> db;
+
     if (deleteInterval_)
     {
         if (app_.config().reporting())
@@ -187,13 +203,14 @@ SHAMapStoreImp::makeNodeStore(std::int32_t readThreads)
             state_db_.setState(state);
         }
 
-        // Create NodeStore with two backends to allow online deletion of data
+        // Create NodeStore with two backends to allow online deletion of
+        // data
         auto dbr = std::make_unique<NodeStore::DatabaseRotatingImp>(
             scheduler_,
             readThreads,
             std::move(writableBackend),
             std::move(archiveBackend),
-            app_.config().section(ConfigSection::nodeDatabase()),
+            nscfg,
             app_.logs().journal(nodeStoreName_));
         fdRequired_ += dbr->fdRequired();
         dbRotating_ = dbr.get();
@@ -206,7 +223,7 @@ SHAMapStoreImp::makeNodeStore(std::int32_t readThreads)
                 app_.config().getValueFor(SizedItem::burstSize, std::nullopt)),
             scheduler_,
             readThreads,
-            app_.config().section(ConfigSection::nodeDatabase()),
+            nscfg,
             app_.logs().journal(nodeStoreName_));
         fdRequired_ += db->fdRequired();
     }
diff --git a/src/ripple/nodestore/impl/DatabaseNodeImp.cpp b/src/ripple/nodestore/impl/DatabaseNodeImp.cpp
index b5369f56d..5de22ccbb 100644
--- a/src/ripple/nodestore/impl/DatabaseNodeImp.cpp
+++ b/src/ripple/nodestore/impl/DatabaseNodeImp.cpp
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ DatabaseNodeImp::store(
     uint256 const& hash,
     std::uint32_t)
 {
-    auto nObj = NodeObject::createObject(type, std::move(data), hash);
-    backend_->store(nObj);
-    storeStats(1, nObj->getData().size());
+    storeStats(1, data.size());
+
+    backend_->store(NodeObject::createObject(type, std::move(data), hash));
 }
 
 void
@@ -50,12 +50,14 @@ DatabaseNodeImp::fetchNodeObject(
     FetchReport& fetchReport,
     bool duplicate)
 {
-    std::shared_ptr<NodeObject> nodeObject{
-        cache_ ? cache_->fetch(hash) : nullptr};
+    std::shared_ptr<NodeObject> nodeObject =
+        cache_ ? cache_->fetch(hash) : nullptr;
+
     if (!nodeObject)
     {
-        JLOG(j_.trace())
-            << "DatabaseNodeImp::fetchNodeObject - record not in cache";
+        JLOG(j_.trace()) << "fetchNodeObject " << hash << ": record not "
+                         << (cache_ ? "cached" : "found");
+
         Status status;
 
         try
@@ -64,7 +66,9 @@ DatabaseNodeImp::fetchNodeObject(
         }
         catch (std::exception const& e)
         {
-            JLOG(j_.fatal()) << "Exception, " << e.what();
+            JLOG(j_.fatal())
+                << "fetchNodeObject " << hash
+                << ": Exception fetching from backend: " << e.what();
             Rethrow();
         }
 
@@ -77,17 +81,20 @@ DatabaseNodeImp::fetchNodeObject(
             case notFound:
                 break;
             case dataCorrupt:
-                JLOG(j_.fatal()) << "Corrupt NodeObject #" << hash;
+                JLOG(j_.fatal()) << "fetchNodeObject " << hash
+                                 << ": nodestore data is corrupted";
                 break;
             default:
-                JLOG(j_.warn()) << "Unknown status=" << status;
+                JLOG(j_.warn())
+                    << "fetchNodeObject " << hash
+                    << ": backend returns unknown result " << status;
                 break;
         }
     }
     else
     {
-        JLOG(j_.trace())
-            << "DatabaseNodeImp::fetchNodeObject - record in cache";
+        JLOG(j_.trace()) << "fetchNodeObject " << hash
+                         << ": record found in cache";
     }
 
     if (nodeObject)
@@ -126,7 +133,7 @@ DatabaseNodeImp::fetchBatch(std::vector<uint256> const& hashes)
         }
     }
 
-    JLOG(j_.debug()) << "DatabaseNodeImp::fetchBatch - cache hits = "
+    JLOG(j_.debug()) << "fetchBatch - cache hits = "
                      << (hashes.size() - cacheMisses.size())
                      << " - cache misses = " << cacheMisses.size();
     auto dbResults = backend_->fetchBatch(cacheMisses).first;
@@ -147,7 +154,7 @@ DatabaseNodeImp::fetchBatch(std::vector<uint256> const& hashes)
         else
         {
             JLOG(j_.error())
-                << "DatabaseNodeImp::fetchBatch - "
+                << "fetchBatch - "
                 << "record not found in db or cache. hash = " << strHex(hash);
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/ripple/nodestore/impl/DatabaseNodeImp.h b/src/ripple/nodestore/impl/DatabaseNodeImp.h
index 3eaecd897..478b3cf66 100644
--- a/src/ripple/nodestore/impl/DatabaseNodeImp.h
+++ b/src/ripple/nodestore/impl/DatabaseNodeImp.h
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ public:
         , backend_(std::move(backend))
     {
         std::optional<int> cacheSize, cacheAge;
+
         if (config.exists("cache_size"))
         {
             cacheSize = get<int>(config, "cache_size");
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ public:
                     "Specified negative value for cache_size");
             }
         }
+
         if (config.exists("cache_age"))
         {
             cacheAge = get<int>(config, "cache_age");
@@ -63,19 +65,17 @@ public:
                     "Specified negative value for cache_age");
             }
         }
-        if (cacheSize || cacheAge)
+
+        if (cacheSize != 0 || cacheAge != 0)
         {
-            if (!cacheSize || *cacheSize == 0)
-                cacheSize = 16384;
-            if (!cacheAge || *cacheAge == 0)
-                cacheAge = 5;
             cache_ = std::make_shared<TaggedCache<uint256, NodeObject>>(
                 "DatabaseNodeImp",
-                cacheSize.value(),
-                std::chrono::minutes{cacheAge.value()},
+                cacheSize.value_or(0),
+                std::chrono::minutes(cacheAge.value_or(0)),
                 stopwatch(),
                 j);
         }
+
         assert(backend_);
     }