diff --git a/extern/storage-sealing/currentdealinfo.go b/extern/storage-sealing/currentdealinfo.go
index 44fa68b54..ed93512c2 100644
--- a/extern/storage-sealing/currentdealinfo.go
+++ b/extern/storage-sealing/currentdealinfo.go
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ func (mgr *CurrentDealInfoManager) dealIDFromPublishDealsMsg(ctx context.Context
 		return dealID, nil, xerrors.Errorf("looking for publish deal message %s: search msg failed: %w", publishCid, err)
 	}
 
+	if lookup == nil {
+		return dealID, nil, xerrors.Errorf("looking for publish deal message %s: not found", publishCid)
+	}
+
 	if lookup.Receipt.ExitCode != exitcode.Ok {
 		return dealID, nil, xerrors.Errorf("looking for publish deal message %s: non-ok exit code: %s", publishCid, lookup.Receipt.ExitCode)
 	}
diff --git a/extern/storage-sealing/currentdealinfo_test.go b/extern/storage-sealing/currentdealinfo_test.go
index ee51d8c75..b28dd461a 100644
--- a/extern/storage-sealing/currentdealinfo_test.go
+++ b/extern/storage-sealing/currentdealinfo_test.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
-var errNotFound = errors.New("Could not find")
+var errNotFound = errors.New("could not find")
 
 func TestGetCurrentDealInfo(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
@@ -180,6 +180,12 @@ func TestGetCurrentDealInfo(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedDealID:   zeroDealID,
 			expectedError:    xerrors.Errorf("looking for publish deal message %s: search msg failed: something went wrong", dummyCid),
 		},
+		"search message not found": {
+			publishCid:     dummyCid,
+			targetProposal: &proposal,
+			expectedDealID: zeroDealID,
+			expectedError:  xerrors.Errorf("looking for publish deal message %s: not found", dummyCid),
+		},
 		"return code not ok": {
 			publishCid: dummyCid,
 			searchMessageLookup: &MsgLookup{