diff --git a/chain/src/chain.rs b/chain/src/chain.rs
index b790e52eb2..927169bae6 100644
--- a/chain/src/chain.rs
+++ b/chain/src/chain.rs
@@ -1324,13 +1324,36 @@ impl Chain {
 		min_height: Option<u64>,
 		max_height: Option<u64>,
 	) -> Result<Option<(TxKernel, u64, u64)>, Error> {
+		let head = self.head()?;
+
+		if let (Some(min), Some(max)) = (min_height, max_height) {
+			if min > max {
+				return Ok(None);
+			}
+		}
+
 		let min_index = match min_height {
-			Some(h) => Some(self.get_header_by_height(h - 1)?.kernel_mmr_size + 1),
+			Some(0) => None,
+			Some(h) => {
+				if h > head.height {
+					return Ok(None);
+				}
+				let header = self.get_header_by_height(h)?;
+				let prev_header = self.get_previous_header(&header)?;
+				Some(prev_header.kernel_mmr_size + 1)
+			}
 			None => None,
 		};
 
 		let max_index = match max_height {
-			Some(h) => Some(self.get_header_by_height(h)?.kernel_mmr_size),
+			Some(h) => {
+				if h > head.height {
+					None
+				} else {
+					let header = self.get_header_by_height(h)?;
+					Some(header.kernel_mmr_size)
+				}
+			}
 			None => None,
 		};
 
diff --git a/chain/tests/test_get_kernel_height.rs b/chain/tests/test_get_kernel_height.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4112c45db9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chain/tests/test_get_kernel_height.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+// Copyright 2020 The Grin Developers
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+use grin_util as util;
+
+mod chain_test_helper;
+
+use self::chain_test_helper::{clean_output_dir, mine_chain};
+use util::secp::pedersen::Commitment;
+
+#[test]
+fn test_get_kernel_height() {
+	let chain_dir = ".grin.get_kernel_height";
+	clean_output_dir(chain_dir);
+	let chain = mine_chain(chain_dir, 5);
+	assert_eq!(chain.head().unwrap().height, 4);
+
+	// check we can safely look for non-existent kernel with min_height=None, max_height=None
+	assert_eq!(
+		None,
+		chain
+			.get_kernel_height(&Commitment::from_vec(vec![]), None, None)
+			.unwrap()
+	);
+
+	// check we can safely look for non-existent kernel with min_height=1, max_height=1
+	assert_eq!(
+		None,
+		chain
+			.get_kernel_height(&Commitment::from_vec(vec![]), Some(1), Some(1))
+			.unwrap()
+	);
+
+	// check we can safely look for non-existent kernel with min_height=1, max_height=100
+	assert_eq!(
+		None,
+		chain
+			.get_kernel_height(&Commitment::from_vec(vec![]), Some(1), Some(100))
+			.unwrap()
+	);
+
+	// check we can safely look for non-existent kernel with min_height=100, max_height=100
+	assert_eq!(
+		None,
+		chain
+			.get_kernel_height(&Commitment::from_vec(vec![]), Some(100), Some(100))
+			.unwrap()
+	);
+
+	// check we can safely look for non-existent kernel with min_height=0, max_height=1
+	assert_eq!(
+		None,
+		chain
+			.get_kernel_height(&Commitment::from_vec(vec![]), Some(0), Some(1))
+			.unwrap()
+	);
+
+	// check we can safely look for non-existent kernel with min_height=0, max_height=100
+	assert_eq!(
+		None,
+		chain
+			.get_kernel_height(&Commitment::from_vec(vec![]), Some(0), Some(100))
+			.unwrap()
+	);
+
+	// check we can safely look for non-existent kernel with min_height=0, max_height=None
+	assert_eq!(
+		None,
+		chain
+			.get_kernel_height(&Commitment::from_vec(vec![]), Some(0), None)
+			.unwrap()
+	);
+
+	// check we can safely look for non-existent kernel with min_height=100, max_height=None
+	assert_eq!(
+		None,
+		chain
+			.get_kernel_height(&Commitment::from_vec(vec![]), Some(100), None)
+			.unwrap()
+	);
+
+	// check we can safely look for non-existent kernel with min_height=2, max_height=1
+	assert_eq!(
+		None,
+		chain
+			.get_kernel_height(&Commitment::from_vec(vec![]), Some(2), Some(1))
+			.unwrap()
+	);
+
+	// check we can safely look for non-existent kernel with min_height=100, max_height=99
+	assert_eq!(
+		None,
+		chain
+			.get_kernel_height(&Commitment::from_vec(vec![]), Some(100), Some(99))
+			.unwrap()
+	);
+
+	clean_output_dir(chain_dir);
+}