diff --git a/ledger/src/blockstore.rs b/ledger/src/blockstore.rs
index eca79093ddeb0d..2894733e66cc8d 100644
--- a/ledger/src/blockstore.rs
+++ b/ledger/src/blockstore.rs
@@ -325,12 +325,6 @@ impl Blockstore {
             .unwrap_or(0);
         let last_root = RwLock::new(max_root);
 
-        // Initialize transaction status index if entries are not present
-        let initialize_transaction_status_index = db
-            .iter::<cf::TransactionStatusIndex>(IteratorMode::Start)?
-            .next()
-            .is_none();
-
         measure.stop();
         info!("{:?} {}", blockstore_path, measure);
         let blockstore = Blockstore {
@@ -364,9 +358,8 @@ impl Blockstore {
             lowest_cleanup_slot: RwLock::<Slot>::default(),
             slots_stats: SlotsStats::default(),
         };
-        if initialize_transaction_status_index {
-            blockstore.initialize_transaction_status_index()?;
-        }
+        blockstore.cleanup_old_entries()?;
+
         Ok(blockstore)
     }
 
@@ -2109,16 +2102,10 @@ impl Blockstore {
             .collect()
     }
 
-    /// Initializes the TransactionStatusIndex column family with two records, `0` and `1`,
-    /// which are used as the primary index for entries in the TransactionStatus and
-    /// AddressSignatures columns. At any given time, one primary index is active (ie. new records
-    /// are stored under this index), the other is frozen.
-    fn initialize_transaction_status_index(&self) -> Result<()> {
-        self.transaction_status_index_cf
-            .put(0, &TransactionStatusIndexMeta::default())?;
-        self.transaction_status_index_cf
-            .put(1, &TransactionStatusIndexMeta::default())?;
-
+    fn cleanup_old_entries(&self) -> Result<()> {
+        if !self.is_primary_access() {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
         // If present, delete dummy entries inserted by old software
         // https://github.com/solana-labs/solana/blob/bc2b372/ledger/src/blockstore.rs#L2130-L2137
         let transaction_status_dummy_key = cf::TransactionStatus::as_index(2);
diff --git a/ledger/src/blockstore/blockstore_purge.rs b/ledger/src/blockstore/blockstore_purge.rs
index b4e50234106bf0..edd35ba899fb58 100644
--- a/ledger/src/blockstore/blockstore_purge.rs
+++ b/ledger/src/blockstore/blockstore_purge.rs
@@ -761,7 +761,7 @@ pub mod tests {
             .transaction_status_index_cf
             .get(0)
             .unwrap()
-            .unwrap();
+            .unwrap_or_default();
         index0.frozen = true;
         index0.max_slot = 4;
         blockstore
@@ -772,7 +772,7 @@ pub mod tests {
             .transaction_status_index_cf
             .get(1)
             .unwrap()
-            .unwrap();
+            .unwrap_or_default();
         index1.frozen = false;
         index1.max_slot = 9;
         blockstore