diff --git a/src/rpc/RPCHelpers.cpp b/src/rpc/RPCHelpers.cpp
index 999874f5..9e86767a 100644
--- a/src/rpc/RPCHelpers.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/RPCHelpers.cpp
@@ -706,8 +706,8 @@ traverseOwnedNodes(
         if (auto const& indexes = sle.getFieldV256(ripple::sfIndexes);
             std::find(std::begin(indexes), std::end(indexes), hexMarker) == std::end(indexes))
         {
-            // result in empty dataset
-            return AccountCursor({beast::zero, 0});
+            // the index specified by marker is not in the page specified by marker
+            return Status(ripple::rpcINVALID_PARAMS, "Invalid marker");
         }
 
         currentIndex = hintIndex;
diff --git a/unittests/rpc/RPCHelpersTest.cpp b/unittests/rpc/RPCHelpersTest.cpp
index 1efd7f22..8ecb6c8e 100644
--- a/unittests/rpc/RPCHelpersTest.cpp
+++ b/unittests/rpc/RPCHelpersTest.cpp
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ TEST_F(RPCHelpersTest, TraverseOwnedNodesWithMarkerReturnSamePageMarker)
 }
 
 // Send a valid marker, but marker contain an unexisting index
-// return empty
+// return invalid params error
 TEST_F(RPCHelpersTest, TraverseOwnedNodesWithUnexistingIndexMarker)
 {
     MockBackend* rawBackendPtr = static_cast<MockBackend*>(mockBackendPtr.get());
@@ -345,13 +345,10 @@ TEST_F(RPCHelpersTest, TraverseOwnedNodesWithUnexistingIndexMarker)
         auto count = 0;
         auto ret = traverseOwnedNodes(
             *mockBackendPtr, account, 9, limit, fmt::format("{},{}", INDEX2, pageNum), yield, [&](auto) { count++; });
-        auto cursor = std::get_if<AccountCursor>(&ret);
-        EXPECT_TRUE(cursor != nullptr);
-        EXPECT_EQ(count, 0);
-        EXPECT_EQ(
-            cursor->toString(),
-            "00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000"
-            "00,0");
+        auto status = std::get_if<Status>(&ret);
+        EXPECT_TRUE(status != nullptr);
+        EXPECT_EQ(*status, ripple::rpcINVALID_PARAMS);
+        EXPECT_EQ(status->message, "Invalid marker");
     });
     ctx.run();
 }