diff --git a/.changelog/4110.bugfix.md b/.changelog/4110.bugfix.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0cdb003d0b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/4110.bugfix.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+go/consensus/tendermint: Correctly propagate errors
+
+Not propagating the state unavailable error could lead to corruption when the
+database becomes unavailable (e.g., due to running out of space or file
+descriptors).
diff --git a/go/consensus/tendermint/apps/staking/proposing_rewards.go b/go/consensus/tendermint/apps/staking/proposing_rewards.go
index bfcee2344f8..0adf3bc7a0a 100644
--- a/go/consensus/tendermint/apps/staking/proposing_rewards.go
+++ b/go/consensus/tendermint/apps/staking/proposing_rewards.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	abciAPI "github.com/oasisprotocol/oasis-core/go/consensus/tendermint/api"
 	registryState "github.com/oasisprotocol/oasis-core/go/consensus/tendermint/apps/registry/state"
 	stakingState "github.com/oasisprotocol/oasis-core/go/consensus/tendermint/apps/staking/state"
+	registry "github.com/oasisprotocol/oasis-core/go/registry/api"
 	staking "github.com/oasisprotocol/oasis-core/go/staking/api"
 )
 
@@ -18,18 +19,20 @@ func (app *stakingApplication) resolveEntityIDFromProposer(
 	ctx *abciAPI.Context,
 	regState *registryState.MutableState,
 	request types.RequestBeginBlock,
-) *signature.PublicKey {
-	var proposingEntity *signature.PublicKey
+) (*signature.PublicKey, error) {
 	proposerNode, err := regState.NodeByConsensusAddress(ctx, request.Header.ProposerAddress)
-	if err != nil {
+	switch err {
+	case nil:
+	case registry.ErrNoSuchNode:
 		ctx.Logger().Warn("failed to get proposer node",
 			"err", err,
 			"address", hex.EncodeToString(request.Header.ProposerAddress),
 		)
-	} else {
-		proposingEntity = &proposerNode.EntityID
+		return nil, nil
+	default:
+		return nil, err
 	}
-	return proposingEntity
+	return &proposerNode.EntityID, nil
 }
 
 func (app *stakingApplication) rewardBlockProposing(
diff --git a/go/consensus/tendermint/apps/staking/staking.go b/go/consensus/tendermint/apps/staking/staking.go
index 7ca84c177fa..dd786a5cf7b 100644
--- a/go/consensus/tendermint/apps/staking/staking.go
+++ b/go/consensus/tendermint/apps/staking/staking.go
@@ -59,16 +59,22 @@ func (app *stakingApplication) BeginBlock(ctx *api.Context, request types.Reques
 	stakeState := stakingState.NewMutableState(ctx.State())
 
 	// Look up the proposer's entity.
-	proposingEntity := app.resolveEntityIDFromProposer(ctx, regState, request)
+	proposingEntity, err := app.resolveEntityIDFromProposer(ctx, regState, request)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to resolve proposer entity ID: %w", err)
+	}
 
 	// Go through all voters of the previous block and resolve entities.
 	// numEligibleValidators is how many total validators are in the validator set, while
 	// votingEntities is from the validators which actually voted.
 	numEligibleValidators := len(request.GetLastCommitInfo().Votes)
-	votingEntities := app.resolveEntityIDsFromVotes(ctx, regState, request.GetLastCommitInfo())
+	votingEntities, err := app.resolveEntityIDsFromVotes(ctx, regState, request.GetLastCommitInfo())
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to resolve entity IDs from votes: %w", err)
+	}
 
 	// Disburse fees from previous block.
-	if err := app.disburseFeesVQ(ctx, stakeState, proposingEntity, numEligibleValidators, votingEntities); err != nil {
+	if err = app.disburseFeesVQ(ctx, stakeState, proposingEntity, numEligibleValidators, votingEntities); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("disburse fees voters and next proposer: %w", err)
 	}
 
@@ -76,12 +82,12 @@ func (app *stakingApplication) BeginBlock(ctx *api.Context, request types.Reques
 	stakingState.SetBlockProposer(ctx, proposingEntity)
 
 	// Add rewards for proposer.
-	if err := app.rewardBlockProposing(ctx, stakeState, proposingEntity, numEligibleValidators, len(votingEntities)); err != nil {
+	if err = app.rewardBlockProposing(ctx, stakeState, proposingEntity, numEligibleValidators, len(votingEntities)); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("staking: block proposing reward: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// Track signing for rewards.
-	if err := app.updateEpochSigning(ctx, stakeState, votingEntities); err != nil {
+	if err = app.updateEpochSigning(ctx, stakeState, votingEntities); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("staking: failed to update epoch signing info: %w", err)
 	}
 
@@ -101,7 +107,7 @@ func (app *stakingApplication) BeginBlock(ctx *api.Context, request types.Reques
 			continue
 		}
 
-		if err := onEvidenceByzantineConsensus(ctx, reason, evidence.Validator.Address, evidence.Height, evidence.Time, evidence.Validator.Power); err != nil {
+		if err = onEvidenceByzantineConsensus(ctx, reason, evidence.Validator.Address, evidence.Height, evidence.Time, evidence.Validator.Power); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/go/consensus/tendermint/apps/staking/votes.go b/go/consensus/tendermint/apps/staking/votes.go
index bdc44f54cdd..ccf33950543 100644
--- a/go/consensus/tendermint/apps/staking/votes.go
+++ b/go/consensus/tendermint/apps/staking/votes.go
@@ -8,9 +8,14 @@ import (
 	"github.com/oasisprotocol/oasis-core/go/common/crypto/signature"
 	abciAPI "github.com/oasisprotocol/oasis-core/go/consensus/tendermint/api"
 	registryState "github.com/oasisprotocol/oasis-core/go/consensus/tendermint/apps/registry/state"
+	registry "github.com/oasisprotocol/oasis-core/go/registry/api"
 )
 
-func (app *stakingApplication) resolveEntityIDsFromVotes(ctx *abciAPI.Context, regState *registryState.MutableState, lastCommitInfo types.LastCommitInfo) []signature.PublicKey {
+func (app *stakingApplication) resolveEntityIDsFromVotes(
+	ctx *abciAPI.Context,
+	regState *registryState.MutableState,
+	lastCommitInfo types.LastCommitInfo,
+) ([]signature.PublicKey, error) {
 	var entityIDs []signature.PublicKey
 	for _, a := range lastCommitInfo.Votes {
 		if !a.SignedLastBlock {
@@ -20,16 +25,20 @@ func (app *stakingApplication) resolveEntityIDsFromVotes(ctx *abciAPI.Context, r
 
 		// Map address to node/entity.
 		node, err := regState.NodeByConsensusAddress(ctx, valAddr)
-		if err != nil {
+		switch err {
+		case nil:
+		case registry.ErrNoSuchNode:
 			ctx.Logger().Warn("failed to get validator node",
 				"err", err,
 				"address", hex.EncodeToString(valAddr),
 			)
 			continue
+		default:
+			return nil, err
 		}
 
 		entityIDs = append(entityIDs, node.EntityID)
 	}
 
-	return entityIDs
+	return entityIDs, nil
 }