diff --git a/runtime/src/accounts_db.rs b/runtime/src/accounts_db.rs
index 9f40734aa257c1..020961b76b23b4 100644
--- a/runtime/src/accounts_db.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/accounts_db.rs
@@ -671,8 +671,6 @@ impl AccountsDB {
             reclaims.extend(new_reclaims);
         }
 
-        let last_root = accounts_index.last_root;
-
         drop(accounts_index);
         drop(storage);
 
@@ -683,16 +681,16 @@ impl AccountsDB {
             }
         }
 
-        self.handle_reclaims(&reclaims, last_root);
+        self.handle_reclaims(&reclaims);
     }
 
-    fn handle_reclaims(&self, reclaims: &[(Slot, AccountInfo)], last_root: Slot) {
+    fn handle_reclaims(&self, reclaims: &[(Slot, AccountInfo)]) {
         let mut dead_accounts = Measure::start("reclaims::remove_dead_accounts");
         let mut dead_slots = self.remove_dead_accounts(reclaims);
         dead_accounts.stop();
 
         let mut cleanup_dead_slots = Measure::start("reclaims::purge_slots");
-        self.cleanup_dead_slots(&mut dead_slots, last_root);
+        self.cleanup_dead_slots(&mut dead_slots);
         cleanup_dead_slots.stop();
 
         let mut purge_slots = Measure::start("reclaims::purge_slots");
@@ -1097,7 +1095,7 @@ impl AccountsDB {
         slot_id: Slot,
         infos: Vec<AccountInfo>,
         accounts: &[(&Pubkey, &Account)],
-    ) -> (Vec<(Slot, AccountInfo)>, u64) {
+    ) -> Vec<(Slot, AccountInfo)> {
         let mut reclaims: Vec<(Slot, AccountInfo)> = Vec::with_capacity(infos.len() * 2);
         let index = self.accounts_index.read().unwrap();
         let mut update_index_work = Measure::start("update_index_work");
@@ -1112,7 +1110,6 @@ impl AccountsDB {
             })
             .collect();
 
-        let last_root = index.last_root;
         drop(index);
         if !inserts.is_empty() {
             let mut index = self.accounts_index.write().unwrap();
@@ -1121,7 +1118,7 @@ impl AccountsDB {
             }
         }
         update_index_work.stop();
-        (reclaims, last_root)
+        reclaims
     }
 
     fn remove_dead_accounts(&self, reclaims: &[(Slot, AccountInfo)]) -> HashSet<Slot> {
@@ -1156,9 +1153,7 @@ impl AccountsDB {
         dead_slots
     }
 
-    fn cleanup_dead_slots(&self, dead_slots: &mut HashSet<Slot>, last_root: u64) {
-        // a slot is not totally dead until it is older than the root
-        dead_slots.retain(|slot| *slot < last_root);
+    fn cleanup_dead_slots(&self, dead_slots: &mut HashSet<Slot>) {
         if !dead_slots.is_empty() {
             {
                 let mut index = self.accounts_index.write().unwrap();
@@ -1219,11 +1214,11 @@ impl AccountsDB {
         store_accounts.stop();
 
         let mut update_index = Measure::start("store::update_index");
-        let (reclaims, last_root) = self.update_index(slot_id, infos, accounts);
+        let reclaims = self.update_index(slot_id, infos, accounts);
         update_index.stop();
         trace!("reclaim: {}", reclaims.len());
 
-        self.handle_reclaims(&reclaims, last_root);
+        self.handle_reclaims(&reclaims);
     }
 
     pub fn add_root(&self, slot: Slot) {
@@ -1782,9 +1777,7 @@ pub mod tests {
             let (list, idx) = index.get(&pubkey, &ancestors).unwrap();
             list[idx].1.store_id
         };
-        //slot 0 is behind root, but it is not root, therefore it is purged
         accounts.add_root(1);
-        assert!(accounts.accounts_index.read().unwrap().is_purged(0));
 
         //slot is still there, since gc is lazy
         assert!(accounts.storage.read().unwrap().0[&0].get(&id).is_some());
diff --git a/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs b/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
index 0fa96263684734..6138573536b92d 100644
--- a/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
@@ -12,9 +12,6 @@ pub struct AccountsIndex<T> {
     pub account_maps: HashMap<Pubkey, RwLock<SlotList<T>>>,
 
     pub roots: HashSet<Slot>,
-
-    // This value that needs to be stored to recover the index from AppendVec
-    pub last_root: Slot,
 }
 
 impl<T: Clone> AccountsIndex<T> {
@@ -148,10 +145,6 @@ impl<T: Clone> AccountsIndex<T> {
         entry.write().unwrap().push((slot, account_info));
     }
 
-    pub fn is_purged(&self, slot: Slot) -> bool {
-        slot < self.last_root
-    }
-
     pub fn can_purge(max_root: Slot, slot: Slot) -> bool {
         slot < max_root
     }
@@ -161,11 +154,6 @@ impl<T: Clone> AccountsIndex<T> {
     }
 
     pub fn add_root(&mut self, slot: Slot) {
-        assert!(
-            (self.last_root == 0 && slot == 0) || (slot >= self.last_root),
-            "new roots must be increasing"
-        );
-        self.last_root = slot;
         self.roots.insert(slot);
     }
     /// Remove the slot when the storage for the slot is freed
@@ -270,29 +258,6 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(list[idx], (0, true));
     }
 
-    #[test]
-    fn test_is_purged() {
-        let mut index = AccountsIndex::<bool>::default();
-        assert!(!index.is_purged(0));
-        index.add_root(1);
-        assert!(index.is_purged(0));
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn test_max_last_root() {
-        let mut index = AccountsIndex::<bool>::default();
-        index.add_root(1);
-        assert_eq!(index.last_root, 1);
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    #[should_panic]
-    fn test_max_last_root_old() {
-        let mut index = AccountsIndex::<bool>::default();
-        index.add_root(1);
-        index.add_root(0);
-    }
-
     #[test]
     fn test_cleanup_first() {
         let mut index = AccountsIndex::<bool>::default();