diff --git a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/snap/SnapServer.java b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/snap/SnapServer.java
index c2fa186489c..bfccede676d 100644
--- a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/snap/SnapServer.java
+++ b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/snap/SnapServer.java
@@ -519,6 +519,12 @@ MessageData constructGetTrieNodesResponse(final MessageData message) {
                     }
 
                   } else {
+                    // There must be at least one element in the path otherwise it is invalid
+                    if (triePath.isEmpty()) {
+                      LOGGER.debug("returned empty trie nodes message due to invalid path");
+                      return EMPTY_TRIE_NODES_MESSAGE;
+                    }
+
                     // otherwise the first element should be account hash, and subsequent paths
                     // are compact encoded account storage paths
 
diff --git a/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/snap/SnapServerTest.java b/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/snap/SnapServerTest.java
index c15056d66cc..d7d3fc52751 100644
--- a/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/snap/SnapServerTest.java
+++ b/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/snap/SnapServerTest.java
@@ -368,6 +368,18 @@ public void assertAccountTriePathRequest() {
     assertThat(trieNodes.size()).isEqualTo(2);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void assertAccountTrieRequest_invalidEmptyPath() {
+    insertTestAccounts(acct1);
+    var partialPathToAcct1 = Bytes.fromHexString("0x01"); // first nibble is 1
+    var trieNodeRequest =
+        requestTrieNodes(
+            storageTrie.getRootHash(), List.of(List.of(), List.of(partialPathToAcct1)));
+    assertThat(trieNodeRequest).isNotNull();
+    List<Bytes> trieNodes = trieNodeRequest.nodes(false);
+    assertThat(trieNodes.isEmpty()).isTrue();
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void assertAccountTrieLimitRequest() {
     insertTestAccounts(acct1, acct2, acct3, acct4);