diff --git a/eth/api.go b/eth/api.go
index f94795073d..98c2f5874f 100644
--- a/eth/api.go
+++ b/eth/api.go
@@ -344,6 +344,9 @@ type AccountRangeResult struct {
 }
 
 func accountRange(st state.Trie, start *common.Hash, maxResults int) (AccountRangeResult, error) {
+	if start == nil {
+		start = &common.Hash{0}
+	}
 	it := trie.NewIterator(st.NodeIterator(start.Bytes()))
 	result := AccountRangeResult{Accounts: make(map[common.Hash]*common.Address), Next: common.Hash{}}
 
diff --git a/eth/api_test.go b/eth/api_test.go
index 19fcd9649d..a4831a3008 100644
--- a/eth/api_test.go
+++ b/eth/api_test.go
@@ -88,6 +88,9 @@ func TestAccountRange(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Logf("test getting number of results greater than max %d", AccountRangeMaxResults)
 	accountRangeTest(t, &trie, state, &common.Hash{0x0}, AccountRangeMaxResults*2, AccountRangeMaxResults)
 
+	t.Logf("test with empty 'start' hash")
+	accountRangeTest(t, &trie, state, nil, AccountRangeMaxResults, AccountRangeMaxResults)
+
 	t.Logf("test pagination")
 
 	// test pagination