diff --git a/backend/src/api/blocks.ts b/backend/src/api/blocks.ts
index 472ef48ef..8292fe241 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/blocks.ts
+++ b/backend/src/api/blocks.ts
@@ -101,12 +101,23 @@ class Blocks {
           transactions.push(tx);
           transactionsFetched++;
         } catch (e) {
-          if (i === 0) {
-            const msg = `Cannot fetch coinbase tx ${txIds[i]}. Reason: ` + (e instanceof Error ? e.message : e); 
-            logger.err(msg);
-            throw new Error(msg);
-          } else {
-            logger.err(`Cannot fetch tx ${txIds[i]}. Reason: ` + (e instanceof Error ? e.message : e));
+          try {
+            if (config.MEMPOOL.BACKEND === 'esplora') {
+              // Try again with core
+              const tx = await transactionUtils.$getTransactionExtended(txIds[i], false, false, true);
+              transactions.push(tx);
+              transactionsFetched++;
+            } else {
+              throw e;
+            }
+          } catch (e) {
+            if (i === 0) {
+              const msg = `Cannot fetch coinbase tx ${txIds[i]}. Reason: ` + (e instanceof Error ? e.message : e); 
+              logger.err(msg);
+              throw new Error(msg);
+            } else {
+              logger.err(`Cannot fetch tx ${txIds[i]}. Reason: ` + (e instanceof Error ? e.message : e));
+            }
           }
         }
       }
diff --git a/backend/src/api/transaction-utils.ts b/backend/src/api/transaction-utils.ts
index 5b92cea5f..5da168584 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/transaction-utils.ts
+++ b/backend/src/api/transaction-utils.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { TransactionExtended, TransactionMinerInfo } from '../mempool.interfaces
 import { IEsploraApi } from './bitcoin/esplora-api.interface';
 import config from '../config';
 import { Common } from './common';
+import bitcoinClient from './bitcoin/bitcoin-client';
 
 class TransactionUtils {
   constructor() { }
@@ -21,8 +22,19 @@ class TransactionUtils {
     };
   }
 
-  public async $getTransactionExtended(txId: string, addPrevouts = false, lazyPrevouts = false): Promise<TransactionExtended> {
-    const transaction: IEsploraApi.Transaction = await bitcoinApi.$getRawTransaction(txId, false, addPrevouts, lazyPrevouts);
+  /**
+   * @param txId 
+   * @param addPrevouts 
+   * @param lazyPrevouts 
+   * @param forceCore - See https://github.com/mempool/mempool/issues/2904
+   */
+  public async $getTransactionExtended(txId: string, addPrevouts = false, lazyPrevouts = false, forceCore = false): Promise<TransactionExtended> {
+    let transaction: IEsploraApi.Transaction;
+    if (forceCore === true) {
+      transaction  = await bitcoinClient.$getRawTransaction(txId, true);
+    } else {
+      transaction  = await bitcoinApi.$getRawTransaction(txId, false, addPrevouts, lazyPrevouts);
+    }
     return this.extendTransaction(transaction);
   }