diff --git a/backend/src/api/common.ts b/backend/src/api/common.ts
index c1c998fb8..1d3b68541 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/common.ts
+++ b/backend/src/api/common.ts
@@ -460,11 +460,10 @@ export class Common {
           case 'v0_p2wpkh': flags |= TransactionFlags.p2wpkh; break;
           case 'v0_p2wsh': flags |= TransactionFlags.p2wsh; break;
           case 'v1_p2tr': {
-            if (!vin.witness?.length) {
-              throw new Error('Taproot input missing witness data');
-            }
             flags |= TransactionFlags.p2tr;
-            flags = Common.isInscription(vin, flags);
+            if (vin.witness?.length) {
+              flags = Common.isInscription(vin, flags);
+            }
           } break;
         }
       } else {
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/bitcoin.utils.ts b/frontend/src/app/bitcoin.utils.ts
index 9d9091842..92d3de7f3 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/bitcoin.utils.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/bitcoin.utils.ts
@@ -71,19 +71,24 @@ export function calcSegwitFeeGains(tx: Transaction) {
     }
 
     if (isP2tr) {
-      if (vin.witness.length === 1) {
-        // key path spend
-        // we don't know if this was a multisig or single sig (the goal of taproot :)),
-        // so calculate fee savings by comparing to the cheapest single sig input type: P2WPKH and say "saved at least ...%"
-        // the witness size of P2WPKH is 1 (stack size) + 1 (size) + 72 (low s signature) + 1 (size) + 33 (pubkey) = 108 WU
-        // the witness size of key path P2TR is 1 (stack size) + 1 (size) + 64 (signature) = 66 WU
-        realizedTaprootGains += 42;
-      } else {
-        // script path spend
-        // complex scripts with multiple spending paths can often be made around 2x to 3x smaller with the Taproot script tree
-        // because only the hash of the alternative spending path has the be in the witness data, not the entire script,
-        // but only assumptions can be made because the scripts themselves are unknown (again, the goal of taproot :))
-        // TODO maybe add some complex scripts that are specified somewhere, so that size is known, such as lightning scripts
+      // every valid taproot input has at least one witness item, however transactions
+      // created before taproot activation don't need to have any witness data
+      // (see https://mempool.space/tx/b10c007c60e14f9d087e0291d4d0c7869697c6681d979c6639dbd960792b4d41)
+      if (vin.witness?.length) {
+        if (vin.witness.length === 1) {
+          // key path spend
+          // we don't know if this was a multisig or single sig (the goal of taproot :)),
+          // so calculate fee savings by comparing to the cheapest single sig input type: P2WPKH and say "saved at least ...%"
+          // the witness size of P2WPKH is 1 (stack size) + 1 (size) + 72 (low s signature) + 1 (size) + 33 (pubkey) = 108 WU
+          // the witness size of key path P2TR is 1 (stack size) + 1 (size) + 64 (signature) = 66 WU
+          realizedTaprootGains += 42;
+        } else {
+          // script path spend
+          // complex scripts with multiple spending paths can often be made around 2x to 3x smaller with the Taproot script tree
+          // because only the hash of the alternative spending path has the be in the witness data, not the entire script,
+          // but only assumptions can be made because the scripts themselves are unknown (again, the goal of taproot :))
+          // TODO maybe add some complex scripts that are specified somewhere, so that size is known, such as lightning scripts
+        }
       }
     } else {
       const script = isP2shP2Wsh || isP2wsh ? vin.inner_witnessscript_asm : vin.inner_redeemscript_asm;
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/shared/transaction.utils.ts b/frontend/src/app/shared/transaction.utils.ts
index 6803ef489..9d9cd801b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/shared/transaction.utils.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/shared/transaction.utils.ts
@@ -335,19 +335,21 @@ export function getTransactionFlags(tx: Transaction, cpfpInfo?: CpfpInfo, replac
       case 'v0_p2wpkh': flags |= TransactionFlags.p2wpkh; break;
       case 'v0_p2wsh': flags |= TransactionFlags.p2wsh; break;
       case 'v1_p2tr': {
-        if (!vin.witness?.length) {
-          throw new Error('Taproot input missing witness data');
-        }
         flags |= TransactionFlags.p2tr;
-        // in taproot, if the last witness item begins with 0x50, it's an annex
-        const hasAnnex = vin.witness?.[vin.witness.length - 1].startsWith('50');
-        // script spends have more than one witness item, not counting the annex (if present)
-        if (vin.witness.length > (hasAnnex ? 2 : 1)) {
-          // the script itself is the second-to-last witness item, not counting the annex
-          const asm = vin.inner_witnessscript_asm;
-          // inscriptions smuggle data within an 'OP_0 OP_IF ... OP_ENDIF' envelope
-          if (asm?.includes('OP_0 OP_IF')) {
-            flags |= TransactionFlags.inscription;
+        // every valid taproot input has at least one witness item, however transactions
+        // created before taproot activation don't need to have any witness data
+        // (see https://mempool.space/tx/b10c007c60e14f9d087e0291d4d0c7869697c6681d979c6639dbd960792b4d41)
+        if (vin.witness?.length) {
+          // in taproot, if the last witness item begins with 0x50, it's an annex
+          const hasAnnex = vin.witness?.[vin.witness.length - 1].startsWith('50');
+          // script spends have more than one witness item, not counting the annex (if present)
+          if (vin.witness.length > (hasAnnex ? 2 : 1)) {
+            // the script itself is the second-to-last witness item, not counting the annex
+            const asm = vin.inner_witnessscript_asm;
+            // inscriptions smuggle data within an 'OP_0 OP_IF ... OP_ENDIF' envelope
+            if (asm?.includes('OP_0 OP_IF')) {
+              flags |= TransactionFlags.inscription;
+            }
           }
         }
       } break;