diff --git a/ethstats/ethstats.go b/ethstats/ethstats.go
index 84a672280620..e059844a17e6 100644
--- a/ethstats/ethstats.go
+++ b/ethstats/ethstats.go
@@ -76,18 +76,12 @@ type backend interface {
 // reporting to ethstats
 type fullNodeBackend interface {
 	backend
+	Miner() *miner.Miner
 	BlockByNumber(ctx context.Context, number rpc.BlockNumber) (*types.Block, error)
-	CurrentBlock() *types.Header
+	CurrentBlock() *types.Block
 	SuggestGasTipCap(ctx context.Context) (*big.Int, error)
 }
 
-// miningNodeBackend encompasses the functionality necessary for a mining node
-// reporting to ethstats
-type miningNodeBackend interface {
-	fullNodeBackend
-	Miner() *miner.Miner
-}
-
 // Service implements an Ethereum netstats reporting daemon that pushes local
 // chain statistics up to a monitoring server.
 type Service struct {
@@ -640,8 +634,7 @@ func (s *Service) assembleBlockStats(block *types.Block) *blockStats {
 	fullBackend, ok := s.backend.(fullNodeBackend)
 	if ok {
 		if block == nil {
-			head := fullBackend.CurrentBlock()
-			block, _ = fullBackend.BlockByNumber(context.Background(), rpc.BlockNumber(head.Number.Uint64()))
+			block = fullBackend.CurrentBlock()
 		}
 		header = block.Header()
 		td = fullBackend.GetTd(context.Background(), header.Hash())
@@ -786,11 +779,10 @@ func (s *Service) reportStats(conn *connWrapper) error {
 		gasprice int
 	)
 	// check if backend is a full node
-	if fullBackend, ok := s.backend.(fullNodeBackend); ok {
-		if miningBackend, ok := s.backend.(miningNodeBackend); ok {
-			mining = miningBackend.Miner().Mining()
-			hashrate = int(miningBackend.Miner().Hashrate())
-		}
+	fullBackend, ok := s.backend.(fullNodeBackend)
+	if ok {
+		mining = fullBackend.Miner().Mining()
+		hashrate = int(fullBackend.Miner().Hashrate())
 
 		sync := fullBackend.SyncProgress()
 		syncing = fullBackend.CurrentHeader().Number.Uint64() >= sync.HighestBlock