diff --git a/core/rawdb/freezer.go b/core/rawdb/freezer.go
index a08f126d6b..2846858e0b 100644
--- a/core/rawdb/freezer.go
+++ b/core/rawdb/freezer.go
@@ -197,9 +197,10 @@ func (f *Freezer) Ancient(kind string, number uint64) ([]byte, error) {
 
 // AncientRange retrieves multiple items in sequence, starting from the index 'start'.
 // It will return
-//   - at most 'max' items,
-//   - at least 1 item (even if exceeding the maxByteSize), but will otherwise
-//     return as many items as fit into maxByteSize.
+//   - at most 'count' items,
+//   - if maxBytes is specified: at least 1 item (even if exceeding the maxByteSize),
+//     but will otherwise return as many items as fit into maxByteSize.
+//   - if maxBytes is not specified, 'count' items will be returned if they are present.
 func (f *Freezer) AncientRange(kind string, start, count, maxBytes uint64) ([][]byte, error) {
 	if table := f.tables[kind]; table != nil {
 		return table.RetrieveItems(start, count, maxBytes)
diff --git a/core/rawdb/freezer_table.go b/core/rawdb/freezer_table.go
index 928b37d70b..fc6316c953 100644
--- a/core/rawdb/freezer_table.go
+++ b/core/rawdb/freezer_table.go
@@ -712,7 +712,7 @@ func (t *freezerTable) RetrieveItems(start, count, maxBytes uint64) ([][]byte, e
 		if !t.noCompression {
 			decompressedSize, _ = snappy.DecodedLen(item)
 		}
-		if i > 0 && uint64(outputSize+decompressedSize) > maxBytes {
+		if i > 0 && maxBytes != 0 && uint64(outputSize+decompressedSize) > maxBytes {
 			break
 		}
 		if !t.noCompression {
@@ -730,8 +730,10 @@ func (t *freezerTable) RetrieveItems(start, count, maxBytes uint64) ([][]byte, e
 }
 
 // retrieveItems reads up to 'count' items from the table. It reads at least
-// one item, but otherwise avoids reading more than maxBytes bytes.
-// It returns the (potentially compressed) data, and the sizes.
+// one item, but otherwise avoids reading more than maxBytes bytes. Freezer
+// will ignore the size limitation and continuously allocate memory to store
+// data if maxBytes is 0. It returns the (potentially compressed) data, and
+// the sizes.
 func (t *freezerTable) retrieveItems(start, count, maxBytes uint64) ([]byte, []int, error) {
 	t.lock.RLock()
 	defer t.lock.RUnlock()
@@ -752,25 +754,22 @@ func (t *freezerTable) retrieveItems(start, count, maxBytes uint64) ([]byte, []i
 	if start+count > items {
 		count = items - start
 	}
-	var (
-		output     = make([]byte, maxBytes) // Buffer to read data into
-		outputSize int                      // Used size of that buffer
-	)
+	var output []byte // Buffer to read data into
+	if maxBytes != 0 {
+		output = make([]byte, 0, maxBytes)
+	} else {
+		output = make([]byte, 0, 1024) // initial buffer cap
+	}
 	// readData is a helper method to read a single data item from disk.
 	readData := func(fileId, start uint32, length int) error {
-		// In case a small limit is used, and the elements are large, may need to
-		// realloc the read-buffer when reading the first (and only) item.
-		if len(output) < length {
-			output = make([]byte, length)
-		}
+		output = grow(output, length)
 		dataFile, exist := t.files[fileId]
 		if !exist {
 			return fmt.Errorf("missing data file %d", fileId)
 		}
-		if _, err := dataFile.ReadAt(output[outputSize:outputSize+length], int64(start)); err != nil {
+		if _, err := dataFile.ReadAt(output[len(output)-length:], int64(start)); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		outputSize += length
 		return nil
 	}
 	// Read all the indexes in one go
@@ -801,7 +800,7 @@ func (t *freezerTable) retrieveItems(start, count, maxBytes uint64) ([]byte, []i
 			}
 			readStart = 0
 		}
-		if i > 0 && uint64(totalSize+size) > maxBytes {
+		if i > 0 && uint64(totalSize+size) > maxBytes && maxBytes != 0 {
 			// About to break out due to byte limit being exceeded. We don't
 			// read this last item, but we need to do the deferred reads now.
 			if unreadSize > 0 {
@@ -815,7 +814,7 @@ func (t *freezerTable) retrieveItems(start, count, maxBytes uint64) ([]byte, []i
 		unreadSize += size
 		totalSize += size
 		sizes = append(sizes, size)
-		if i == len(indices)-2 || uint64(totalSize) > maxBytes {
+		if i == len(indices)-2 || (uint64(totalSize) > maxBytes && maxBytes != 0) {
 			// Last item, need to do the read now
 			if err := readData(secondIndex.filenum, readStart, unreadSize); err != nil {
 				return nil, nil, err
@@ -826,7 +825,7 @@ func (t *freezerTable) retrieveItems(start, count, maxBytes uint64) ([]byte, []i
 
