diff --git a/src/ui/windows/explorer_tab.cpp b/src/ui/windows/explorer_tab.cpp
index b9508c2..758c151 100644
--- a/src/ui/windows/explorer_tab.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/windows/explorer_tab.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <atomic>
 #include <map>
 #include <set>
+#include <chrono>
 
 namespace dragonx {
 namespace ui {
@@ -73,6 +74,10 @@ static std::string s_fuzzy_query_cached;
 static std::vector<BlockSummary> s_fuzzy_results;
 static constexpr int kMaxFuzzyResults = 100;
 static std::atomic<int> s_pending_block_fetches{0};
+// Backoff for failing recent-block fetches (main thread only): consecutive failed fetches double the
+// wait (2s..60s) before any new fetch is scheduled, so a failing height is not refetched every frame.
+static int s_block_fetch_failures = 0;
+static std::chrono::steady_clock::time_point s_block_fetch_retry_after{};
 static bool s_recent_disk_cache_validation_pending = false;
 
 // Block detail modal
@@ -277,6 +282,7 @@ static bool fetchRecentBlock(App* app, int height) {
     auto* rpc = app->rpc();
     if (height < 1 || !worker || !rpc) return false;
     if (s_pending_block_heights.find(height) != s_pending_block_heights.end()) return false;
+    if (std::chrono::steady_clock::now() < s_block_fetch_retry_after) return false;
 
     s_pending_block_heights.insert(height);
     s_pending_block_fetches.fetch_add(1);
@@ -285,9 +291,17 @@ static bool fetchRecentBlock(App* app, int height) {
         BlockSummary block;
         try {
             rpc::RPCClient::TraceScope trace("Explorer tab / Recent blocks");
-            auto hashResult = rpc->call("getblockhash", {height});
-            auto hash = hashResult.get<std::string>();
-            auto result = rpc->call("getblock", {hash});
+            json result;
+            try {
+                // One round trip: getblock accepts a height string directly.
+                result = rpc->call("getblock", {std::to_string(height)});
+            } catch (const rpc::RpcError& e) {
+                // Older daemons treat a short string as a hash and answer -5 (not found); fall back to
+                // getblockhash + getblock. Any other error (e.g. -8 out of range) is a real answer.
+                if (e.code != -5) throw;
+                auto hash = rpc->call("getblockhash", {height}).get<std::string>();
+                result = rpc->call("getblock", {hash});
+            }
             block.height = result.value("height", 0);
             block.hash = result.value("hash", "");
             block.time = result.value("time", (int64_t)0);
@@ -300,6 +314,12 @@ static bool fetchRecentBlock(App* app, int height) {
         return [height, block = std::move(block)]() mutable {
             if (block.height > 0) {
                 s_recent_block_cache.storeBlock(block);
+                s_block_fetch_failures = 0;
+            } else {
+                // A height briefly above the daemon tip (reorg) lands here too; it self-heals after the wait.
+                s_block_fetch_failures = std::min(s_block_fetch_failures + 1, 5);
+                s_block_fetch_retry_after = std::chrono::steady_clock::now() +
+                    std::chrono::seconds(std::min(60, 1 << s_block_fetch_failures));
             }
             s_pending_block_heights.erase(height);
             if (s_pending_block_fetches.load() > 0) {