diff --git a/src/rpc/rawtransaction.cpp b/src/rpc/rawtransaction.cpp
index f2ad8e317dde6..a558f248ece95 100644
--- a/src/rpc/rawtransaction.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/rawtransaction.cpp
@@ -179,6 +179,11 @@ UniValue getrawtransaction(const JSONRPCRequest& request)
 
     uint256 hash = ParseHashV(request.params[0], "parameter 1");
 
+    if (hash == Params().GenesisBlock().hashMerkleRoot) {
+        // Special exception for the genesis block coinbase transaction
+        throw JSONRPCError(RPC_INVALID_ADDRESS_OR_KEY, "The genesis block coinbase is not considered an ordinary transaction and cannot be retrieved");
+    }
+
     // Accept either a bool (true) or a num (>=1) to indicate verbose output.
     bool fVerbose = false;
     if (!request.params[1].isNull()) {
diff --git a/test/functional/rawtransactions.py b/test/functional/rawtransactions.py
index f989f77ac437f..9b11907ea73bf 100755
--- a/test/functional/rawtransactions.py
+++ b/test/functional/rawtransactions.py
@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@ def run_test(self):
         self.nodes[0].generate(5)
         self.sync_all()
 
+        # Test getrawtransaction on genesis block coinbase returns an error
+        block = self.nodes[0].getblock(self.nodes[0].getblockhash(0))
+        assert_raises_rpc_error(-5, "The genesis block coinbase is not considered an ordinary transaction", self.nodes[0].getrawtransaction, block['merkleroot'])
+
         # Test `createrawtransaction` required parameters
         assert_raises_rpc_error(-1, "createrawtransaction", self.nodes[0].createrawtransaction)
         assert_raises_rpc_error(-1, "createrawtransaction", self.nodes[0].createrawtransaction, [])