diff --git a/ss/pebbledb/db.go b/ss/pebbledb/db.go
index 40ca2fe..7f02a28 100644
--- a/ss/pebbledb/db.go
+++ b/ss/pebbledb/db.go
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ func (db *Database) Has(storeKey string, version int64, key []byte) (bool, error
 	}
 
 	val, err := db.Get(storeKey, version, key)
-	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, errorutils.ErrRecordNotFound) {
+	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
 
@@ -327,11 +327,15 @@ func (db *Database) Has(storeKey string, version int64, key []byte) (bool, error
 
 func (db *Database) Get(storeKey string, targetVersion int64, key []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 	if targetVersion < db.earliestVersion {
-		return nil, errorutils.ErrRecordNotFound
+		return nil, nil
 	}
 
 	prefixedVal, err := getMVCCSlice(db.storage, storeKey, key, targetVersion)
 	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, errorutils.ErrRecordNotFound) {
+			return nil, nil
+		}
+
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to perform PebbleDB read: %w", err)
 	}
 
@@ -358,7 +362,7 @@ func (db *Database) Get(storeKey string, targetVersion int64, key []byte) ([]byt
 	}
 
 	// the value is considered deleted
-	return nil, errorutils.ErrRecordNotFound
+	return nil, nil
 }
 
 func (db *Database) ApplyChangeset(version int64, cs *proto.NamedChangeSet) error {
diff --git a/ss/rocksdb/db.go b/ss/rocksdb/db.go
index 3605476..f171d63 100644
--- a/ss/rocksdb/db.go
+++ b/ss/rocksdb/db.go
@@ -6,13 +6,12 @@ package rocksdb
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/binary"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/linxGnu/grocksdb"
-	errorutils "github.com/sei-protocol/sei-db/common/errors"
+	"github.com/sei-protocol/sei-db/common/errors"
 	"github.com/sei-protocol/sei-db/common/logger"
 	"github.com/sei-protocol/sei-db/common/utils"
 	"github.com/sei-protocol/sei-db/config"
@@ -212,7 +211,7 @@ func (db *Database) Has(storeKey string, version int64, key []byte) (bool, error
 	}
 
 	slice, err := db.getSlice(storeKey, version, key)
-	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, errorutils.ErrRecordNotFound) {
+	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
 
@@ -221,7 +220,7 @@ func (db *Database) Has(storeKey string, version int64, key []byte) (bool, error
 
 func (db *Database) Get(storeKey string, version int64, key []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 	if version < db.earliestVersion {
-		return nil, errorutils.ErrRecordNotFound
+		return nil, nil
 	}
 
 	slice, err := db.getSlice(storeKey, version, key)
@@ -229,11 +228,6 @@ func (db *Database) Get(storeKey string, version int64, key []byte) ([]byte, err
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get RocksDB slice: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	if !slice.Exists() {
-		slice.Free()
-		return nil, errorutils.ErrRecordNotFound
-	}
-
 	return copyAndFreeSlice(slice), nil
 }
 
@@ -330,11 +324,11 @@ func (db *Database) Prune(version int64) error {
 
 func (db *Database) Iterator(storeKey string, version int64, start, end []byte) (types.DBIterator, error) {
 	if (start != nil && len(start) == 0) || (end != nil && len(end) == 0) {
-		return nil, errorutils.ErrKeyEmpty
+		return nil, errors.ErrKeyEmpty
 	}
 
 	if start != nil && end != nil && bytes.Compare(start, end) > 0 {
-		return nil, errorutils.ErrStartAfterEnd
+		return nil, errors.ErrStartAfterEnd
 	}
 
 	prefix := storePrefix(storeKey)
@@ -346,11 +340,11 @@ func (db *Database) Iterator(storeKey string, version int64, start, end []byte)
 
 func (db *Database) ReverseIterator(storeKey string, version int64, start, end []byte) (types.DBIterator, error) {
 	if (start != nil && len(start) == 0) || (end != nil && len(end) == 0) {
-		return nil, errorutils.ErrKeyEmpty
+		return nil, errors.ErrKeyEmpty
 	}
 
 	if start != nil && end != nil && bytes.Compare(start, end) > 0 {
-		return nil, errorutils.ErrStartAfterEnd
+		return nil, errors.ErrStartAfterEnd
 	}
 
 	prefix := storePrefix(storeKey)
diff --git a/ss/sqlite/db.go b/ss/sqlite/db.go
index 54a0e4f..d5278eb 100644
--- a/ss/sqlite/db.go
+++ b/ss/sqlite/db.go
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ func (db *Database) SetEarliestVersion(version int64, ignoreVersion bool) error
 
 func (db *Database) Has(storeKey string, version int64, key []byte) (bool, error) {
 	val, err := db.Get(storeKey, version, key)
-	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, errorutils.ErrRecordNotFound) {
+	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
 
