diff --git a/consensus/clique/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/clique/jsonrpc/methods/CliqueGetSignerMetricsTest.java b/consensus/clique/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/clique/jsonrpc/methods/CliqueGetSignerMetricsTest.java
index 8463f70f53..c7344881ea 100644
--- a/consensus/clique/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/clique/jsonrpc/methods/CliqueGetSignerMetricsTest.java
+++ b/consensus/clique/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/clique/jsonrpc/methods/CliqueGetSignerMetricsTest.java
@@ -13,7 +13,10 @@
 package tech.pegasys.pantheon.consensus.clique.jsonrpc.methods;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.mockito.AdditionalMatchers.lt;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.never;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.consensus.common.BlockInterface;
@@ -141,6 +144,30 @@ public void getSignerMetrics() {
         .containsExactlyInAnyOrderElementsOf(signerMetricResultList);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+  public void getSignerMetricsWhenThereAreFewerBlocksThanTheDefaultRange() {
+    final long startBlock = 0L;
+    final long headBlock = 2L;
+
+    final List<SignerMetricResult> signerMetricResultList = new ArrayList<>();
+
+    when(blockchainQueries.headBlockNumber()).thenReturn(headBlock);
+
+    LongStream.range(startBlock, headBlock)
+        .forEach(value -> signerMetricResultList.add(generateBlock(value)));
+
+    final JsonRpcRequest request = requestWithParams();
+
+    final JsonRpcSuccessResponse response = (JsonRpcSuccessResponse) method.response(request);
+
+    // verify getBlockHeaderByNumber is not called with negative values
+    verify(blockchainQueries, never()).getBlockHeaderByNumber(lt(0L));
+
+    assertThat((Collection<SignerMetricResult>) response.getResult())
+        .containsExactlyInAnyOrderElementsOf(signerMetricResultList);
+  }
+
   @Test
   @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
   public void getSignerMetricsWithLatest() {
diff --git a/consensus/common/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/common/jsonrpc/AbstractGetSignerMetricsMethod.java b/consensus/common/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/common/jsonrpc/AbstractGetSignerMetricsMethod.java
index e80a6ca173..c65eafeaed 100644
--- a/consensus/common/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/common/jsonrpc/AbstractGetSignerMetricsMethod.java
+++ b/consensus/common/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/common/jsonrpc/AbstractGetSignerMetricsMethod.java
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ public JsonRpcResponse response(final JsonRpcRequest request) {
   private long getFromBlockNumber(final Optional<BlockParameter> startBlockParameter) {
     return startBlockParameter
         .map(this::resolveBlockNumber)
-        .orElseGet(() -> blockchainQueries.headBlockNumber() - DEFAULT_RANGE_BLOCK);
+        .orElseGet(() -> Math.max(0, blockchainQueries.headBlockNumber() - DEFAULT_RANGE_BLOCK));
   }
 
   private long getEndBlockNumber(final Optional<BlockParameter> endBlockParameter) {
diff --git a/consensus/ibft/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/ibft/jsonrpc/methods/IbftGetSignerMetricsTest.java b/consensus/ibft/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/ibft/jsonrpc/methods/IbftGetSignerMetricsTest.java
index 212fcdff1c..8f13200b44 100644
--- a/consensus/ibft/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/ibft/jsonrpc/methods/IbftGetSignerMetricsTest.java
+++ b/consensus/ibft/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/ibft/jsonrpc/methods/IbftGetSignerMetricsTest.java
@@ -13,7 +13,10 @@
 package tech.pegasys.pantheon.consensus.ibft.jsonrpc.methods;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.mockito.AdditionalMatchers.lt;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.never;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.consensus.common.BlockInterface;
@@ -141,6 +144,30 @@ public void getSignerMetrics() {
         .containsExactlyInAnyOrderElementsOf(signerMetricResultList);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+  public void getSignerMetricsWhenThereAreFewerBlocksThanTheDefaultRange() {
+    final long startBlock = 0L;
+    final long headBlock = 2L;
+
+    final List<SignerMetricResult> signerMetricResultList = new ArrayList<>();
+
+    when(blockchainQueries.headBlockNumber()).thenReturn(headBlock);
+
+    LongStream.range(startBlock, headBlock)
+        .forEach(value -> signerMetricResultList.add(generateBlock(value)));
+
+    final JsonRpcRequest request = requestWithParams();
+
+    final JsonRpcSuccessResponse response = (JsonRpcSuccessResponse) method.response(request);
+
+    // verify getBlockHeaderByNumber is not called with negative values
+    verify(blockchainQueries, never()).getBlockHeaderByNumber(lt(0L));
+
+    assertThat((Collection<SignerMetricResult>) response.getResult())
+        .containsExactlyInAnyOrderElementsOf(signerMetricResultList);
+  }
+
   @Test
   @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
   public void getSignerMetricsWithLatest() {