anchor.diff:              HashCmpL_OUT = HashCmpL_IN
       end,
       merkle_cmp_result(TR, TN, SigSizeI, SigSizeL,
  -                      MyMaxItemsCount, OtherMaxItemsCount, MerkleSyncIn, Params, Stats,
  +                      MyMaxItemsCount, OtherMaxItemsCount, SyncIn, Params, Stats,
                         RestTreeAcc, SyncAccSend, SyncAccRcv1,
                         SyncAccDRK, SyncAccDRLCount1, AccCmp + 1, AccSkip,
                         NextLvlNodesActIN, HashCmpI_IN, HashCmpL_OUT).
  
positive.code:                   HashCmpL_OUT = HashCmpL_IN;
                true ->
                    % leaf node and inner hash
                    SyncAccSend1 =
                        [{OtherMaxItemsCount, merkle_tree:get_bucket(Node),
                          merkle_tree:get_item_count(Node)} | SyncAccSend],
  
negative.code:                   RestTreeAcc, SyncAccSend, SyncAccRcv,
                    SyncAccDRK, SyncAccDRLCount, AccCmp, AccSkip,
                    NextLvlNodesActIN, HashCmpI_IN, HashCmpL_IN) ->
      case merkle_tree:is_leaf(Node) of
          true ->
              ?DBG_ASSERT(not merkle_tree:is_empty(Node)),
              % non-empty leaf on this node, empty leaf on the other node
              % this will increase HashCmpL although the process is exact
              % -> simply remove 1 and to remain at the same count!
              merkle_cmp_result(
                <<?recon_fail_stop_leaf:2, TR/bitstring>>, [Node | TN],
                SigSizeI, SigSizeL,
                MyMaxItemsCount, OtherMaxItemsCount, SyncIn, Params, Stats,
                RestTreeAcc, SyncAccSend, SyncAccRcv,
                SyncAccDRK, SyncAccDRLCount, AccCmp, AccSkip,
                NextLvlNodesActIN, HashCmpI_IN, HashCmpL_IN - 1);
          false ->
              % inner hash on both nodes
              Childs = merkle_tree:get_childs(Node),
              NextLvlNodesActOUT = NextLvlNodesActIN + Params#merkle_params.branch_factor,
              merkle_cmp_result(
                TR, TN, SigSizeI, SigSizeL,
                MyMaxItemsCount, OtherMaxItemsCount, SyncIn, Params, Stats,
                lists:reverse(Childs, RestTreeAcc), SyncAccSend, SyncAccRcv,
                SyncAccDRK, SyncAccDRLCount, AccCmp + 1, AccSkip,
                NextLvlNodesActOUT, HashCmpI_IN + 1, HashCmpL_IN)
      end;
  merkle_cmp_result(<<?recon_fail_stop_inner:2, TR/bitstring>>, [Node | TN],
                    SigSizeI, SigSizeL,
                    MyMaxItemsCount, OtherMaxItemsCount, SyncIn, Params, Stats,
  