diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d9e2a40ddfd..d8dbfa73583 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@
 ## 23.1.0-beta2
 
 ### Breaking Changes
-- Default configurations for the deprecated Ropsten, Kiln, Shandong, and Astor networks have been removed from the CLI network list. These networks can currently be accessed but will require a user-provided genesis configuration. [#4896](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4869)
+- Default configurations for the deprecated Ropsten, Kiln, Shandong, and Astor networks have been removed from the CLI network list. These networks can currently be accessed but will require a user-provided genesis configuration. [#4869](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4869)
 
 ### Additions and Improvements
+- RPC methods that lookup block by hash will now return an error response if no block found [#4582](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4582)
 
 ### Bug Fixes
 
@@ -96,11 +97,12 @@ https://hyperledger.jfrog.io/hyperledger/besu-binaries/besu/22.10.1/besu-22.10.1
 ## 22.10.0
 
 ### Breaking Changes
+- Internal and interface APIs relating to storage have migrated from `UInt256` to `Bytes32` [#4562](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4562)
 - Flexible Privacy Groups (early access) support to Tessera's EC encryptor (contracts modified) [#4282](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4282)
   * Before this change, the `bytes32` type was used for the enclave public keys, just supporting encryptors with public keys of that length (like the default NaCl)
   * For the EC encryptor, the encoded public key length is 91
 - `--tx-pool-hashes-max-size` option removed (deprecated in 22.1.3)
-- `--Xmerge-support` option remove (deprecated in 22.4.2) [#4518](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4518)
+- `--Xmerge-support` option removed (deprecated in 22.4.2) [#4518](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4518)
 - Breaking API changes in the `OperationTracer` interface to enable performance work.
   * The `traceExecution` method has been replaced with `tracePreExecution` and `tracePostExecution` methods, called just before and just after operation execution.
   * See `DebugOperationTracer` and `StandardJsonTracer` for migration examples.
@@ -159,7 +161,7 @@ https://hyperledger.jfrog.io/hyperledger/besu-binaries/besu/22.10.0/besu-22.10.0
 - Reduce the number of runtime exceptions (SecurityModuleException) and unnecessary executions during ECIES handshake, by trying to decrypt EIP-8 formatted messages first [#4508](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4508).
 - Improved RLP processing of zero-length string as 0x80 [#4283](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4283) [#4388](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/issues/4388)
 - Increased level of detail in JSON-RPC parameter error log messages [#4510](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4510)
-- New unstable configuration options to set the maximum time, in milliseconds, a PoS block creation jobs is allowed to run [#4519](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4519)
+- New experimental configuration options to set the maximum time, in milliseconds, a PoS block creation jobs is allowed to run [#4519](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4519)
 - Tune EthScheduler thread pools to avoid recreating too many threads [#4529](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4529)
 - RocksDB snapshot based worldstate and plugin-api addition of Snapshot interfaces [#4409](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4409)
 - Continuously try to build better block proposals until timeout or GetPayload is called [#4516](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4516)
diff --git a/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/AbstractBlockParameterOrBlockHashMethod.java b/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/AbstractBlockParameterOrBlockHashMethod.java
index 2b9b259433d..7b718da9166 100644
--- a/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/AbstractBlockParameterOrBlockHashMethod.java
+++ b/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/AbstractBlockParameterOrBlockHashMethod.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.jsonrpc.internal.response.JsonRpcResponse;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.jsonrpc.internal.response.JsonRpcSuccessResponse;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.query.BlockchainQueries;
+import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.core.BlockHeader;
 
 import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.OptionalLong;
@@ -95,6 +96,14 @@ protected Object handleParamTypes(final JsonRpcRequestContext requestContext) {
             requestContext.getRequest().getId(), JsonRpcError.INVALID_PARAMS);
       }
 
+      // return error if block hash does not find a block
+      Optional<BlockHeader> maybeBlockHeader =
+          getBlockchainQueries().getBlockHeaderByHash(blockHash.get());
+      if (maybeBlockHeader.isEmpty()) {
+        return new JsonRpcErrorResponse(
+            requestContext.getRequest().getId(), JsonRpcError.BLOCK_NOT_FOUND);
+      }
+
       if (Boolean.TRUE.equals(blockParameterOrBlockHash.getRequireCanonical())
           && !getBlockchainQueries().blockIsOnCanonicalChain(blockHash.get())) {
         return new JsonRpcErrorResponse(
diff --git a/ethereum/api/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/DebugAccountAtTest.java b/ethereum/api/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/DebugAccountAtTest.java
index 6cfde65b2d2..03f247c3936 100644
--- a/ethereum/api/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/DebugAccountAtTest.java
+++ b/ethereum/api/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/DebugAccountAtTest.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.query.BlockWithMetadata;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.query.BlockchainQueries;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.query.TransactionWithMetadata;
+import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.core.BlockHeader;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.core.Transaction;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.debug.TraceFrame;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.evm.account.Account;
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ class DebugAccountAtTest {
   @Mock private BlockTracer blockTracer;
   @Mock private BlockchainQueries blockchainQueries;
   @Mock private BlockWithMetadata<TransactionWithMetadata, Hash> blockWithMetadata;
+  @Mock private BlockHeader blockHeader;
   @Mock private TransactionWithMetadata transactionWithMetadata;
   @Mock private BlockTrace blockTrace;
   @Mock private TransactionTrace transactionTrace;
@@ -77,7 +79,7 @@ void nameShouldBeDebugAccountAt() {
 
