diff --git a/web3/_utils/module_testing/eth_module.py b/web3/_utils/module_testing/eth_module.py
index 6062c9ccf2..561621b7ce 100644
--- a/web3/_utils/module_testing/eth_module.py
+++ b/web3/_utils/module_testing/eth_module.py
@@ -485,8 +485,8 @@ def test_eth_getBlockByHash(self, web3, empty_block):
         assert block['hash'] == empty_block['hash']
 
     def test_eth_getBlockByHash_not_found(self, web3, empty_block):
-        block = web3.eth.getBlock(UNKNOWN_HASH)
-        assert block is None
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+            web3.eth.getBlock(UNKNOWN_HASH)
 
     def test_eth_getBlockByNumber_with_integer(self, web3, empty_block):
         block = web3.eth.getBlock(empty_block['number'])
@@ -498,8 +498,8 @@ def test_eth_getBlockByNumber_latest(self, web3, empty_block):
         assert block['number'] == current_block_number
 
     def test_eth_getBlockByNumber_not_found(self, web3, empty_block):
-        block = web3.eth.getBlock(12345)
-        assert block is None
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+            web3.eth.getBlock(12345)
 
     def test_eth_getBlockByNumber_pending(self, web3, empty_block):
         current_block_number = web3.eth.blockNumber
diff --git a/web3/eth.py b/web3/eth.py
index dfd377eead..2ef0d4fc2c 100644
--- a/web3/eth.py
+++ b/web3/eth.py
@@ -142,10 +142,13 @@ def getBlock(self, block_identifier, full_transactions=False):
             if_number='eth_getBlockByNumber',
         )
 
-        return self.web3.manager.request_blocking(
+        result = self.web3.manager.request_blocking(
             method,
             [block_identifier, full_transactions],
         )
+        if result:
+            return result
+        raise ValueError(f"The call to {method} did not return a value.")
 
     def getBlockTransactionCount(self, block_identifier):
         """
@@ -196,10 +199,13 @@ def getUncleByBlock(self, block_identifier, uncle_index):
         )
 
     def getTransaction(self, transaction_hash):
-        return self.web3.manager.request_blocking(
+        result = self.web3.manager.request_blocking(
             "eth_getTransactionByHash",
             [transaction_hash],
         )
+        if result:
+            return result
+        raise ValueError("The call to eth_getTransactionByHash did not return a value.")
 
     @deprecated_for("w3.eth.getTransactionByBlock")
     def getTransactionFromBlock(self, block_identifier, transaction_index):