diff --git a/core/blockchain_reader.go b/core/blockchain_reader.go
index a540bbc11d..01e42570a9 100644
--- a/core/blockchain_reader.go
+++ b/core/blockchain_reader.go
@@ -407,6 +407,15 @@ func (bc *BlockChain) stateRecoverable(root common.Hash) bool {
 	return result
 }
 
+// StateRecoverable checks if the specified state is recoverable by applying
+// state histories on top of the persistent state. It's the exported variant
+// of stateRecoverable, and shares the same semantics: it's only meaningful for
+// the path scheme, and returns false if the state is already available or the
+// hash scheme is used.
+func (bc *BlockChain) StateRecoverable(root common.Hash) bool {
+	return bc.stateRecoverable(root)
+}
+
 // ContractCodeWithPrefix retrieves a blob of data associated with a contract
 // hash either from ephemeral in-memory cache, or from persistent storage.
 func (bc *BlockChain) ContractCodeWithPrefix(hash common.Hash) []byte {
diff --git a/eth/api_backend.go b/eth/api_backend.go
index 86dada4108..c4e2508a3d 100644
--- a/eth/api_backend.go
+++ b/eth/api_backend.go
@@ -72,6 +72,17 @@ func (b *EthAPIBackend) SetHead(number uint64) error {
 	if pivot := rawdb.ReadLastPivotNumber(b.eth.ChainDb()); pivot != nil && number < *pivot {
 		return fmt.Errorf("rewind target %d is before the snap-sync pivot %d", number, *pivot)
 	}
+	// In path mode the deepest reachable state is bounded by the amount of state
+	// histories retained. If the reverse diffs for the target have already been
+	// pruned, its state is no longer recoverable.
+	bc := b.eth.blockchain
+	if bc.TrieDB().Scheme() == rawdb.PathScheme {
+		if header := bc.GetHeaderByNumber(number); header != nil {
+			if !bc.HasState(header.Root) && !bc.StateRecoverable(header.Root) {
+				return errors.New("rewind target is not recoverable")
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	b.eth.handler.downloader.Cancel()
 	return b.eth.blockchain.SetHead(number)
 }