diff --git a/packages/sdk/src/cosmwasmclient.spec.ts b/packages/sdk/src/cosmwasmclient.spec.ts
index 2994e3b9..29628d49 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/src/cosmwasmclient.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk/src/cosmwasmclient.spec.ts
@@ -74,7 +74,15 @@ describe("CosmWasmClient", () => {
       });
     });
 
-
+    it("returns zeros for missing accounts", async () => {
+      pendingWithoutCosmos();
+      const client = CosmWasmClient.makeReadOnly(httpUrl);
+      const missing = makeRandomAddress();
+      expect(await client.getNonce(missing)).toEqual({
+        accountNumber: 0,
+        sequence: 0,
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   describe("getAccount", () => {
@@ -87,11 +95,18 @@ describe("CosmWasmClient", () => {
         sequence: 0,
         public_key: "",
         coins: [
-          {denom: 'ucosm', amount: '1000000000'},
-          {denom: 'ustake', amount: '1000000000'},
+          { denom: "ucosm", amount: "1000000000" },
+          { denom: "ustake", amount: "1000000000" },
         ],
       });
     });
+
+    it("returns undefined for missing accounts", async () => {
+      pendingWithoutCosmos();
+      const client = CosmWasmClient.makeReadOnly(httpUrl);
+      const missing = makeRandomAddress();
+      expect(await client.getAccount(missing)).toBeUndefined();
+    });
   });
 
   describe("getBlock", () => {
diff --git a/packages/sdk/src/cosmwasmclient.ts b/packages/sdk/src/cosmwasmclient.ts
index 55335904..f7c58231 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/src/cosmwasmclient.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk/src/cosmwasmclient.ts
@@ -153,14 +153,15 @@ export class CosmWasmClient {
   public async getNonce(address?: string): Promise<GetNonceResult> {
     const account = await this.getAccount(address);
     return {
-      accountNumber: account.account_number,
-      sequence: account.sequence,
+      accountNumber: account ? account.account_number : 0,
+      sequence: account ? account.sequence : 0,
     };
   }
 
-  public async getAccount(address?: string): Promise<CosmosSdkAccount> {
+  public async getAccount(address?: string): Promise<CosmosSdkAccount | undefined> {
     const account = await this.restClient.authAccounts(address || this.senderAddress);
-    return account.result.value;
+    const value = account.result.value;
+    return value.address === "" ? undefined : value;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/sdk/types/cosmwasmclient.d.ts b/packages/sdk/types/cosmwasmclient.d.ts
index da430498..70e07e10 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/types/cosmwasmclient.d.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk/types/cosmwasmclient.d.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ export declare class CosmWasmClient {
    * @param address returns data for this address. When unset, the client's sender adddress is used.
    */
   getNonce(address?: string): Promise<GetNonceResult>;
-  getAccount(address?: string): Promise<CosmosSdkAccount>;
+  getAccount(address?: string): Promise<CosmosSdkAccount | undefined>;
   /**
    * Gets block header and meta
    *