diff --git a/framework/base/src/storage/storage_key.rs b/framework/base/src/storage/storage_key.rs
index 5f3f0578c9..47520108a6 100644
--- a/framework/base/src/storage/storage_key.rs
+++ b/framework/base/src/storage/storage_key.rs
@@ -79,6 +79,15 @@ impl<M: ManagedTypeApi> From<ManagedBuffer<M>> for StorageKey<M> {
     }
 }
 
+impl<M: ManagedTypeApi> From<&str> for StorageKey<M> {
+    #[inline]
+    fn from(s: &str) -> Self {
+        StorageKey {
+            buffer: ManagedBuffer::from(s),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl<M, const N: usize> From<ManagedByteArray<M, N>> for StorageKey<M>
 where
     M: ManagedTypeApi + ErrorApi,
diff --git a/framework/scenario/src/api/impl_vh/single_tx_api.rs b/framework/scenario/src/api/impl_vh/single_tx_api.rs
index c1be18c53c..e57614a853 100644
--- a/framework/scenario/src/api/impl_vh/single_tx_api.rs
+++ b/framework/scenario/src/api/impl_vh/single_tx_api.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ use std::cell::RefCell;
 
 use multiversx_chain_vm::{
     executor::VMHooks,
+    types::VMAddress,
     vm_hooks::{SingleTxApiData, SingleTxApiVMHooksHandler, VMHooksDispatcher},
+    world_mock::AccountData,
 };
 use multiversx_sc::api::RawHandle;
 
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ impl SingleTxApi {
         })
     }
 
-    pub fn with_global<F, R>(&mut self, f: F) -> R
+    pub fn with_global<F, R>(f: F) -> R
     where
         F: FnOnce(&mut SingleTxApiData) -> R,
     {
@@ -60,6 +62,13 @@ impl SingleTxApi {
             handler.with_mut_data(f)
         })
     }
+
+    pub fn with_global_default_account<F, R>(f: F) -> R
+    where
+        F: FnOnce(&mut AccountData) -> R,
+    {
+        Self::with_global(|data| data.with_account_mut(&VMAddress::zero(), f))
+    }
 }
 
 impl std::fmt::Debug for SingleTxApi {
diff --git a/framework/scenario/tests/single_tx_api_test.rs b/framework/scenario/tests/single_tx_api_test.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..24ce21cdd2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/framework/scenario/tests/single_tx_api_test.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+use multiversx_sc::contract_base::StorageRawWrapper;
+use multiversx_sc_scenario::api::SingleTxApi;
+
+#[test]
+fn single_tx_api_test() {
+    let storage_raw = StorageRawWrapper::<SingleTxApi>::new();
+    let storage_key = "test-num";
+
+    // unitialized, we get the default
+    let x: i32 = storage_raw.read(storage_key);
+    assert_eq!(x, 0);
+
+    // write, as if from a contract
+    storage_raw.write(storage_key, &5i32);
+    let x: i32 = storage_raw.read(storage_key);
+    assert_eq!(x, 5);
+
+    // check directly in storage
+    SingleTxApi::with_global_default_account(|account| {
+        let value = account.storage.get(storage_key.as_bytes()).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(value, &vec![5u8]);
+
+        // change value directly in storage
+        account
+            .storage
+            .insert(storage_key.as_bytes().to_vec(), vec![7u8]);
+    });
+
+    // read again
+    let x: i32 = storage_raw.read(storage_key);
+    assert_eq!(x, 7);
+
+    // clear everything, globally
+    SingleTxApi::clear_global();
+    let x: i32 = storage_raw.read(storage_key);
+    assert_eq!(x, 0);
+
+    // checking directly in storage
+    SingleTxApi::with_global_default_account(|account| {
+        let value = account
+            .storage
+            .get(storage_key.as_bytes())
+            .cloned()
+            .unwrap_or_default();
+        assert!(value.is_empty());
+    });
+}
diff --git a/vm/src/vm_hooks/vh_impl/vh_single_tx_api.rs b/vm/src/vm_hooks/vh_impl/vh_single_tx_api.rs
index c6c32b52bd..97b523e1e5 100644
--- a/vm/src/vm_hooks/vh_impl/vh_single_tx_api.rs
+++ b/vm/src/vm_hooks/vh_impl/vh_single_tx_api.rs
@@ -26,6 +26,19 @@ pub struct SingleTxApiData {
     pub current_block_info: BlockInfo,
 }
 
+impl SingleTxApiData {
+    pub fn with_account_mut<R, F>(&self, address: &VMAddress, f: F) -> R
+    where
+        F: FnOnce(&mut AccountData) -> R,
+    {
+        let mut accounts = self.accounts.borrow_mut();
+        let account = accounts
+            .entry(address.clone())
+            .or_insert(AccountData::new_empty(address.clone()));
+        f(account)
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Default, Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct SingleTxApiVMHooksHandler(Rc<SingleTxApiData>);
 
@@ -38,17 +51,6 @@ impl SingleTxApiVMHooksHandler {
             .expect("could not retrieve mutable reference to SingleTxApi data");
         f(data)
     }
-
-    fn with_account_mut<R, F>(&self, address: &VMAddress, f: F) -> R
-    where
-        F: FnOnce(&mut AccountData) -> R,
-    {
-        let mut accounts = self.0.accounts.borrow_mut();
-        let account = accounts
-            .entry(address.clone())
-            .or_insert(AccountData::new_empty(address.clone()));
-        f(account)
-    }
 }
 
 impl VMHooksHandlerSource for SingleTxApiVMHooksHandler {
@@ -77,13 +79,13 @@ impl VMHooksHandlerSource for SingleTxApiVMHooksHandler {
     }
 
     fn storage_read_any_address(&self, address: &VMAddress, key: &[u8]) -> Vec<u8> {
-        self.with_account_mut(address, |account| {
+        self.0.with_account_mut(address, |account| {
             account.storage.get(key).cloned().unwrap_or_default()
         })
     }
 
     fn storage_write(&self, key: &[u8], value: &[u8]) {
-        self.with_account_mut(&self.0.tx_input_box.to, |account| {
+        self.0.with_account_mut(&self.0.tx_input_box.to, |account| {
             account.storage.insert(key.to_vec(), value.to_vec());
         });
     }
@@ -97,7 +99,7 @@ impl VMHooksHandlerSource for SingleTxApiVMHooksHandler {
     }
 
     fn account_data(&self, address: &VMAddress) -> AccountData {
-        self.with_account_mut(address, |account| account.clone())
+        self.0.with_account_mut(address, |account| account.clone())
     }
 
     fn account_code(&self, _address: &VMAddress) -> Vec<u8> {