diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8c82a904be7..c8a285d99a4 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@
 - Deprecation warning for Ropsten, Rinkeby, Kiln [#4173](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4173)
 
 ### Bug Fixes
-
+- Stop producing stack traces when a get headers response only contains the range start header [#4189](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4189)
 
 ## 22.7.0-RC3
-Known/Outstanding issues:
-Besu requires a restart post-merge to re-enable remote transaction processing [#3890](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/issues/3890)
 
+### Known/Outstanding issues:
+- Besu requires a restart post-merge to re-enable remote transaction processing [#3890](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/issues/3890)
 
 ### Additions and Improvements
 - Engine API: Change expiration time for JWT tokens to 60s [#4168](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/4168)
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ Besu requires a restart post-merge to re-enable remote transaction processing [#
 - https://hyperledger.jfrog.io/artifactory/besu-binaries/besu/22.7.0-RC3/besu-22.7.0-RC3.tar.gz / sha256: `6a1ee89c82db9fa782d34733d8a8c726670378bcb71befe013da48d7928490a6`
 - https://hyperledger.jfrog.io/artifactory/besu-binaries/besu/22.7.0-RC3/besu-22.7.0-RC3.zip / sha256: `5de22445ab2a270cf33e1850cd28f1946442b7104738f0d1ac253a009c53414e`
 
-
 ## 22.7.0-RC2
 
 ### Additions and Improvements
diff --git a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/sync/range/RangeHeaders.java b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/sync/range/RangeHeaders.java
index 250104cac59..bff5ceeffac 100644
--- a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/sync/range/RangeHeaders.java
+++ b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/sync/range/RangeHeaders.java
@@ -14,29 +14,21 @@
  */
 package org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.eth.sync.range;
 
-import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkArgument;
-
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.core.BlockHeader;
 
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 import com.google.common.base.MoreObjects;
-import org.slf4j.Logger;
-import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 public class RangeHeaders {
-  private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(RangeHeaders.class);
 
   private final SyncTargetRange range;
   private final List<BlockHeader> headersToImport;
 
   public RangeHeaders(
       final SyncTargetRange checkpointRange, final List<BlockHeader> headersToImport) {
-    if (headersToImport.isEmpty()) {
-      LOG.debug(String.format("Headers list empty. Range: %s", checkpointRange.toString()));
-    }
-    checkArgument(!headersToImport.isEmpty(), "Must have at least one header to import");
     this.range = checkpointRange;
     this.headersToImport = headersToImport;
   }
@@ -49,8 +41,8 @@ public List<BlockHeader> getHeadersToImport() {
     return headersToImport;
   }
 
-  public BlockHeader getFirstHeaderToImport() {
-    return headersToImport.get(0);
+  public Optional<BlockHeader> getFirstHeaderToImport() {
+    return headersToImport.size() > 0 ? Optional.of(headersToImport.get(0)) : Optional.empty();
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/sync/range/RangeHeadersValidationStep.java b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/sync/range/RangeHeadersValidationStep.java
index 0ed34491737..79ed3c53108 100644
--- a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/sync/range/RangeHeadersValidationStep.java
+++ b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/sync/range/RangeHeadersValidationStep.java
@@ -43,30 +43,35 @@ public RangeHeadersValidationStep(
   @Override
   public Stream<BlockHeader> apply(final RangeHeaders rangeHeaders) {
     final BlockHeader rangeStart = rangeHeaders.getRange().getStart();
-    final BlockHeader firstHeaderToImport = rangeHeaders.getFirstHeaderToImport();
 
-    if (isValid(rangeStart, firstHeaderToImport)) {
-      return rangeHeaders.getHeadersToImport().stream();
-    } else {
-      final String rangeEndDescription;
-      if (rangeHeaders.getRange().hasEnd()) {
-        final BlockHeader rangeEnd = rangeHeaders.getRange().getEnd();
-        rangeEndDescription =
-            String.format("#%d (%s)", rangeEnd.getNumber(), rangeEnd.getBlockHash());
-      } else {
-        rangeEndDescription = "chain head";
-      }
-      final String errorMessage =
-          String.format(
-              "Invalid range headers.  Headers downloaded between #%d (%s) and %s do not connect at #%d (%s)",
-              rangeStart.getNumber(),
-              rangeStart.getHash(),
-              rangeEndDescription,
-              firstHeaderToImport.getNumber(),
-              firstHeaderToImport.getHash());
-      throw new InvalidBlockException(
-          errorMessage, firstHeaderToImport.getNumber(), firstHeaderToImport.getHash());
-    }
+    return rangeHeaders
+        .getFirstHeaderToImport()
+        .map(
+            firstHeader -> {
+              if (isValid(rangeStart, firstHeader)) {
+                return rangeHeaders.getHeadersToImport().stream();
+              } else {
+                final String rangeEndDescription;
+                if (rangeHeaders.getRange().hasEnd()) {
+                  final BlockHeader rangeEnd = rangeHeaders.getRange().getEnd();
+                  rangeEndDescription =
+                      String.format("#%d (%s)", rangeEnd.getNumber(), rangeEnd.getBlockHash());
+                } else {
+                  rangeEndDescription = "chain head";
+                }
+                final String errorMessage =
+                    String.format(
+                        "Invalid range headers.  Headers downloaded between #%d (%s) and %s do not connect at #%d (%s)",
+                        rangeStart.getNumber(),
+                        rangeStart.getHash(),
+                        rangeEndDescription,
+                        firstHeader.getNumber(),
+                        firstHeader.getHash());
+                throw new InvalidBlockException(
+                    errorMessage, firstHeader.getNumber(), firstHeader.getHash());
+              }
+            })
+        .orElse(Stream.empty());
   }
 
   private boolean isValid(final BlockHeader expectedParent, final BlockHeader firstHeaderToImport) {
diff --git a/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/sync/RangeHeadersValidationStepTest.java b/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/sync/RangeHeadersValidationStepTest.java
index 89b5930c29f..478adbfdc62 100644
--- a/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/sync/RangeHeadersValidationStepTest.java
+++ b/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/sync/RangeHeadersValidationStepTest.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.mainnet.ProtocolSchedule;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.mainnet.ProtocolSpec;
 
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
 import org.junit.Before;
@@ -107,4 +108,21 @@ public void shouldThrowExceptionWhenValidationFails() {
                 + firstHeader.getHash()
                 + ")");
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void acceptResponseWithNoHeaders() {
+    var emptyRangeHeaders =
+        new RangeHeaders(new SyncTargetRange(syncTarget, rangeStart, rangeEnd), List.of());
+
+    final Stream<BlockHeader> result = validationStep.apply(emptyRangeHeaders);
+    assertThat(result).isEmpty();
+
+    verifyNoMoreInteractions(
+        protocolSchedule,
+        protocolSpec,
+        protocolContext,
+        headerValidator,
+        validationPolicy,
+        syncTarget);
+  }
 }