diff --git a/crates/node/builder/Cargo.toml b/crates/node/builder/Cargo.toml
index f0c62f3252a..c1224d35e5a 100644
--- a/crates/node/builder/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/node/builder/Cargo.toml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ reth-cli-util.workspace = true
 reth-config.workspace = true
 reth-consensus-debug-client.workspace = true
 reth-consensus.workspace = true
-reth-db = { workspace = true, features = ["mdbx"], optional = true }
+reth-db = { workspace = true, features = ["mdbx"] }
 reth-db-api.workspace = true
 reth-db-common.workspace = true
 reth-downloaders.workspace = true
@@ -97,7 +97,6 @@ reth-evm-ethereum = { workspace = true, features = ["test-utils"] }
 default = []
 js-tracer = ["reth-rpc/js-tracer"]
 test-utils = [
-    "dep:reth-db",
     "reth-db/test-utils",
     "reth-chain-state/test-utils",
     "reth-chainspec/test-utils",
@@ -117,7 +116,7 @@ test-utils = [
     "reth-primitives-traits/test-utils",
 ]
 op = [
-    "reth-db?/op",
+    "reth-db/op",
     "reth-db-api/op",
     "reth-engine-local/op",
     "reth-evm/op",
diff --git a/crates/node/builder/src/node.rs b/crates/node/builder/src/node.rs
index 42f023fc4ee..ca44ad9523d 100644
--- a/crates/node/builder/src/node.rs
+++ b/crates/node/builder/src/node.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
+use reth_db::DatabaseEnv;
 // re-export the node api types
 pub use reth_node_api::{FullNodeTypes, NodeTypes};
 
-use crate::{components::NodeComponentsBuilder, rpc::RethRpcAddOns, NodeAdapter, NodeAddOns};
+use crate::{
+    components::NodeComponentsBuilder, rpc::RethRpcAddOns, NodeAdapter, NodeAddOns, NodeHandle,
+    RethFullAdapter,
+};
 use reth_node_api::{EngineTypes, FullNodeComponents, PayloadTypes};
 use reth_node_core::{
     dirs::{ChainPath, DataDirPath},
@@ -208,3 +212,11 @@ impl<Node: FullNodeComponents, AddOns: NodeAddOns<Node>> DerefMut for FullNode<N
         &mut self.add_ons_handle
     }
 }
+
+/// Helper type alias to define [`FullNode`] for a given [`Node`].
+pub type FullNodeFor<N, DB = Arc<DatabaseEnv>> =
+    FullNode<NodeAdapter<RethFullAdapter<DB, N>>, <N as Node<RethFullAdapter<DB, N>>>::AddOns>;
+
+/// Helper type alias to define [`NodeHandle`] for a given [`Node`].
+pub type NodeHandleFor<N, DB = Arc<DatabaseEnv>> =
+    NodeHandle<NodeAdapter<RethFullAdapter<DB, N>>, <N as Node<RethFullAdapter<DB, N>>>::AddOns>;
diff --git a/examples/custom-inspector/src/main.rs b/examples/custom-inspector/src/main.rs
index 739038ae6de..2a182ed8718 100644
--- a/examples/custom-inspector/src/main.rs
+++ b/examples/custom-inspector/src/main.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ use reth_ethereum::{
             interpreter::{interpreter::EthInterpreter, interpreter_types::Jumps, Interpreter},
         },
     },
-    node::{builder::NodeHandle, EthereumNode},
+    node::{builder::FullNodeFor, EthereumNode},
     pool::TransactionPool,
     rpc::api::eth::helpers::Call,
 };
@@ -36,8 +36,10 @@ fn main() {
     Cli::<EthereumChainSpecParser, RethCliTxpoolExt>::parse()
         .run(|builder, args| async move {
             // launch the node
-            let NodeHandle { node, node_exit_future } =
-                builder.node(EthereumNode::default()).launch().await?;
+            let handle = builder.node(EthereumNode::default()).launch().await?;
+
+            let node: FullNodeFor<EthereumNode> = handle.node;
+            let node_exit_future = handle.node_exit_future;
 
             // create a new subscription to pending transactions
             let mut pending_transactions = node.pool.new_pending_pool_transactions_listener();
diff --git a/examples/exex-subscription/src/main.rs b/examples/exex-subscription/src/main.rs
index b234c1c71f9..90f10e4e719 100644
--- a/examples/exex-subscription/src/main.rs
+++ b/examples/exex-subscription/src/main.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use jsonrpsee::{
 };
 use reth_ethereum::{
     exex::{ExExContext, ExExEvent, ExExNotification},
-    node::{api::FullNodeComponents, EthereumNode},
+    node::{api::FullNodeComponents, builder::NodeHandleFor, EthereumNode},
 };
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use tokio::sync::{mpsc, oneshot};
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ fn main() -> eyre::Result<()> {
 
         let rpc = StorageWatcherRpc::new(subscriptions_tx.clone());
 
-        let handle = builder
+        let handle: NodeHandleFor<EthereumNode> = builder
             .node(EthereumNode::default())
             .extend_rpc_modules(move |ctx| {
                 ctx.modules.merge_configured(StorageWatcherApiServer::into_rpc(rpc))?;