diff --git a/beacon-chain/sync/rate_limiter.go b/beacon-chain/sync/rate_limiter.go
index 7b0a4f3470e6..81db9fc9b6f1 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/sync/rate_limiter.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/sync/rate_limiter.go
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ func (l *limiter) validateRequest(stream network.Stream, amt uint64) error {
 	}
 	key := stream.Conn().RemotePeer().String()
 	remaining := collector.Remaining(key)
+	// Treat each request as a minimum of 1.
+	if amt == 0 {
+		amt = 1
+	}
 	if amt > uint64(remaining) {
 		l.p2p.Peers().Scorers().BadResponsesScorer().Increment(stream.Conn().RemotePeer())
 		if l.p2p.Peers().IsBad(stream.Conn().RemotePeer()) {
diff --git a/beacon-chain/sync/rpc_beacon_blocks_by_root.go b/beacon-chain/sync/rpc_beacon_blocks_by_root.go
index d2ac3ca07b7b..caa4d24b094b 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/sync/rpc_beacon_blocks_by_root.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/sync/rpc_beacon_blocks_by_root.go
@@ -70,7 +70,13 @@ func (s *Service) beaconBlocksRootRPCHandler(ctx context.Context, msg interface{
 	if !ok {
 		return errors.New("message is not type [][32]byte")
 	}
+	if err := s.rateLimiter.validateRequest(stream, uint64(len(blockRoots))); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	if len(blockRoots) == 0 {
+		// Add to rate limiter in the event no
+		// roots are requested.
+		s.rateLimiter.add(stream, 1)
 		resp, err := s.generateErrorResponse(responseCodeInvalidRequest, "no block roots provided in request")
 		if err != nil {
 			log.WithError(err).Debug("Failed to generate a response error")
@@ -79,9 +85,6 @@ func (s *Service) beaconBlocksRootRPCHandler(ctx context.Context, msg interface{
 		}
 		return errors.New("no block roots provided")
 	}
-	if err := s.rateLimiter.validateRequest(stream, uint64(len(blockRoots))); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
 
 	if uint64(len(blockRoots)) > params.BeaconNetworkConfig().MaxRequestBlocks {
 		resp, err := s.generateErrorResponse(responseCodeInvalidRequest, "requested more than the max block limit")
diff --git a/beacon-chain/sync/rpc_beacon_blocks_by_root_test.go b/beacon-chain/sync/rpc_beacon_blocks_by_root_test.go
index ff311d277b0a..48678f45c3ca 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/sync/rpc_beacon_blocks_by_root_test.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/sync/rpc_beacon_blocks_by_root_test.go
@@ -140,6 +140,38 @@ func TestRecentBeaconBlocks_RPCRequestSent(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRecentBeaconBlocksRPCHandler_HandleZeroBlocks(t *testing.T) {
+	p1 := p2ptest.NewTestP2P(t)
+	p2 := p2ptest.NewTestP2P(t)
+	p1.Connect(p2)
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(p1.BHost.Network().Peers()), "Expected peers to be connected")
+	d, _ := db.SetupDB(t)
+
+	r := &Service{p2p: p1, db: d, rateLimiter: newRateLimiter(p1)}
+	pcl := protocol.ID("/testing")
+	topic := string(pcl)
+	r.rateLimiter.limiterMap[topic] = leakybucket.NewCollector(1, 1, false)
+
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	wg.Add(1)
+	p2.BHost.SetStreamHandler(pcl, func(stream network.Stream) {
+		defer wg.Done()
+		expectFailure(t, 1, "no block roots provided in request", stream)
+	})
+
+	stream1, err := p1.BHost.NewStream(context.Background(), p2.BHost.ID(), pcl)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	err = r.beaconBlocksRootRPCHandler(context.Background(), [][32]byte{}, stream1)
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, "no block roots provided", err)
+	if testutil.WaitTimeout(&wg, 1*time.Second) {
+		t.Fatal("Did not receive stream within 1 sec")
+	}
+
+	lter, err := r.rateLimiter.retrieveCollector(topic)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, int(lter.Count(stream1.Conn().RemotePeer().String())))
+}
+
 type testList [][32]byte
 
 func (*testList) Limit() uint64 {