diff --git a/api/server.go b/api/server.go
index d2a47042..699c5046 100644
--- a/api/server.go
+++ b/api/server.go
@@ -200,10 +200,15 @@ func (s *server) consensusTipHeightHandler(jc jape.Context) {
 	if jc.DecodeParam("height", &height) != nil {
 		return
 	}
+
 	tip, err := s.e.BestTip(height)
-	if jc.Check("failed to get block", err) != nil {
+	if errors.Is(err, explorer.ErrNoTip) {
+		jc.Error(explorer.ErrNoTip, http.StatusNotFound)
+		return
+	} else if jc.Check("failed to get tip", err) != nil {
 		return
 	}
+
 	jc.Encode(tip)
 }
 
diff --git a/explorer/explorer.go b/explorer/explorer.go
index 292eaca5..52bc70ac 100644
--- a/explorer/explorer.go
+++ b/explorer/explorer.go
@@ -16,9 +16,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	// ErrNoTip is returned when Tip() is unable to find any blocks in the
-	// database and thus there is no tip. It does not mean there was an
-	// error in the underlying database.
+	// ErrNoTip is returned when we are unable to find the tip in the
+	// database or there is no tips at all.
 	ErrNoTip = errors.New("no tip found")
 
 	// ErrContractNotFound is returned when ContractRevisions is unable to find
diff --git a/persist/sqlite/blocks.go b/persist/sqlite/blocks.go
index 15ece33b..889a60e9 100644
--- a/persist/sqlite/blocks.go
+++ b/persist/sqlite/blocks.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package sqlite
 
 import (
+	"database/sql"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"go.sia.tech/core/types"
@@ -58,7 +60,9 @@ func (s *Store) Block(id types.BlockID) (result explorer.Block, err error) {
 func (s *Store) BestTip(height uint64) (result types.ChainIndex, err error) {
 	err = s.transaction(func(tx *txn) error {
 		err = tx.QueryRow(`SELECT id, height FROM blocks WHERE height=?`, height).Scan(decode(&result.ID), decode(&result.Height))
-		if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
+			return explorer.ErrNoTip
+		} else if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}