diff --git a/src/Blockcore.Indexer.Core/Handlers/StatsHandler.cs b/src/Blockcore.Indexer.Core/Handlers/StatsHandler.cs
index 138eb9cf..9ac5f5e2 100644
--- a/src/Blockcore.Indexer.Core/Handlers/StatsHandler.cs
+++ b/src/Blockcore.Indexer.Core/Handlers/StatsHandler.cs
@@ -136,6 +136,11 @@ public async Task<CoinInfo> CoinInformation()
 
       public async Task<Statistics> Statistics()
       {
+         if (globalState.StoreTip?.BlockHash == null)
+         {
+            return new Statistics { Symbol = syncConnection.Symbol, Error = "node is not ready"};
+         }
+
          var cachedStats = cache.Get<Statistics>(Key);
 
          if (cachedStats != null &&
diff --git a/src/Blockcore.Indexer.Core/Sync/SyncTasks/BlockStartup.cs b/src/Blockcore.Indexer.Core/Sync/SyncTasks/BlockStartup.cs
index c49ebdf0..44befc85 100644
--- a/src/Blockcore.Indexer.Core/Sync/SyncTasks/BlockStartup.cs
+++ b/src/Blockcore.Indexer.Core/Sync/SyncTasks/BlockStartup.cs
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ public override async Task OnExecute()
             Runner.GlobalState.StoreTip = storageOperations.PushStorageBatch(genesisBatch);
          }
 
-         BlockInfo fetchedBlock = await client.GetBlockAsync(Runner.GlobalState.StoreTip.BlockHash);
+         BlockInfo fetchedBlock = await GetBlockOrNullAsync(client, Runner.GlobalState.StoreTip.BlockHash);
          if (fetchedBlock == null)
          {
             // check if the fullnode is ahead of the indexer height
@@ -117,5 +117,24 @@ public override async Task OnExecute()
          // update the chains tip
          Runner.GlobalState.ChainTipHeight = syncOperations.GetBlockCount(client);
       }
+
+      private static async Task<BlockInfo> GetBlockOrNullAsync(IBlockchainClient client, string blockHash)
+      {
+         try
+         {
+            BlockInfo blockInfo = await client.GetBlockAsync(blockHash);
+
+            return blockInfo;
+         }
+         catch (Exception e)
+         {
+            if (e.Message.Contains("Block not found"))
+            {
+               return null;
+            }
+
+            throw;
+         }
+      }
    }
 }