diff --git a/evm-ds/src/scillabackend.rs b/evm-ds/src/scillabackend.rs
index 9ea3850d0e..6baef9cf99 100644
--- a/evm-ds/src/scillabackend.rs
+++ b/evm-ds/src/scillabackend.rs
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ impl ScillaBackend {
             address, query_name, key, use_default
         );
         let mut query = ScillaMessage::ProtoScillaQuery::new();
+        query.set_is_mutable(true);
         query.set_name(query_name.into());
         if let Some(key) = key {
             query.set_indices(vec![bytes::Bytes::from(format!("{:X}", key))]);
@@ -198,6 +199,7 @@ impl ScillaBackend {
     pub(crate) fn encode_storage(&self, key: H256, value: H256) -> (Bytes, Bytes) {
         let mut query = ScillaMessage::ProtoScillaQuery::new();
         query.set_name("_evm_storage".into());
+        query.set_is_mutable(true);
         query.set_indices(vec![bytes::Bytes::from(format!("{:X}", key))]);
         query.set_mapdepth(1);
         let mut val = ScillaMessage::ProtoScillaVal::new();
diff --git a/src/libPersistence/ContractStorage.cpp b/src/libPersistence/ContractStorage.cpp
index 02f305d7f9..a4abe216fd 100644
--- a/src/libPersistence/ContractStorage.cpp
+++ b/src/libPersistence/ContractStorage.cpp
@@ -448,37 +448,108 @@ bool ContractStorage::FetchExternalStateValue(
     return true;
   }
 
-  // For _evm_storage, we know the type, so we don't have to query it.
-  bool fetchType;
-  if (query.name() == "_evm_storage") {
-    type = "ByStr32";
-    fetchType = false;
-  } else {
-    fetchType = true;
-    // External state queries don't have map depth set. Get it from the
-    // database.
-    map<string, zbytes> map_depth;
-    string map_depth_key =
-        GenerateStorageKey(target, MAP_DEPTH_INDICATOR, {query.name()});
-    FetchStateDataForKey(map_depth, map_depth_key, true);
+  if (query.is_mutable()) {
+    // For _evm_storage, we know the type, so we don't have to query it.
+    bool fetchType;
+    if (query.name() == "_evm_storage") {
+      type = "ByStr32";
+      fetchType = false;
+    } else {
+      fetchType = true;
+      // External state queries don't have map depth set. Get it from the
+      // database.
+      map<string, zbytes> map_depth;
+      string map_depth_key =
+          GenerateStorageKey(target, MAP_DEPTH_INDICATOR, {query.name()});
+      FetchStateDataForKey(map_depth, map_depth_key, true);
+
+      int map_depth_val;
+      try {
+        map_depth_val = !map_depth.empty()
+                            ? std::stoi(DataConversion::CharArrayToString(
+                                  map_depth[map_depth_key]))
+                            : -1;
+      } catch (const std::exception& e) {
+        LOG_GENERAL(WARNING, "invalid map depth: " << e.what());
+        return false;
+      }
+      query.set_mapdepth(map_depth_val);
+      fetchType = true;
+    }
+
+    // get value
+    return FetchStateValue(target, query, dst, d_offset, foundVal, fetchType,
+                           type);
+  } else {  //! query.is_mutable
+    // Fetch init data
+    zbytes init_data = GetInitData(target);
+    if (init_data.empty()) {  // This is possible if no contract exists at the
+                              // address, and should not cause an error
+      foundVal = false;
+      return true;
+    }
 
-    int map_depth_val;
-    try {
-      map_depth_val = !map_depth.empty()
-                          ? std::stoi(DataConversion::CharArrayToString(
-                                map_depth[map_depth_key]))
-                          : -1;
-    } catch (const std::exception& e) {
-      LOG_GENERAL(WARNING, "invalid map depth: " << e.what());
-      return false;
+    // Convert init data to JSON
+    string init_data_str = DataConversion::CharArrayToString(init_data);
+    Json::Value init_data_json;
+    if (!JSONUtils::GetInstance().convertStrtoJson(init_data_str,
+                                                   init_data_json)) {
+      return false;  // We have a malformed init data
     }
-    query.set_mapdepth(map_depth_val);
-    fetchType = true;
-  }
 
-  // get value
-  return FetchStateValue(target, query, dst, d_offset, foundVal, fetchType,
-                         type);
+    // Entry is the data entry matching the variable name
+    Json::Value entry;
+    for (auto it = init_data_json.begin(); it != init_data_json.end(); it++) {
+      if ((*it)["vname"] == query.name()) {
+        entry = *it;
+      }
+    }
+    if (!entry) {  // This is possible if the parameter name is not
+                   // declared, and should not cause an error
+      foundVal = false;
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    // This is the type we return - if this is a map lookup, then we parse the
+    // type on the OCaml side.
+    Json::Value res_type = entry["type"];
+    if (!res_type) {
+      return false;  // We have a malformed init data
+    }
+
+    if (query.ignoreval()) {  // Only produce type information
+      foundVal = true;
+      type = res_type.asString();
+      return true;
+    } else {  // See if there is a value to return
+      ProtoScillaVal value;
+      Json::Value cur_val = entry["value"];  // Find the value of the parameter
+      if (!cur_val) {
+        return false;  // We have a malformed init data
+      }
+      // If this is a map lookup, traverse the indices
+      for (const auto& index : query.indices()) {
+        // See if the key exists in the map
+        Json::Value next_entry = cur_val["key"];
+        if (!next_entry) {  // This is possible if the key does not exist
+                            // in the map, and should not cause an error
+          foundVal = false;
+          return true;
+        }
+        cur_val = next_entry["val"];  // Value of the map entry
+        if (!cur_val) {
+          return false;  // We have a malformed init data
+        }
+      }
+
+      string cur_val_str = JSONUtils::GetInstance().convertJsontoStr(cur_val);
+      zbytes cur_val_bval = zbytes(cur_val_str.begin(), cur_val_str.end());
+      value.set_bval(cur_val_bval.data(), cur_val_bval.size());
+      foundVal = true;
+      type = res_type.asString();
+      return SerializeToArray(value, dst, 0);
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 void ContractStorage::DeleteByPrefix(const string& prefix) {
diff --git a/src/libPersistence/ScillaMessage.proto b/src/libPersistence/ScillaMessage.proto
index dfaf5a7f30..d707bf2b81 100644
--- a/src/libPersistence/ScillaMessage.proto
+++ b/src/libPersistence/ScillaMessage.proto
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ message ProtoScillaVal
 message ProtoScillaQuery 
 {
     string name             = 1;
-    uint32 mapdepth         = 2;
-    repeated bytes indices  = 3;
-    bool ignoreval          = 4;
+    bool is_mutable         = 2;
+    uint32 mapdepth         = 3;
+    repeated bytes indices  = 4;
+    bool ignoreval          = 5;
 }