diff --git a/internal/ethapi/api.go b/internal/ethapi/api.go
index cb1abee0613..25ee3623848 100644
--- a/internal/ethapi/api.go
+++ b/internal/ethapi/api.go
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ func (api *BlockChainAPI) GetHeaderByHash(ctx context.Context, hash common.Hash)
 func (s *BlockChainAPI) GetBlockByNumber(ctx context.Context, number rpc.BlockNumber, fullTx bool) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
 	block, err := s.b.BlockByNumber(ctx, number)
 	if block != nil {
-		response, err := s.rpcMarshalBlock(block, true, fullTx)
+		response, err := s.rpcMarshalBlock(ctx, block, true, fullTx)
 		if err == nil && number == rpc.PendingBlockNumber {
 			// Pending blocks need to nil out a few fields
 			for _, field := range []string{"hash", "nonce", "miner", "number"} {
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ func (s *BlockChainAPI) GetBlockByNumber(ctx context.Context, number rpc.BlockNu
 func (s *BlockChainAPI) GetBlockByHash(ctx context.Context, hash common.Hash, fullTx bool) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
 	block, err := s.b.GetBlock(ctx, hash)
 	if block != nil {
-		return s.rpcMarshalBlock(block, true, fullTx)
+		return s.rpcMarshalBlock(ctx, block, true, fullTx)
 	}
 	return nil, err
 }
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ func (s *BlockChainAPI) GetUncleByBlockNumberAndIndex(ctx context.Context, block
 			return nil, nil
 		}
 		block = types.NewBlockWithHeader(uncles[index])
-		return s.rpcMarshalBlock(block, false, false)
+		return s.rpcMarshalBlock(ctx, block, false, false)
 	}
 	return nil, err
 }
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@ func (s *BlockChainAPI) GetUncleByBlockHashAndIndex(ctx context.Context, blockHa
 			return nil, nil
 		}
 		block = types.NewBlockWithHeader(uncles[index])
-		return s.rpcMarshalBlock(block, false, false)
+		return s.rpcMarshalBlock(ctx, block, false, false)
 	}
 	return nil, err
 }
@@ -1374,13 +1374,13 @@ func RPCMarshalBlock(block *types.Block, inclTx bool, fullTx bool, config *param
 
 // rpcMarshalBlock uses the generalized output filler, then adds the total difficulty field, which requires
 // a `BlockChainAPI`.
-func (s *BlockChainAPI) rpcMarshalBlock(b *types.Block, inclTx bool, fullTx bool) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
+func (s *BlockChainAPI) rpcMarshalBlock(ctx context.Context, b *types.Block, inclTx bool, fullTx bool) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
 	fields, err := RPCMarshalBlock(b, inclTx, fullTx, s.b.ChainConfig())
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	if inclTx {
-		fields["totalDifficulty"] = (*hexutil.Big)(s.b.GetTd(context.Background(), b.Hash()))
+		fields["totalDifficulty"] = (*hexutil.Big)(s.b.GetTd(ctx, b.Hash()))
 	}
 	return fields, err
 }