diff --git a/util/headerreader/blob_client.go b/util/headerreader/blob_client.go
index 664dbb5e30..73849d0d3a 100644
--- a/util/headerreader/blob_client.go
+++ b/util/headerreader/blob_client.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
 	"path"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common/hexutil"
@@ -188,8 +189,14 @@ const trailingCharsOfResponse = 25
 
 func (b *BlobClient) blobSidecars(ctx context.Context, slot uint64, versionedHashes []common.Hash) ([]kzg4844.Blob, error) {
 	rawData, err := beaconRequest[json.RawMessage](b, ctx, fmt.Sprintf("/eth/v1/beacon/blob_sidecars/%d", slot))
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error calling beacon client in blobSidecars: %w", err)
+	if err != nil || len(rawData) == 0 {
+		// blobs are pruned after 4096 epochs (1 epoch = 32 slots), we determine if the requested slot were to be pruned by a non-archive endpoint
+		roughAgeOfSlot := uint64(time.Now().Unix()) - (b.genesisTime + slot*b.secondsPerSlot)
+		if roughAgeOfSlot > b.secondsPerSlot*32*4096 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("beacon client in blobSidecars got error or empty response fetching older blobs in slot: %d, an archive endpoint is required, please refer to https://docs.arbitrum.io/run-arbitrum-node/l1-ethereum-beacon-chain-rpc-providers, err: %w", slot, err)
+		} else {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("beacon client in blobSidecars got error or empty response fetching non-expired blobs in slot: %d, if using a prysm endpoint, try --enable-experimental-backfill flag, err: %w", slot, err)
+		}
 	}
 	var response []blobResponseItem
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(rawData, &response); err != nil {