   @Test
   void testBlockNotFoundResponse() {
-    Mockito.when(blockchainQueries.blockByHash(any())).thenReturn(Optional.empty());
+    Mockito.when(blockchainQueries.getBlockHeaderByHash(any())).thenReturn(Optional.empty());
 
     final Object[] params = new Object[] {Hash.ZERO.toHexString(), 0, Address.ZERO.toHexString()};
     final JsonRpcRequestContext request =
@@ -91,7 +93,7 @@ void testBlockNotFoundResponse() {
 
   @Test
   void testInvalidParamsResponseEmptyList() {
-    Mockito.when(blockchainQueries.blockByHash(any())).thenReturn(Optional.of(blockWithMetadata));
+    setupMockBlock();
     Mockito.when(blockWithMetadata.getTransactions()).thenReturn(Collections.emptyList());
 
     final Object[] params = new Object[] {Hash.ZERO.toHexString(), 0, Address.ZERO.toHexString()};
@@ -106,7 +108,7 @@ void testInvalidParamsResponseEmptyList() {
 
   @Test
   void testInvalidParamsResponseNegative() {
-    Mockito.when(blockchainQueries.blockByHash(any())).thenReturn(Optional.of(blockWithMetadata));
+    setupMockBlock();
     Mockito.when(blockWithMetadata.getTransactions())
         .thenReturn(Collections.singletonList(transactionWithMetadata));
 
@@ -122,7 +124,7 @@ void testInvalidParamsResponseNegative() {
 
   @Test
   void testInvalidParamsResponseTooHigh() {
-    Mockito.when(blockchainQueries.blockByHash(any())).thenReturn(Optional.of(blockWithMetadata));
+    setupMockBlock();
     Mockito.when(blockWithMetadata.getTransactions())
         .thenReturn(Collections.singletonList(transactionWithMetadata));
 
@@ -138,7 +140,7 @@ void testInvalidParamsResponseTooHigh() {
 
   @Test
   void testTransactionNotFoundResponse() {
-    Mockito.when(blockchainQueries.blockByHash(any())).thenReturn(Optional.of(blockWithMetadata));
+    setupMockBlock();
     Mockito.when(blockWithMetadata.getTransactions())
         .thenReturn(Collections.singletonList(transactionWithMetadata));
 
@@ -155,6 +157,7 @@ void testTransactionNotFoundResponse() {
   @Test
   void testNoAccountFoundResponse() {
     setupMockTransaction();
+    setupMockBlock();
 
     final Object[] params = new Object[] {Hash.ZERO.toHexString(), 0, Address.ZERO.toHexString()};
     final JsonRpcRequestContext request =
@@ -179,6 +182,7 @@ void shouldBeSuccessfulWhenTransactionsAndAccountArePresent() {
 
     setupMockTransaction();
     setupMockAccount();
+    setupMockBlock();
 
     Mockito.when(account.getCode()).thenReturn(code);
     Mockito.when(account.getNonce()).thenReturn(nonce);
@@ -217,4 +221,10 @@ private void setupMockTransaction() {
     Mockito.when(transactionWithMetadata.getTransaction()).thenReturn(transaction);
     Mockito.when(transaction.getHash()).thenReturn(Hash.ZERO);
   }
+
+  private void setupMockBlock() {
+    Mockito.when(blockchainQueries.blockByHash(any())).thenReturn(Optional.of(blockWithMetadata));
+    Mockito.when(blockchainQueries.getBlockHeaderByHash(any()))
+        .thenReturn(Optional.of(blockHeader));
+  }
 }
diff --git a/ethereum/api/src/test/resources/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/eth/eth_getCode_blockHashNotExist.json b/ethereum/api/src/test/resources/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/eth/eth_getCode_blockHashNotExist.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4dd50c50ae6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ethereum/api/src/test/resources/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/eth/eth_getCode_blockHashNotExist.json
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+  "request": {
+    "id": 250,
+    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
+    "method": "eth_getCode",
+    "params": [
+      "0x8888f1f195afa192cfee860698584c030f4c9db1",
+      "0xe4ba271c3580fafebd874dc3107eba505b1061fd8d9780e3a5577e48f6168711"
+    ]
+  },
+  "response": {
+    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
+    "id": 250,
+    "error" : {
+      "code" : -32000,
+      "message" : "Block not found"
+    }
+  },
+  "statusCode": 200
+}
\ No newline at end of file