diff --git a/backend/src/api/bitcoin/bitcoin.routes.ts b/backend/src/api/bitcoin/bitcoin.routes.ts
index fafcfdbcd..237a7caec 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/bitcoin/bitcoin.routes.ts
+++ b/backend/src/api/bitcoin/bitcoin.routes.ts
@@ -664,6 +664,10 @@ class BitcoinRoutes {
       const addressData = await bitcoinApi.$getAddress(req.params.address);
       res.json(addressData);
     } catch (e) {
+      if (e instanceof Error && e.message === 'Invalid Bitcoin address') {
+        res.status(400).send(e.message);
+        return;
+      }
       if (e instanceof Error && e.message && (e.message.indexOf('too long') > 0 || e.message.indexOf('confirmed status') > 0)) {
         handleError(req, res, 413, e.message);
         return;
@@ -690,6 +694,10 @@ class BitcoinRoutes {
       const transactions = await bitcoinApi.$getAddressTransactions(req.params.address, lastTxId);
       res.json(transactions);
     } catch (e) {
+      if (e instanceof Error && e.message === 'Invalid Bitcoin address') {
+        res.status(400).send(e.message);
+        return;
+      }
       if (e instanceof Error && e.message && (e.message.indexOf('too long') > 0 || e.message.indexOf('confirmed status') > 0)) {
         handleError(req, res, 413, e.message);
         return;
@@ -712,6 +720,10 @@ class BitcoinRoutes {
       const addressData = await bitcoinApi.$getAddressUtxos(req.params.address);
       res.json(addressData);
     } catch (e) {
+      if (e instanceof Error && e.message === 'Invalid Bitcoin address') {
+        res.status(400).send(e.message);
+        return;
+      }
       if (e instanceof Error && e.message && (e.message.indexOf('too long') > 0 || e.message.indexOf('confirmed status') > 0)) {
         handleError(req, res, 413, e.message);
         return;
diff --git a/backend/src/api/bitcoin/electrum-api.ts b/backend/src/api/bitcoin/electrum-api.ts
index aa9765420..bf9a28c5d 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/bitcoin/electrum-api.ts
+++ b/backend/src/api/bitcoin/electrum-api.ts
@@ -44,23 +44,7 @@ class BitcoindElectrsApi extends BitcoinApi implements AbstractBitcoinApi {
   async $getAddress(address: string): Promise<IEsploraApi.Address> {
     const addressInfo = await this.bitcoindClient.validateAddress(address);
     if (!addressInfo || !addressInfo.isvalid) {
-      return ({
-        'address': address,
-        'chain_stats': {
-          'funded_txo_count': 0,
-          'funded_txo_sum': 0,
-          'spent_txo_count': 0,
-          'spent_txo_sum': 0,
-          'tx_count': 0
-        },
-        'mempool_stats': {
-          'funded_txo_count': 0,
-          'funded_txo_sum': 0,
-          'spent_txo_count': 0,
-          'spent_txo_sum': 0,
-          'tx_count': 0
-        }
-      });
+      throw new Error('Invalid Bitcoin address');
     }
 
     try {
@@ -96,7 +80,7 @@ class BitcoindElectrsApi extends BitcoinApi implements AbstractBitcoinApi {
   async $getAddressTransactions(address: string, lastSeenTxId: string): Promise<IEsploraApi.Transaction[]> {
     const addressInfo = await this.bitcoindClient.validateAddress(address);
     if (!addressInfo || !addressInfo.isvalid) {
-      return [];
+      throw new Error('Invalid Bitcoin address');
     }
 
     try {
@@ -166,7 +150,7 @@ class BitcoindElectrsApi extends BitcoinApi implements AbstractBitcoinApi {
   async $getAddressUtxos(address: string): Promise<IEsploraApi.UTXO[]> {
     const addressInfo = await this.bitcoindClient.validateAddress(address);
     if (!addressInfo || !addressInfo.isvalid) {
-      return [];
+      throw new Error('Invalid Bitcoin address');
     }
     const scripthash = this.encodeScriptHash(addressInfo.scriptPubKey);
     return this.$getScriptHashUtxos(scripthash);
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/components/address/address.component.html b/frontend/src/app/components/address/address.component.html
index b0d4c73da..0a2b0e2ed 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/components/address/address.component.html
+++ b/frontend/src/app/components/address/address.component.html
@@ -249,11 +249,6 @@
           <br><br>
           Consider viewing this address on the official Mempool website instead:
         </ng-container>
-        } @else if (!officialMempoolSpace) {
-          <br>
-          Consider viewing this address on the official Mempool website instead:
-        }
-        @if (!officialMempoolSpace) {
           <br>
           <a href="https://mempool.space/address/{{ addressString }}" target="_blank">https://mempool.space/address/{{ addressString }}</a>
           <br>