diff --git a/cmd/geth/chaincmd.go b/cmd/geth/chaincmd.go
index 5cd24b4a9698..c48b539c1b4b 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/chaincmd.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/chaincmd.go
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ func importChain(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	stack, _ := makeConfigNode(ctx)
 	defer stack.Close()
 
-	chain, db := utils.MakeChain(ctx, stack, false, false)
+	chain, db := utils.MakeChain(ctx, stack)
 	defer db.Close()
 
 	// Start periodically gathering memory profiles
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ func exportChain(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	stack, _ := makeConfigNode(ctx)
 	defer stack.Close()
 
-	chain, _ := utils.MakeChain(ctx, stack, true, true)
+	chain, _ := utils.MakeChain(ctx, stack)
 	start := time.Now()
 
 	var err error
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ func dump(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	stack, _ := makeConfigNode(ctx)
 	defer stack.Close()
 
-	chain, chainDb := utils.MakeChain(ctx, stack, true, true)
+	chain, chainDb := utils.MakeChain(ctx, stack)
 	defer chainDb.Close()
 	for _, arg := range ctx.Args() {
 		var block *types.Block
diff --git a/cmd/geth/snapshot.go b/cmd/geth/snapshot.go
index 3123b3119ef8..845bbc94724d 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/snapshot.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/snapshot.go
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ func pruneState(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	stack, config := makeConfigNode(ctx)
 	defer stack.Close()
 
-	chain, chaindb := utils.MakeChain(ctx, stack, true, false)
+	chain, chaindb := utils.MakeChain(ctx, stack)
 	defer chaindb.Close()
 
 	pruner, err := pruner.NewPruner(chaindb, chain.CurrentBlock().Header(), stack.ResolvePath(""), stack.ResolvePath(config.Eth.TrieCleanCacheJournal), ctx.GlobalUint64(utils.BloomFilterSizeFlag.Name))
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ func verifyState(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	stack, _ := makeConfigNode(ctx)
 	defer stack.Close()
 
-	chain, chaindb := utils.MakeChain(ctx, stack, true, true)
+	chain, chaindb := utils.MakeChain(ctx, stack)
 	defer chaindb.Close()
 
 	snaptree, err := snapshot.New(chaindb, trie.NewDatabase(chaindb), 256, chain.CurrentBlock().Root(), false, false, false)
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ func traverseState(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	stack, _ := makeConfigNode(ctx)
 	defer stack.Close()
 
-	chain, chaindb := utils.MakeChain(ctx, stack, true, true)
+	chain, chaindb := utils.MakeChain(ctx, stack)
 	defer chaindb.Close()
 
 	if ctx.NArg() > 1 {
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ func traverseRawState(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	stack, _ := makeConfigNode(ctx)
 	defer stack.Close()
 
-	chain, chaindb := utils.MakeChain(ctx, stack, true, true)
+	chain, chaindb := utils.MakeChain(ctx, stack)
 	defer chaindb.Close()
 
 	if ctx.NArg() > 1 {
diff --git a/cmd/utils/flags.go b/cmd/utils/flags.go
index c616064fee9f..00b28bddf6a4 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/flags.go
@@ -1790,9 +1790,9 @@ func MakeGenesis(ctx *cli.Context) *core.Genesis {
 }
 
 // MakeChain creates a chain manager from set command line flags.
-func MakeChain(ctx *cli.Context, stack *node.Node, chainReadOnly bool, dbReadOnly bool) (chain *core.BlockChain, chainDb ethdb.Database) {
+func MakeChain(ctx *cli.Context, stack *node.Node) (chain *core.BlockChain, chainDb ethdb.Database) {
 	var err error
-	chainDb = MakeChainDatabase(ctx, stack, dbReadOnly)
+	chainDb = MakeChainDatabase(ctx, stack, false) // TODO(rjl493456442) support read-only database
 	config, _, err := core.SetupGenesisBlock(chainDb, MakeGenesis(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
 		Fatalf("%v", err)
@@ -1842,13 +1842,9 @@ func MakeChain(ctx *cli.Context, stack *node.Node, chainReadOnly bool, dbReadOnl
 	}
 	vmcfg := vm.Config{EnablePreimageRecording: ctx.GlobalBool(VMEnableDebugFlag.Name)}
 
-	// TODO disable snapshot generation/wiping if the chain is read only.
-	var limit *uint64
-	if ctx.GlobalIsSet(TxLookupLimitFlag.Name) && !chainReadOnly {
-		l := ctx.GlobalUint64(TxLookupLimitFlag.Name)
-		limit = &l
-	}
-	chain, err = core.NewBlockChain(chainDb, cache, config, engine, vmcfg, nil, limit)
+	// TODO(rjl493456442) disable snapshot generation/wiping if the chain is read only.
+	// Disable transaction indexing/unindexing by default.
+	chain, err = core.NewBlockChain(chainDb, cache, config, engine, vmcfg, nil, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		Fatalf("Can't create BlockChain: %v", err)
 	}