diff --git a/src/rest.cpp b/src/rest.cpp
--- a/src/rest.cpp
+++ b/src/rest.cpp
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@
 
     CTransactionRef tx;
     uint256 hashBlock = uint256();
-    if (!GetTransaction(config, hash, tx, hashBlock, true)) {
+    if (!GetTransaction(config, hash, tx, hashBlock)) {
         return RESTERR(req, HTTP_NOT_FOUND, hashStr + " not found");
     }
 
diff --git a/src/rpc/rawtransaction.cpp b/src/rpc/rawtransaction.cpp
--- a/src/rpc/rawtransaction.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/rawtransaction.cpp
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@
 
     CTransactionRef tx;
     uint256 hashBlock;
-    if (!GetTransaction(config, hash, tx, hashBlock, true)) {
+    if (!GetTransaction(config, hash, tx, hashBlock)) {
         throw JSONRPCError(
             RPC_INVALID_ADDRESS_OR_KEY,
             std::string(fTxIndex ? "No such mempool or blockchain transaction"
@@ -261,14 +261,11 @@
             "gettxoutproof [\"txid\",...] ( blockhash )\n"
             "\nReturns a hex-encoded proof that \"txid\" was included in a "
             "block.\n"
-            "\nNOTE: By default this function only works sometimes. This is "
-            "when there is an\n"
-            "unspent output in the utxo for this transaction. To make it "
-            "always work,\n"
-            "you need to maintain a transaction index, using the -txindex "
-            "command line option or\n"
-            "specify the block in which the transaction is included manually "
-            "(by blockhash).\n"
+            "\nNOTE: This function only works if a transaction index is "
+            "maintained using the\n"
+            "-txindex command line option or by specifying the block in "
+            "which the transaction\n"
+            "is included manually (by blockhash).\n"
             "\nArguments:\n"
             "1. \"txids\"       (string) A json array of txids to filter\n"
             "    [\n"
@@ -314,17 +311,17 @@
         if (!mapBlockIndex.count(hashBlock))
             throw JSONRPCError(RPC_INVALID_ADDRESS_OR_KEY, "Block not found");
         pblockindex = mapBlockIndex[hashBlock];
-    } else {
-        const Coin &coin = AccessByTxid(*pcoinsTip, oneTxid);
-        if (!coin.IsSpent() && coin.GetHeight() > 0 &&
-            int64_t(coin.GetHeight()) <= chainActive.Height()) {
-            pblockindex = chainActive[coin.GetHeight()];
-        }
     }
 
     if (pblockindex == nullptr) {
+
+        if (!fTxIndex) {
+            throw JSONRPCError(RPC_INVALID_PARAMETER,
+                               "Missing blockhash parameter.");
+        }
+
         CTransactionRef tx;
-        if (!GetTransaction(config, oneTxid, tx, hashBlock, false) ||
+        if (!GetTransaction(config, oneTxid, tx, hashBlock) ||
             hashBlock.IsNull()) {
             throw JSONRPCError(RPC_INVALID_ADDRESS_OR_KEY,
                                "Transaction not yet in block");
diff --git a/src/validation.h b/src/validation.h
--- a/src/validation.h
+++ b/src/validation.h
@@ -316,8 +316,7 @@
 std::string GetWarnings(const std::string &strFor);
 /** Retrieve a transaction (from memory pool, or from disk, if possible) */
 bool GetTransaction(const Config &config, const uint256 &hash,
-                    CTransactionRef &tx, uint256 &hashBlock,
-                    bool fAllowSlow = false);
+                    CTransactionRef &tx, uint256 &hashBlock);
 /** Find the best known block, and make it the tip of the block chain */
 bool ActivateBestChain(
     const Config &config, CValidationState &state,
diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -1034,9 +1034,7 @@
 /** Return transaction in txOut, and if it was found inside a block, its hash is
  * placed in hashBlock */
 bool GetTransaction(const Config &config, const uint256 &txid,
-                    CTransactionRef &txOut, uint256 &hashBlock,
-                    bool fAllowSlow) {
-    CBlockIndex *pindexSlow = nullptr;
+                    CTransactionRef &txOut, uint256 &hashBlock) {
 
     LOCK(cs_main);
 
@@ -1069,29 +1067,6 @@
         }
     }
 
-    // use coin database to locate block that contains transaction, and scan it
-    if (fAllowSlow) {
-        const Coin &coin = AccessByTxid(*pcoinsTip, txid);
-        if (!coin.IsSpent()) {
-            pindexSlow = chainActive[coin.GetHeight()];
-        }
-    }
-
-    if (pindexSlow) {
-        auto &params = config.GetChainParams().GetConsensus();
-
-        CBlock block;
-        if (ReadBlockFromDisk(block, pindexSlow, params)) {
-            for (const auto &tx : block.vtx) {
-                if (tx->GetId() == txid) {
-                    txOut = tx;
-                    hashBlock = pindexSlow->GetBlockHash();
-                    return true;
-                }
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
     return false;
 }