diff --git a/beacon/engine/errors.go b/beacon/engine/errors.go
index fe1137e0041d..769001b9e3d7 100644
--- a/beacon/engine/errors.go
+++ b/beacon/engine/errors.go
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ var (
 	UnknownPayload           = &EngineAPIError{code: -38001, msg: "Unknown payload"}
 	InvalidForkChoiceState   = &EngineAPIError{code: -38002, msg: "Invalid forkchoice state"}
 	InvalidPayloadAttributes = &EngineAPIError{code: -38003, msg: "Invalid payload attributes"}
+	TooLargeRequest          = &EngineAPIError{code: -38004, msg: "Too large request"}
 	InvalidParams            = &EngineAPIError{code: -32602, msg: "Invalid parameters"}
 
 	STATUS_INVALID         = ForkChoiceResponse{PayloadStatus: PayloadStatusV1{Status: INVALID}, PayloadID: nil}
diff --git a/eth/catalyst/api.go b/eth/catalyst/api.go
index cee9b2c508cc..95eed408f031 100644
--- a/eth/catalyst/api.go
+++ b/eth/catalyst/api.go
@@ -785,9 +785,12 @@ func (api *ConsensusAPI) GetPayloadBodiesByHashV1(hashes []common.Hash) []*engin
 // GetPayloadBodiesByRangeV1 implements engine_getPayloadBodiesByRangeV1 which allows for retrieval of a range
 // of block bodies by the engine api.
 func (api *ConsensusAPI) GetPayloadBodiesByRangeV1(start, count hexutil.Uint64) ([]*engine.ExecutionPayloadBodyV1, error) {
-	if start == 0 || count == 0 || count > 1024 {
+	if start == 0 || count == 0 {
 		return nil, engine.InvalidParams.With(fmt.Errorf("invalid start or count, start: %v count: %v", start, count))
 	}
+	if count > 1024 {
+		return nil, engine.TooLargeRequest.With(fmt.Errorf("requested count too large: %v", count))
+	}
 	// limit count up until current
 	current := api.eth.BlockChain().CurrentBlock().NumberU64()
 	last := uint64(start) + uint64(count) - 1
diff --git a/eth/catalyst/api_test.go b/eth/catalyst/api_test.go
index 7155fb54d038..4dc0c0ea7ea9 100644
--- a/eth/catalyst/api_test.go
+++ b/eth/catalyst/api_test.go
@@ -1383,37 +1383,43 @@ func TestGetBlockBodiesByRangeInvalidParams(t *testing.T) {
 	node, eth, _ := setupBodies(t)
 	api := NewConsensusAPI(eth)
 	defer node.Close()
-
 	tests := []struct {
 		start hexutil.Uint64
 		count hexutil.Uint64
+		want  *engine.EngineAPIError
 	}{
 		// Genesis
 		{
 			start: 0,
 			count: 1,
+			want:  engine.InvalidParams,
 		},
 		// No block requested
 		{
 			start: 1,
 			count: 0,
+			want:  engine.InvalidParams,
 		},
 		// Genesis & no block
 		{
 			start: 0,
 			count: 0,
+			want:  engine.InvalidParams,
 		},
 		// More than 1024 blocks
 		{
 			start: 1,
 			count: 1025,
+			want:  engine.TooLargeRequest,
 		},
 	}
-
-	for _, test := range tests {
-		result, err := api.GetPayloadBodiesByRangeV1(test.start, test.count)
+	for i, tc := range tests {
+		result, err := api.GetPayloadBodiesByRangeV1(tc.start, tc.count)
 		if err == nil {
-			t.Fatalf("expected error, got %v", result)
+			t.Fatalf("test %d: expected error, got %v", i, result)
+		}
+		if have, want := err.Error(), tc.want.Error(); have != want {
+			t.Fatalf("test %d: have %s, want %s", i, have, want)
 		}
 	}
 }