diff --git a/eth/api_backend.go b/eth/api_backend.go
index 91f392f94f..ce4a428aa0 100644
--- a/eth/api_backend.go
+++ b/eth/api_backend.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"math/big"
 
+	"errors"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/accounts"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common/math"
@@ -90,6 +91,10 @@ func (b *EthApiBackend) StateAndHeaderByNumber(ctx context.Context, blockNr rpc.
 	// Otherwise resolve the block number and return its state
 	header, err := b.HeaderByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
 	if header == nil || err != nil {
+		//if the error is nil, let's create a generic error message instead of returning a fully null result
+		if err == nil {
+			err = errors.New("blockchain header is nil")
+		}
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 	stateDb, err := b.eth.BlockChain().StateAt(header.Root)