diff --git a/eth/api_backend.go b/eth/api_backend.go
index 90439e8eabbb..ff5dd2ef959e 100644
--- a/eth/api_backend.go
+++ b/eth/api_backend.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package eth
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
 	"time"
 
@@ -163,7 +164,12 @@ func (b *EthAPIBackend) GetBody(ctx context.Context, hash common.Hash, number rp
 
 func (b *EthAPIBackend) BlockByNumberOrHash(ctx context.Context, blockNrOrHash rpc.BlockNumberOrHash) (*types.Block, error) {
 	if blockNr, ok := blockNrOrHash.Number(); ok {
-		return b.BlockByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
+		block, err := b.BlockByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
+		if block == nil && err == nil {
+			err = fmt.Errorf("block %v not found", blockNrOrHash)
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		return block, err
 	}
 	if hash, ok := blockNrOrHash.Hash(); ok {
 		header := b.eth.blockchain.GetHeaderByHash(hash)
diff --git a/internal/ethapi/api_test.go b/internal/ethapi/api_test.go
index f00022e3de4f..e894d3cfa670 100644
--- a/internal/ethapi/api_test.go
+++ b/internal/ethapi/api_test.go
@@ -526,7 +526,12 @@ func (b testBackend) BlockByHash(ctx context.Context, hash common.Hash) (*types.
 }
 func (b testBackend) BlockByNumberOrHash(ctx context.Context, blockNrOrHash rpc.BlockNumberOrHash) (*types.Block, error) {
 	if blockNr, ok := blockNrOrHash.Number(); ok {
-		return b.BlockByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
+		block, err := b.BlockByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
+		if block == nil && err == nil {
+			err = fmt.Errorf("block %v not found", blockNrOrHash)
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		return block, err
 	}
 	if blockHash, ok := blockNrOrHash.Hash(); ok {
 		return b.BlockByHash(ctx, blockHash)