diff --git a/pkg/eth/api.go b/pkg/eth/api.go
index d44dd0ef..b701d089 100644
--- a/pkg/eth/api.go
+++ b/pkg/eth/api.go
@@ -714,7 +714,7 @@ func (pea *PublicEthAPI) GetStorageAt(ctx context.Context, address common.Addres
 		}
 	}
 	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
-		return hexutil.Bytes{}, errors.New("header not found")
+		return make([]byte, 32), nil
 	}
 	return nil, err
 }
diff --git a/pkg/eth/api_test.go b/pkg/eth/api_test.go
index b97c6c7d..f4e8ad47 100644
--- a/pkg/eth/api_test.go
+++ b/pkg/eth/api_test.go
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ var _ = Describe("API", func() {
 			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 			Expect(uncle2).To(Equal(expectedUncle2))
 		})
-		It("Returns `nil` if an block for blocknumber cannot be found", func() {
+		It("Returns `nil` if an block for block number cannot be found", func() {
 			block, err := api.GetUncleByBlockNumberAndIndex(ctx, wrongNumber, 0)
 			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 			Expect(block).To(BeNil())
diff --git a/pkg/eth/backend.go b/pkg/eth/backend.go
index 77895de4..07e4c709 100644
--- a/pkg/eth/backend.go
+++ b/pkg/eth/backend.go
@@ -598,8 +598,8 @@ func (b *Backend) GetAccountByNumber(ctx context.Context, address common.Address
 		return nil, errPendingBlockNumber
 	}
 	hash, err := b.GetCanonicalHash(uint64(number))
-	if err == sql.ErrNoRows || hash == (common.Hash{}) {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("no canoncial block hash found for provided height (%d)", number)
+	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("header not found")
 	} else if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/eth/eth_state_test.go b/pkg/eth/eth_state_test.go
index cc701eea..e9a45e43 100644
--- a/pkg/eth/eth_state_test.go
+++ b/pkg/eth/eth_state_test.go
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ var _ = Describe("eth state reading tests", func() {
 		backend, err = eth.NewEthBackend(db, &eth.Config{
 			ChainConfig: chainConfig,
 			VmConfig:    vm.Config{},
-			RPCGasCap:   big.NewInt(10000000000),
+			RPCGasCap:   big.NewInt(10000000000), // Max gas capacity for a rpc call.
 		})
 		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 		api = eth.NewPublicEthAPI(backend, nil, false)
@@ -456,19 +456,19 @@ var _ = Describe("eth state reading tests", func() {
 	})
 
 	Describe("eth_getStorageAt", func() {
-		It("Throws an error if it tries to access a contract which does not exist", func() {
-			_, err := api.GetStorageAt(ctx, test_helpers.ContractAddr, test_helpers.ContractSlotKeyHash.Hex(), rpc.BlockNumberOrHashWithNumber(0))
-			Expect(err).To(HaveOccurred())
-			Expect(err.Error()).To(ContainSubstring("header not found"))
+		It("Returns empty slice if it tries to access a contract which does not exist", func() {
+			storage, err := api.GetStorageAt(ctx, test_helpers.ContractAddr, test_helpers.ContractSlotKeyHash.Hex(), rpc.BlockNumberOrHashWithNumber(0))
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(storage).To(Equal(hexutil.Bytes(make([]byte, 32))))
 
-			_, err = api.GetStorageAt(ctx, test_helpers.ContractAddr, test_helpers.ContractSlotKeyHash.Hex(), rpc.BlockNumberOrHashWithNumber(1))
-			Expect(err).To(HaveOccurred())
-			Expect(err.Error()).To(ContainSubstring("header not found"))
+			storage, err = api.GetStorageAt(ctx, test_helpers.ContractAddr, test_helpers.ContractSlotKeyHash.Hex(), rpc.BlockNumberOrHashWithNumber(1))
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(storage).To(Equal(hexutil.Bytes(make([]byte, 32))))
 		})
-		It("Throws an error if it tries to access a contract slot which does not exist", func() {
-			_, err := api.GetStorageAt(ctx, test_helpers.ContractAddr, randomHash.Hex(), rpc.BlockNumberOrHashWithNumber(2))
-			Expect(err).To(HaveOccurred())
-			Expect(err.Error()).To(ContainSubstring("header not found"))
+		It("Returns empty slice if it tries to access a contract slot which does not exist", func() {
+			storage, err := api.GetStorageAt(ctx, test_helpers.ContractAddr, randomHash.Hex(), rpc.BlockNumberOrHashWithNumber(2))
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(storage).To(Equal(hexutil.Bytes(make([]byte, 32))))
 		})
 		It("Retrieves the storage value at the provided contract address and storage leaf key at the block with the provided hash or number", func() {
 			// After deployment
diff --git a/test/integration_test.go b/test/integration_test.go
index 76a8e993..af93054a 100644
--- a/test/integration_test.go
+++ b/test/integration_test.go
@@ -291,6 +291,17 @@ var _ = Describe("Integration test", func() {
 			ipldBalance, err := ipldClient.BalanceAt(ctx, common.HexToAddress(nonExistingAddress), nil)
 			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 
+			Expect(gethBalance).To(Equal(ipldBalance))
+		})
+		It("gets balance for an non-existing block number", func() {
+			Expect(txErr).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+
+			gethBalance, err := gethClient.BalanceAt(ctx, common.HexToAddress(address), big.NewInt(int64(tx.BlockNumber+3)))
+			Expect(err).To(MatchError("header not found"))
+
+			ipldBalance, err := ipldClient.BalanceAt(ctx, common.HexToAddress(nonExistingAddress), big.NewInt(int64(tx.BlockNumber+3)))
+			Expect(err).To(MatchError("header not found"))
+
 			Expect(gethBalance).To(Equal(ipldBalance))
 		})
 	})