diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index 8688381ecf..a17377f6f3 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -1269,8 +1269,8 @@ bool AppInit2(boost::thread_group& threadGroup, CScheduler& scheduler)
 
                 uiInterface.InitMessage(_("Verifying blocks..."));
                 if (fHavePruned && GetArg("-checkblocks", DEFAULT_CHECKBLOCKS) > MIN_BLOCKS_TO_KEEP) {
-                    LogPrintf("Prune: pruned datadir may not have more than %d blocks; -checkblocks=%d may fail\n",
-                        MIN_BLOCKS_TO_KEEP, GetArg("-checkblocks", DEFAULT_CHECKBLOCKS));
+                    LogPrintf("Prune: pruned datadir may not have more than %d blocks; only checking available blocks",
+                        MIN_BLOCKS_TO_KEEP);
                 }
 
                 {
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 9ba90b4ead..33abf39578 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -3871,6 +3871,11 @@ bool CVerifyDB::VerifyDB(const CChainParams& chainparams, CCoinsView *coinsview,
         uiInterface.ShowProgress(_("Verifying blocks..."), std::max(1, std::min(99, (int)(((double)(chainActive.Height() - pindex->nHeight)) / (double)nCheckDepth * (nCheckLevel >= 4 ? 50 : 100)))));
         if (pindex->nHeight < chainActive.Height()-nCheckDepth)
             break;
+        if (fPruneMode && !(pindex->nStatus & BLOCK_HAVE_DATA)) {
+            // If pruning, only go back as far as we have data.
+            LogPrintf("VerifyDB(): block verification stopping at height %d (pruning, no data)\n", pindex->nHeight);
+            break;
+        }
         CBlock block;
         // check level 0: read from disk
         if (!ReadBlockFromDisk(block, pindex, chainparams.GetConsensus()))