diff --git a/crates/storage/provider/src/providers/database/provider.rs b/crates/storage/provider/src/providers/database/provider.rs
index 1f0a0aa391a..613364a903f 100644
--- a/crates/storage/provider/src/providers/database/provider.rs
+++ b/crates/storage/provider/src/providers/database/provider.rs
@@ -2918,21 +2918,24 @@ impl<TX: DbTxMut + DbTx + 'static, N: NodeTypesForProvider + 'static> BlockWrite
             self.tx.delete::<tables::HeaderNumbers>(hash, None)?;
         }
 
-        // Get highest static file block for the total block range
-        let highest_static_file_block = self
-            .static_file_provider()
-            .get_highest_static_file_block(StaticFileSegment::Headers)
-            .expect("todo: error handling, headers should exist");
-
-        // IMPORTANT: we use `highest_static_file_block.saturating_sub(block_number)` to make sure
-        // we remove only what is ABOVE the block.
+        // Get highest static file block for the total block range.
         //
-        // i.e., if the highest static file block is 8, we want to remove above block 5 only, we
-        // will have three blocks to remove, which will be block 8, 7, and 6.
-        debug!(target: "providers::db", ?block, "Removing static file blocks above block_number");
-        self.static_file_provider()
-            .get_writer(block, StaticFileSegment::Headers)?
-            .prune_headers(highest_static_file_block.saturating_sub(block))?;
+        // If there are no header static files yet, there is nothing to prune.
+        if let Some(highest_static_file_block) =
+            self.static_file_provider().get_highest_static_file_block(StaticFileSegment::Headers)
+        {
+            // IMPORTANT: we use `highest_static_file_block.saturating_sub(block_number)` to make sure
+            // we remove only what is ABOVE the block.
+            //
+            // i.e., if the highest static file block is 8, we want to remove above block 5 only, we
+            // will have three blocks to remove, which will be block 8, 7, and 6.
+            debug!(target: "providers::db", ?block, "Removing static file blocks above block_number");
+            self.static_file_provider()
+                .get_writer(block, StaticFileSegment::Headers)?
+                .prune_headers(highest_static_file_block.saturating_sub(block))?;
+        } else {
+            debug!(target: "providers::db", ?block, "No header static files found; skipping static file pruning");
+        }
 
         // First transaction to be removed
         let unwind_tx_from = self
@@ -3164,6 +3167,15 @@ mod tests {
     };
     use reth_testing_utils::generators::{self, random_block, BlockParams};
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_remove_blocks_above_without_static_file_headers() {
+        let factory = create_test_provider_factory();
+        let provider_rw = factory.provider_rw().unwrap();
+
+        // There are no static files yet in a fresh test provider. This should not panic.
+        assert!(provider_rw.remove_blocks_above(0).is_ok());
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_receipts_by_block_range_empty_range() {
         let factory = create_test_provider_factory();