diff --git a/common/common.go b/common/common.go
index ba57fca..24172b4 100644
--- a/common/common.go
+++ b/common/common.go
@@ -38,25 +38,32 @@ func GetSaplingInfo(rpcClient *rpcclient.Client) (int, int, string, string, int,
 		return -1, -1, "", "", -1, -1, -1, errors.Wrap(err, "error reading JSON response")
 	}
 
-	chainName := f.(map[string]interface{})["chain"].(string)
+	// Assert the top-level object once, then read every field with the comma-ok
+	// form. These run on the block-ingestor goroutine, and nothing in this
+	// daemon or in grpc-go v1.24.0 recovers a panic, so one unexpected response
+	// shape would take the whole process down rather than fail one call.
+	fmap, ok := f.(map[string]interface{})
+	if !ok {
+		return -1, -1, "", "", -1, -1, -1, errors.New("getblockchaininfo: unexpected response shape")
+	}
+	chainName, _ := fmap["chain"].(string)
 
 	// DragonX has Sapling active from block 1 but sets NO_ACTIVATION_HEIGHT in
 	// chainparams, so dragonxd omits it from the upgrades map. Fall back to
 	// height 1 when the key is absent.
 	saplingHeight := float64(1)
-	upgradeJSON, ok := f.(map[string]interface{})["upgrades"]
-	if ok {
-		if upgradesMap, ok := upgradeJSON.(map[string]interface{}); ok {
-			if saplingJSON, ok := upgradesMap["76b809bb"]; ok {
-				saplingHeight = saplingJSON.(map[string]interface{})["activationheight"].(float64)
+	if upgradesMap, ok := fmap["upgrades"].(map[string]interface{}); ok {
+		if saplingJSON, ok := upgradesMap["76b809bb"].(map[string]interface{}); ok {
+			if h, ok := saplingJSON["activationheight"].(float64); ok {
+				saplingHeight = h
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
-	blockHeight := f.(map[string]interface{})["headers"].(float64)
-	difficulty := f.(map[string]interface{})["difficulty"].(float64)
-	longestchain := f.(map[string]interface{})["longestchain"].(float64)
-	notarized := f.(map[string]interface{})["notarized"].(float64)
+	blockHeight, _ := fmap["headers"].(float64)
+	difficulty, _ := fmap["difficulty"].(float64)
+	longestchain, _ := fmap["longestchain"].(float64)
+	notarized, _ := fmap["notarized"].(float64)
 
 	// DragonX always uses Sapling consensus rules but CurrentEpochBranchId()
 	// returns Sprout (0) for full nodes because the activation heights are
diff --git a/frontend/service.go b/frontend/service.go
index 280d9e4..10f932c 100644
--- a/frontend/service.go
+++ b/frontend/service.go
@@ -293,7 +293,26 @@ func (s *SqlStreamer) GetTransaction(ctx context.Context, txf *walletrpc.TxFilte
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		txHeight = txinfo.(map[string]interface{})["height"].(float64)
+		// dragonxd emits "height" only for a transaction that is in a block:
+		// rawtransaction.cpp puts it inside `if (!hashBlock.IsNull())`. Every
+		// mempool transaction therefore comes back WITHOUT the key, and an
+		// unchecked assertion on the missing value panics -- which, with no
+		// recover() anywhere in grpc-go v1.24.0 or in this daemon, kills the
+		// whole process and every wallet connected to it. Any client can reach
+		// this by broadcasting a transaction and immediately asking for it, and
+		// GetMempoolStream hands out unconfirmed txids by design.
+		//
+		// Report an unconfirmed transaction as tip+1, matching what
+		// GetMempoolStream already advertises (mempool.go:109).
+		txmap, ok := txinfo.(map[string]interface{})
+		if !ok {
+			return nil, errors.New("getrawtransaction: unexpected response shape")
+		}
+		if h, ok := txmap["height"].(float64); ok {
+			txHeight = h
+		} else {
+			txHeight = float64(s.cache.GetLatestBlock() + 1)
+		}
 
 		return &walletrpc.RawTransaction{Data: txBytes, Height: uint64(txHeight)}, nil
 	}