diff --git a/storage/oasis/nodeapi/file/kvstore.go b/storage/oasis/nodeapi/file/kvstore.go
index 88d1cbf6b..9aa072f43 100644
--- a/storage/oasis/nodeapi/file/kvstore.go
+++ b/storage/oasis/nodeapi/file/kvstore.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package file
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/akrylysov/pogreb"
 	"github.com/oasisprotocol/oasis-core/go/common/cbor"
@@ -27,28 +29,97 @@ type KVStore interface {
 }
 
 type pogrebKVStore struct {
-	*pogreb.DB
+	db *pogreb.DB
 
 	path   string
 	logger *log.Logger
+
+	// Address of the atomic variable that indicates whether the store is initialized.
+	// Synchronisation is required because the store is opened in background goroutine.
+	initialized uint32
 }
 
 var _ KVStore = (*pogrebKVStore)(nil)
 
+func (s *pogrebKVStore) isInitialized() bool {
+	return atomic.LoadUint32(&s.initialized) == 1
+}
+
+// Get implements KVStore.
+func (s *pogrebKVStore) Get(key []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+	if b := s.isInitialized(); !b {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("kvstore: not initialized yet")
+	}
+	return s.db.Get(key)
+}
+
+// Has implements KVStore.
+func (s *pogrebKVStore) Has(key []byte) (bool, error) {
+	if b := s.isInitialized(); !b {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+	return s.db.Has(key)
+}
+
+// Put implements KVStore.
+func (s *pogrebKVStore) Put(key []byte, value []byte) error {
+	if b := s.isInitialized(); !b {
+		// If the store is not initialized yet, skip writing to it.
+		s.logger.Debug("skipping write to uninitialized KVStore", "key", key)
+		return nil
+	}
+	return s.db.Put(key, value)
+}
+
+// Close implements KVStore.
 func (s pogrebKVStore) Close() error {
 	s.logger.Info("closing KVStore", "path", s.path)
-	return s.DB.Close()
+	return s.db.Close()
 }
 
-func OpenKVStore(logger *log.Logger, path string) (KVStore, error) {
-	logger.Info("(re)opening KVStore", "path", path)
-	db, err := pogreb.Open(path, &pogreb.Options{BackgroundSyncInterval: -1})
+func (s *pogrebKVStore) init() error {
+	s.logger.Info("(re)opening KVStore", "path", s.path)
+	db, err := pogreb.Open(s.path, &pogreb.Options{BackgroundSyncInterval: -1})
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		s.logger.Error("failed to initialize pogreb store", "err", err)
+		return err
+	}
+
+	s.db = db
+	atomic.StoreUint32(&s.initialized, 1)
+	s.logger.Info(fmt.Sprintf("KVStore has %d entries", db.Count()))
+	return nil
+}
+
+func OpenKVStore(logger *log.Logger, path string) (KVStore, error) {
+	store := &pogrebKVStore{
+		logger: logger,
+		path:   path,
 	}
-	logger.Info(fmt.Sprintf("KVStore has %d entries", db.Count()))
 
-	return &pogrebKVStore{DB: db, logger: logger, path: path}, nil
+	// Open the database in background as it is possible it will do a full-reindex on startup after a crash:
+	// https://github.com/akrylysov/pogreb/issues/35
+	initErrCh := make(chan error)
+	go func() {
+		initErrCh <- store.init()
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case err := <-initErrCh:
+		// Database initialized in time.
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		return store, nil
+	case <-time.After(30 * time.Second):
+		// Database is likely doing a full-reindex after a crash which can take a long time (multiple hours).
+		// Continue without cache while the database is reindexing in the background. Once it's done,
+		// the cache will be used.
+		// NOTE: A failure during the database reindex will be ignored (but logged), therefore in that scenario
+		// the cache will never be initialized.
+		logger.Warn("KVStore initialization timed out, continuing without cache while the database is reindexing in the background")
+		return store, nil
+	}
 }
 
 // Pretty() returns a pretty-printed, human-readable version of the cache key.