diff --git a/pkg/network/payload/getblockbyindex.go b/pkg/network/payload/getblockbyindex.go
index 450dd4503..a4e59db1d 100644
--- a/pkg/network/payload/getblockbyindex.go
+++ b/pkg/network/payload/getblockbyindex.go
@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@ import (
 // GetBlockByIndex payload
 type GetBlockByIndex struct {
 	IndexStart uint32
-	Count      uint16
+	Count      int16
 }
 
 // NewGetBlockByIndex returns GetBlockByIndex payload with specified start index and count
-func NewGetBlockByIndex(indexStart uint32, count uint16) *GetBlockByIndex {
+func NewGetBlockByIndex(indexStart uint32, count int16) *GetBlockByIndex {
 	return &GetBlockByIndex{
 		IndexStart: indexStart,
 		Count:      count,
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ func NewGetBlockByIndex(indexStart uint32, count uint16) *GetBlockByIndex {
 // DecodeBinary implements Serializable interface.
 func (d *GetBlockByIndex) DecodeBinary(br *io.BinReader) {
 	d.IndexStart = br.ReadU32LE()
-	d.Count = br.ReadU16LE()
-	if d.Count == 0 || d.Count > MaxHeadersAllowed {
+	d.Count = int16(br.ReadU16LE())
+	if d.Count < -1 || d.Count == 0 || d.Count > MaxHeadersAllowed {
 		br.Err = errors.New("invalid block count")
 	}
 }
@@ -32,5 +32,5 @@ func (d *GetBlockByIndex) DecodeBinary(br *io.BinReader) {
 // EncodeBinary implements Serializable interface.
 func (d *GetBlockByIndex) EncodeBinary(bw *io.BinWriter) {
 	bw.WriteU32LE(d.IndexStart)
-	bw.WriteU16LE(d.Count)
+	bw.WriteU16LE(uint16(d.Count))
 }
diff --git a/pkg/network/server.go b/pkg/network/server.go
index 874642588..6df448d27 100644
--- a/pkg/network/server.go
+++ b/pkg/network/server.go
@@ -611,7 +611,11 @@ func (s *Server) handleGetBlocksCmd(p Peer, gb *payload.GetBlocks) error {
 
 // handleGetBlockByIndexCmd processes the getblockbyindex request.
 func (s *Server) handleGetBlockByIndexCmd(p Peer, gbd *payload.GetBlockByIndex) error {
-	for i := gbd.IndexStart; i < gbd.IndexStart+uint32(gbd.Count); i++ {
+	count := gbd.Count
+	if gbd.Count < 0 || gbd.Count > payload.MaxHashesCount {
+		count = payload.MaxHashesCount
+	}
+	for i := gbd.IndexStart; i < gbd.IndexStart+uint32(count); i++ {
 		b, err := s.chain.GetBlock(s.chain.GetHeaderHash(int(i)))
 		if err != nil {
 			return err