diff --git a/nodebuilder/header/service.go b/nodebuilder/header/service.go
index ddf71f06b..66f3bfadf 100644
--- a/nodebuilder/header/service.go
+++ b/nodebuilder/header/service.go
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ var tracer = otel.Tracer("header/service")
 // ErrHeightZero returned when the provided block height is equal to 0.
 var ErrHeightZero = errors.New("height is equal to 0")
 
+// ErrRangeTooLarge returned when the requested header range exceeds MaxRangeRequestSize.
+// Clients should paginate their requests into ranges of at most MaxRangeRequestSize headers.
+var ErrRangeTooLarge = fmt.Errorf("header/service: requested range exceeds maximum of %d headers",
+	libhead.MaxRangeRequestSize)
+
 // Service represents the header Service that can be started / stopped on a node.
 // Service's main function is to manage its sub-services. Service can contain several
 // sub-services, such as Exchange, ExchangeServer, Syncer, and so forth.
@@ -71,6 +76,10 @@ func (s *Service) GetRangeByHeight(
 	from *header.ExtendedHeader,
 	to uint64,
 ) (_ []*header.ExtendedHeader, err error) {
+	if from == nil {
+		return nil, errors.New("header/service: 'from' header is nil")
+	}
+
 	ctx, span := tracer.Start(ctx, "header/get-range-by-height")
 	defer func() {
 		utils.SetStatusAndEnd(span, err)
@@ -79,11 +88,14 @@ func (s *Service) GetRangeByHeight(
 		}
 	}()
 
-	// Enforce the same MaxRangeRequestSize limit as the P2P server.
 	// The store fetches headers in range [from.Height()+1, to), so the count is to - from.Height() - 1.
-	if to > from.Height()+1+libhead.MaxRangeRequestSize {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("header/service: requested range exceeds MaxRangeRequestSize (%d)",
-			libhead.MaxRangeRequestSize)
+	switch {
+	case to <= from.Height()+1:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("header/service: invalid range: 'to' (%d) must be greater than 'from' height + 1 (%d)",
+			to, from.Height()+1)
+	// Enforce the same MaxRangeRequestSize limit as the P2P server.
+	case to > from.Height()+1+libhead.MaxRangeRequestSize:
+		return nil, ErrRangeTooLarge
 	}
 
 	log.Infow("getting header range by height", "from", from.Height(), "to", to)
diff --git a/nodebuilder/header/service_test.go b/nodebuilder/header/service_test.go
index 7d1dd16b2..0a148296e 100644
--- a/nodebuilder/header/service_test.go
+++ b/nodebuilder/header/service_test.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func (d *errorSyncer[H]) SyncWait(context.Context) error {
 	return fmt.Errorf("dummy error")
 }
 
-func TestGetRangeByHeight_MaxRangeRequestSize(t *testing.T) {
+func TestGetRangeByHeight_Validation(t *testing.T) {
 	from := &header.ExtendedHeader{
 		RawHeader: header.RawHeader{Height: 100},
 	}
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func TestGetRangeByHeight_MaxRangeRequestSize(t *testing.T) {
 		// request 65 headers: from.Height()+1=101 to 166 exclusive = 65 headers
 		to := from.Height() + 1 + libhead.MaxRangeRequestSize + 1
 		_, err := serv.GetRangeByHeight(context.Background(), from, to)
-		assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "MaxRangeRequestSize")
+		assert.ErrorIs(t, err, ErrRangeTooLarge)
 	})
 
 	t.Run("accepts range at MaxRangeRequestSize", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -62,4 +62,21 @@ func TestGetRangeByHeight_MaxRangeRequestSize(t *testing.T) {
 			serv.GetRangeByHeight(context.Background(), from, to) //nolint:errcheck
 		})
 	})
+
+	t.Run("rejects nil 'from' header", func(t *testing.T) {
+		assert.NotPanics(t, func() {
+			_, err := serv.GetRangeByHeight(context.Background(), nil, 100)
+			assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "'from' header is nil")
+		})
+	})
+
+	t.Run("rejects reversed range", func(t *testing.T) {
+		_, err := serv.GetRangeByHeight(context.Background(), from, from.Height()-1)
+		assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "invalid range")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("rejects empty range", func(t *testing.T) {
+		_, err := serv.GetRangeByHeight(context.Background(), from, from.Height()+1)
+		assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "invalid range")
+	})
 }