@@ -172,6 +172,10 @@ func (db *Database) Get(storeKey string, targetVersion int64, key []byte) ([]byt
 		tomb  int64
 	)
 	if err := stmt.QueryRow(storeKey, key, targetVersion).Scan(&value, &tomb); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
+			return nil, nil
+		}
+
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to query row: %w", err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/ss/test/storage_test_suite.go b/ss/test/storage_test_suite.go
index 9753286..11ebc1e 100644
--- a/ss/test/storage_test_suite.go
+++ b/ss/test/storage_test_suite.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/cosmos/iavl"
-	errorutils "github.com/sei-protocol/sei-db/common/errors"
 	"github.com/sei-protocol/sei-db/config"
 	"github.com/sei-protocol/sei-db/ss/types"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/suite"
@@ -142,7 +141,7 @@ func (s *StorageTestSuite) TestDatabaseGetVersionedKey() {
 	// all queries after version 15 should return nil
 	for i := int64(15); i <= 17; i++ {
 		bz, err = db.Get(storeKey1, i, key)
-		s.Require().ErrorIs(err, errorutils.ErrRecordNotFound)
+		s.Require().NoError(err)
 		s.Require().Nil(bz)
 
 		ok, err = db.Has(storeKey1, i, key)
@@ -619,11 +618,10 @@ func (s *StorageTestSuite) TestDatabasePrune() {
 			val := fmt.Sprintf("val%03d-%03d", i, v)
 
 			bz, err := db.Get(storeKey1, v, []byte(key))
+			s.Require().NoError(err)
 			if v <= 25 {
-				s.Require().ErrorIs(err, errorutils.ErrRecordNotFound)
 				s.Require().Nil(bz)
 			} else {
-				s.Require().NoError(err)
 				s.Require().Equal([]byte(val), bz)
 			}
 		}
@@ -646,7 +644,7 @@ func (s *StorageTestSuite) TestDatabasePrune() {
 			key := fmt.Sprintf("key%03d", i)
 
 			bz, err := db.Get(storeKey1, v, []byte(key))
-			s.Require().ErrorIs(err, errorutils.ErrRecordNotFound)
+			s.Require().NoError(err)
 			s.Require().Nil(bz)
 		}
 	}
@@ -690,7 +688,7 @@ func (s *StorageTestSuite) TestDatabasePruneKeepRecent() {
 
 	// ensure queries for versions 50 and older return nil
 	bz, err := db.Get(storeKey1, 49, key)
-	s.Require().ErrorIs(err, errorutils.ErrRecordNotFound)
+	s.Require().Nil(err)
 	s.Require().Nil(bz)
 
 	itr, err := db.Iterator(storeKey1, 49, nil, nil)
@@ -738,11 +736,11 @@ func (s *StorageTestSuite) TestDatabasePruneKeepLastVersion() {
 
 		// Verify that all keys before prune height are deleted
 		bz, err := db.Get(storeKey1, 100, []byte("key000"))
-		s.Require().ErrorIs(err, errorutils.ErrRecordNotFound)
+		s.Require().NoError(err)
 		s.Require().Nil(bz)
 
 		bz, err = db.Get(storeKey1, 160, []byte("key001"))
-		s.Require().ErrorIs(err, errorutils.ErrRecordNotFound)
+		s.Require().NoError(err)
 		s.Require().Nil(bz)
 
 		// Verify keys after prune height can be retrieved
@@ -932,7 +930,7 @@ func (s *StorageTestSuite) TestParallelWriteAndPruning() {
 	// check if the data is pruned
 	version := int64(latestVersion - prunePeriod)
 	val, err := db.Get(storeKey1, version, []byte(fmt.Sprintf("key-%d-%03d", version-1, 0)))
-	s.Require().ErrorIs(err, errorutils.ErrRecordNotFound)
+	s.Require().Nil(err)
 	s.Require().Nil(val)
 
 	version = int64(latestVersion)
@@ -1142,11 +1140,10 @@ func (s *StorageTestSuite) TestParallelIterationAndPruning() {
 			val := fmt.Sprintf("val%03d-%03d", i, v)
 
 			bz, err := db.Get(storeKey1, v, []byte(key))
+			s.Require().NoError(err)
 			if v <= int64(latestVersion-numHeightsPruned) {
-				s.Require().ErrorIs(err, errorutils.ErrRecordNotFound)
 				s.Require().Nil(bz)
 			} else {
-				s.Require().NoError(err)
 				s.Require().Equal([]byte(val), bz)
 			}
 		}