diff --git a/runtime/src/accounts_db.rs b/runtime/src/accounts_db.rs
index 60e15a1394..07e9384aa1 100644
--- a/runtime/src/accounts_db.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/accounts_db.rs
@@ -1376,9 +1376,11 @@ impl AccountsDB {
                 let index = self.accounts_index.read().unwrap();
                 let storage = self.storage.read().unwrap();
                 for slot in dead_slots.iter() {
-                    for store in storage.0.get(slot).unwrap().values() {
-                        for account in store.accounts.accounts(0) {
-                            index.unref_from_storage(&account.meta.pubkey);
+                    if let Some(slot_storage) = storage.0.get(slot) {
+                        for store in slot_storage.values() {
+                            for account in store.accounts.accounts(0) {
+                                index.unref_from_storage(&account.meta.pubkey);
+                            }
                         }
                     }
                 }
@@ -3373,4 +3375,12 @@ pub mod tests {
         assert_load_account(&accounts, current_slot, pubkey2, old_lamport);
         assert_load_account(&accounts, current_slot, dummy_pubkey, dummy_lamport);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn clean_dead_slots_empty() {
+        let accounts = AccountsDB::new_single();
+        let mut dead_slots = HashSet::new();
+        dead_slots.insert(10);
+        accounts.clean_dead_slots(&mut dead_slots);
+    }
 }