diff --git a/eth/filters/api.go b/eth/filters/api.go
index e4ce927b17..e9fdc1f19d 100644
--- a/eth/filters/api.go
+++ b/eth/filters/api.go
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
+	ErrInvalidBlockRange = errors.New("invalid from and to block combination: from > to")
+
 	errInvalidTopic   = errors.New("invalid topic(s)")
 	errFilterNotFound = errors.New("filter not found")
 )
@@ -347,12 +349,16 @@ func (api *FilterAPI) GetLogs(ctx context.Context, crit FilterCriteria) ([]*type
 		if crit.ToBlock != nil {
 			end = crit.ToBlock.Int64()
 		}
-		// Fast exit if from > to
-		if begin > 0 && end > 0 && begin > end {
-			return nil, nil
-		}
 		// Construct the range filter
-		filter = api.sys.NewRangeFilter(begin, end, crit.Addresses, crit.Topics)
+		var err error
+		filter, err = api.sys.NewRangeFilter(begin, end, crit.Addresses, crit.Topics)
+		if err != nil {
+			// Compatible with old implement
+			if err == ErrInvalidBlockRange {
+				return nil, nil
+			}
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 	// Run the filter and return all the logs
 	logs, err := filter.Logs(ctx)
@@ -403,7 +409,7 @@ func (api *FilterAPI) GetFilterLogs(ctx context.Context, id rpc.ID) ([]*types.Lo
 			end = f.crit.ToBlock.Int64()
 		}
 		// Construct the range filter
-		filter = api.sys.NewRangeFilter(begin, end, f.crit.Addresses, f.crit.Topics)
+		filter, _ = api.sys.NewRangeFilter(begin, end, f.crit.Addresses, f.crit.Topics)
 	}
 	// Run the filter and return all the logs
 	logs, err := filter.Logs(ctx)
diff --git a/eth/filters/filter.go b/eth/filters/filter.go
index a5750c1934..36cbfb7165 100644
--- a/eth/filters/filter.go
+++ b/eth/filters/filter.go
@@ -42,7 +42,12 @@ type Filter struct {
 
 // NewRangeFilter creates a new filter which uses a bloom filter on blocks to
 // figure out whether a particular block is interesting or not.
-func (sys *FilterSystem) NewRangeFilter(begin, end int64, addresses []common.Address, topics [][]common.Hash) *Filter {
+func (sys *FilterSystem) NewRangeFilter(begin, end int64, addresses []common.Address, topics [][]common.Hash) (*Filter, error) {
+	// Fast exit if from > to
+	if begin > 0 && end > 0 && begin > end {
+		return nil, ErrInvalidBlockRange
+	}
+
 	// Flatten the address and topic filter clauses into a single bloombits filter
 	// system. Since the bloombits are not positional, nil topics are permitted,
 	// which get flattened into a nil byte slice.
@@ -70,7 +75,7 @@ func (sys *FilterSystem) NewRangeFilter(begin, end int64, addresses []common.Add
 	filter.begin = begin
 	filter.end = end
 
-	return filter
+	return filter, nil
 }
 
 // NewBlockFilter creates a new filter which directly inspects the contents of
diff --git a/eth/filters/filter_system.go b/eth/filters/filter_system.go
index 35e396c23e..300c1b8655 100644
--- a/eth/filters/filter_system.go
+++ b/eth/filters/filter_system.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package filters
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
@@ -332,7 +331,7 @@ func (es *EventSystem) SubscribeLogs(crit ethereum.FilterQuery, logs chan []*typ
 	if from >= 0 && to == rpc.LatestBlockNumber {
 		return es.subscribeLogs(crit, logs), nil
 	}
-	return nil, errors.New("invalid from and to block combination: from > to")
+	return nil, ErrInvalidBlockRange
 }
 
 // subscribeMinedPendingLogs creates a subscription that returned mined and