 	// Update metrics.
 	t.readMeter.Mark(int64(totalSize))
-	return output[:outputSize], sizes, nil
+	return output, sizes, nil
 }
 
 // has returns an indicator whether the specified number data is still accessible
diff --git a/core/rawdb/freezer_table_test.go b/core/rawdb/freezer_table_test.go
index 5c4cc40edd..939d093946 100644
--- a/core/rawdb/freezer_table_test.go
+++ b/core/rawdb/freezer_table_test.go
@@ -994,6 +994,52 @@ func TestSequentialReadByteLimit(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestSequentialReadNoByteLimit tests the batch-read if maxBytes is not specified.
+// Freezer should return the requested items regardless the size limitation.
+func TestSequentialReadNoByteLimit(t *testing.T) {
+	rm, wm, sg := metrics.NewMeter(), metrics.NewMeter(), metrics.NewGauge()
+	fname := fmt.Sprintf("batchread-3-%d", rand.Uint64())
+	{ // Fill table
+		f, err := newTable(os.TempDir(), fname, rm, wm, sg, 100, true, false)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		// Write 10 bytes 30 times,
+		// Splitting it at every 100 bytes (10 items)
+		writeChunks(t, f, 30, 10)
+		f.Close()
+	}
+	for i, tc := range []struct {
+		items uint64
+		want  int
+	}{
+		{1, 1},
+		{30, 30},
+		{31, 30},
+	} {
+		{
+			f, err := newTable(os.TempDir(), fname, rm, wm, sg, 100, true, false)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			items, err := f.RetrieveItems(0, tc.items, 0)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			if have, want := len(items), tc.want; have != want {
+				t.Fatalf("test %d: want %d items, have %d ", i, want, have)
+			}
+			for ii, have := range items {
+				want := getChunk(10, ii)
+				if !bytes.Equal(want, have) {
+					t.Fatalf("test %d: data corruption item %d: have\n%x\n, want \n%x\n", i, ii, have, want)
+				}
+			}
+			f.Close()
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestFreezerReadonly(t *testing.T) {
 	tmpdir := os.TempDir()
 	// Case 1: Check it fails on non-existent file.
diff --git a/core/rawdb/freezer_utils.go b/core/rawdb/freezer_utils.go
index e7cce2920d..1bbb50c498 100644
--- a/core/rawdb/freezer_utils.go
+++ b/core/rawdb/freezer_utils.go
@@ -117,3 +117,19 @@ func truncateFreezerFile(file *os.File, size int64) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+// grow prepares the slice space for new item, and doubles the slice capacity
+// if space is not enough.
+func grow(buf []byte, n int) []byte {
+	if cap(buf)-len(buf) < n {
+		newcap := 2 * cap(buf)
+		if newcap-len(buf) < n {
+			newcap = len(buf) + n
+		}
+		nbuf := make([]byte, len(buf), newcap)
+		copy(nbuf, buf)
+		buf = nbuf
+	}
+	buf = buf[:len(buf)+n]
+	return buf
+}
diff --git a/ethdb/database.go b/ethdb/database.go
index 361218f247..3fe6dfa73c 100644
--- a/ethdb/database.go
+++ b/ethdb/database.go
@@ -79,9 +79,10 @@ type AncientReaderOp interface {
 
 	// AncientRange retrieves multiple items in sequence, starting from the index 'start'.
 	// It will return
-	//  - at most 'count' items,
-	//  - at least 1 item (even if exceeding the maxBytes), but will otherwise
-	//   return as many items as fit into maxBytes.
+	//   - at most 'count' items,
+	//   - if maxBytes is specified: at least 1 item (even if exceeding the maxByteSize),
+	//     but will otherwise return as many items as fit into maxByteSize.
+	//   - if maxBytes is not specified, 'count' items will be returned if they are present
 	AncientRange(kind string, start, count, maxBytes uint64) ([][]byte, error)
 
 	// Ancients returns the ancient item numbers in the ancient store.