diff --git a/src/rpc/rawtransaction.cpp b/src/rpc/rawtransaction.cpp
--- a/src/rpc/rawtransaction.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/rawtransaction.cpp
@@ -167,6 +167,13 @@
     TxId txid = TxId(ParseHashV(request.params[0], "parameter 1"));
     CBlockIndex *blockindex = nullptr;
 
+    if (txid == config.GetChainParams().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/rpc_rawtransaction.py b/test/functional/rpc_rawtransaction.py
--- a/test/functional/rpc_rawtransaction.py
+++ b/test/functional/rpc_rawtransaction.py
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@
         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'])
+
         #
         # sendrawtransaction with missing input #
         #