diff --git a/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/core/Block.java b/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/core/Block.java
index 0caf8d1e..1fd927b7 100644
--- a/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/core/Block.java
+++ b/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/core/Block.java
@@ -166,13 +166,13 @@ public class Block {
         return this.header.getDifficulty();
     }
 
-    public BigInteger getTotalDifficulty() {
+    public BigInteger getCumulativeDifficulty() {
         if (!parsed) parseRLP();
-        BigInteger totalDifficulty = new BigInteger(1, this.header.getDifficulty());
+		BigInteger calcDifficulty = new BigInteger(1, this.header.getDifficulty());
         for (BlockHeader uncle : uncleList) {
-			totalDifficulty.add(new BigInteger(1, uncle.getDifficulty()));
+			calcDifficulty.add(new BigInteger(1, uncle.getDifficulty()));
 		}
-        return totalDifficulty;
+        return calcDifficulty;
     }
     
     public long getTimestamp() {
diff --git a/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/core/BlockchainImpl.java b/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/core/BlockchainImpl.java
index 83a31e76..b75f8b43 100644
--- a/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/core/BlockchainImpl.java
+++ b/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/core/BlockchainImpl.java
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ public class BlockchainImpl implements Blockchain {
 		}
 		
 		this.addReward(block);
-		this.addTotalDifficulty(block.getTotalDifficulty());
+		this.updateTotalDifficulty(block);
 		
         if(block.getNumber() >= CONFIG.traceStartBlock())
         	repository.dumpState(block, totalGasUsed, 0, null);
@@ -471,10 +471,10 @@ public class BlockchainImpl implements Blockchain {
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	public void addTotalDifficulty(BigInteger totalDifficulty) {
+	public void updateTotalDifficulty(Block block) {
 		if (this.totalDifficulty == null)
-			this.totalDifficulty = totalDifficulty;
+			this.totalDifficulty = block.getCumulativeDifficulty();
 		else
-			this.totalDifficulty.add(totalDifficulty);
+			this.totalDifficulty.add(block.getCumulativeDifficulty());
 	}
 }
diff --git a/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/db/RepositoryImpl.java b/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/db/RepositoryImpl.java
index f301e270..86653d6f 100644
--- a/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/db/RepositoryImpl.java
+++ b/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/db/RepositoryImpl.java
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ public class RepositoryImpl implements Repository {
             		Block block = new Block(iterator.next().getValue());
             		blockchain.getBlockCache().put(block.getNumber(), block.getHash());
             		blockchain.setLastBlock(block);
-            		blockchain.addTotalDifficulty(block.getTotalDifficulty());
+            		blockchain.updateTotalDifficulty(block);
                     EthereumListener listener =  WorldManager.getInstance().getListener();
                     if (listener != null){
                         listener.onPreloadedBlock(block);
diff --git a/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/facade/Blockchain.java b/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/facade/Blockchain.java
index 0da1477e..a999cde7 100644
--- a/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/facade/Blockchain.java
+++ b/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/facade/Blockchain.java
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ public interface Blockchain  {
     public Block getLastBlock();
     public BlockQueue getQueue();
     public void close();
-	public void addTotalDifficulty(BigInteger totalDifficulty);
+	public void updateTotalDifficulty(Block block);
     public BigInteger getTotalDifficulty();
 	public byte[] getLatestBlockHash();
 }