diff --git a/Tiltfile b/Tiltfile
index b358834..6675eca 100644
--- a/Tiltfile
+++ b/Tiltfile
@@ -19,6 +19,13 @@ k8s_yaml(secret_from_dict("mev-inspect-db-credentials", inputs = {
     "host": "postgresql",
 }))
 
+# if using https://github.com/taarushv/trace-db
+# k8s_yaml(secret_from_dict("trace-db-credentials", inputs = {
+#     "username" : "username",
+#     "password": "password",
+#     "host": "trace-db-postgresql",
+# }))
+
 docker_build_with_restart("mev-inspect-py", ".",
     entrypoint="/app/entrypoint.sh",
     live_update=[
diff --git a/mev_inspect/block.py b/mev_inspect/block.py
index 9dd7c48..d732d58 100644
--- a/mev_inspect/block.py
+++ b/mev_inspect/block.py
@@ -45,11 +45,18 @@ def fetch_block(
     w3,
     base_provider,
     block_number: int,
-    trace_db_session: Optional[orm.Session],  # pylint: disable=unused-argument
+    trace_db_session: Optional[orm.Session],
 ) -> Block:
     block_json = w3.eth.get_block(block_number)
     receipts_json = base_provider.make_request("eth_getBlockReceipts", [block_number])
-    traces_json = w3.parity.trace_block(block_number)
+
+    traces_json: Optional[List[dict]] = None
+
+    if trace_db_session is not None:
+        traces_json = find_traces(trace_db_session, block_number)
+
+    if traces_json is None:
+        traces_json = w3.parity.trace_block(block_number)
 
     receipts: List[Receipt] = [
         Receipt(**receipt) for receipt in receipts_json["result"]
@@ -66,6 +73,22 @@ def fetch_block(
     )
 
 
+def find_traces(
+    trace_db_session: orm.Session,
+    block_number: int,
+) -> Optional[List[dict]]:
+    result = trace_db_session.execute(
+        "SELECT raw_traces FROM block_traces WHERE block_number = :block_number",
+        params={"block_number": block_number},
+    ).one_or_none()
+
+    if result is None:
+        return None
+    else:
+        (raw_traces,) = result
+        return raw_traces
+
+
 def get_transaction_hashes(calls: List[Trace]) -> List[str]:
     result = []