diff --git a/client/src/http_sender.rs b/client/src/http_sender.rs
index 9d54eb22cc..43ca3d7d96 100644
--- a/client/src/http_sender.rs
+++ b/client/src/http_sender.rs
@@ -86,8 +86,8 @@ impl RpcSender for HttpSender {
                                         }
                                     },
                                     rpc_custom_error::JSON_RPC_SERVER_ERROR_NODE_UNHEALTHLY => {
-                                        match serde_json::from_value::<rpc_custom_error::RpcNodeUnhealthyErrorData>(json["error"]["data"].clone()) {
-                                            Ok(rpc_custom_error::RpcNodeUnhealthyErrorData { num_slots_behind}) => RpcResponseErrorData::NodeUnhealthy {num_slots_behind},
+                                        match serde_json::from_value::<rpc_custom_error::NodeUnhealthyErrorData>(json["error"]["data"].clone()) {
+                                            Ok(rpc_custom_error::NodeUnhealthyErrorData {num_slots_behind}) => RpcResponseErrorData::NodeUnhealthy {num_slots_behind},
                                             Err(_err) => {
                                                 RpcResponseErrorData::Empty
                                             }
diff --git a/client/src/rpc_custom_error.rs b/client/src/rpc_custom_error.rs
index 6d9abf6f3a..582872238b 100644
--- a/client/src/rpc_custom_error.rs
+++ b/client/src/rpc_custom_error.rs
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ pub enum RpcCustomError {
     BlockNotAvailable {
         slot: Slot,
     },
-    RpcNodeUnhealthy {
-        num_slots_behind: Slot,
+    NodeUnhealthy {
+        num_slots_behind: Option<Slot>,
     },
     TransactionPrecompileVerificationFailure(solana_sdk::transaction::TransactionError),
     SlotSkipped {
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ pub enum RpcCustomError {
 
 #[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
-pub struct RpcNodeUnhealthyErrorData {
-    pub num_slots_behind: Slot,
+pub struct NodeUnhealthyErrorData {
+    pub num_slots_behind: Option<Slot>,
 }
 
 impl From<RpcCustomError> for Error {
@@ -75,10 +75,14 @@ impl From<RpcCustomError> for Error {
                 message: format!("Block not available for slot {}", slot),
                 data: None,
             },
-            RpcCustomError::RpcNodeUnhealthy { num_slots_behind } => Self {
+            RpcCustomError::NodeUnhealthy { num_slots_behind } => Self {
                 code: ErrorCode::ServerError(JSON_RPC_SERVER_ERROR_NODE_UNHEALTHLY),
-                message: format!("RPC node is behind by {} slots", num_slots_behind),
-                data: Some(serde_json::json!(RpcNodeUnhealthyErrorData {
+                message: if let Some(num_slots_behind) = num_slots_behind {
+                    format!("Node is behind by {} slots", num_slots_behind)
+                } else {
+                    "Node is unhealthy".to_string()
+                },
+                data: Some(serde_json::json!(NodeUnhealthyErrorData {
                     num_slots_behind
                 })),
             },
diff --git a/client/src/rpc_request.rs b/client/src/rpc_request.rs
index 1d2c85643e..9a705396a2 100644
--- a/client/src/rpc_request.rs
+++ b/client/src/rpc_request.rs
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ impl RpcRequest {
 pub enum RpcResponseErrorData {
     Empty,
     SendTransactionPreflightFailure(RpcSimulateTransactionResult),
-    NodeUnhealthy { num_slots_behind: Slot },
+    NodeUnhealthy { num_slots_behind: Option<Slot> },
 }
 
 impl fmt::Display for RpcResponseErrorData {
diff --git a/core/src/rpc.rs b/core/src/rpc.rs
index 56a3f68abf..22950b86ae 100644
--- a/core/src/rpc.rs
+++ b/core/src/rpc.rs
@@ -2265,9 +2265,10 @@ impl RpcSol for RpcSolImpl {
     fn get_health(&self, meta: Self::Metadata) -> Result<String> {
         match meta.health.check() {
             RpcHealthStatus::Ok => Ok("ok".to_string()),
-            RpcHealthStatus::Behind {
-                num_slots: num_slots_behind,
-            } => Err(RpcCustomError::RpcNodeUnhealthy { num_slots_behind }.into()),
+            RpcHealthStatus::Behind { num_slots } => Err(RpcCustomError::NodeUnhealthy {
+                num_slots_behind: Some(num_slots),
+            }
+            .into()),
         }
     }
 
@@ -2523,10 +2524,11 @@ impl RpcSol for RpcSolImpl {
 
             match meta.health.check() {
                 RpcHealthStatus::Ok => (),
-                RpcHealthStatus::Behind {
-                    num_slots: num_slots_behind,
-                } => {
-                    return Err(RpcCustomError::RpcNodeUnhealthy { num_slots_behind }.into());
+                RpcHealthStatus::Behind { num_slots } => {
+                    return Err(RpcCustomError::NodeUnhealthy {
+                        num_slots_behind: Some(num_slots),
+                    }
+                    .into());
                 }
             }
 
@@ -4570,7 +4572,7 @@ pub mod tests {
         assert_eq!(
             res,
             Some(
-                r#"{"jsonrpc":"2.0","error":{"code":-32005,"message":"RPC node is behind by 42 slots","data":{"numSlotsBehind":42}},"id":1}"#.to_string(),
+                r#"{"jsonrpc":"2.0","error":{"code":-32005,"message":"Node is behind by 42 slots","data":{"numSlotsBehind":42}},"id":1}"#.to_string(),
             )
         );
         health.stub_set_health_status(None);
diff --git a/docs/src/developing/clients/jsonrpc-api.md b/docs/src/developing/clients/jsonrpc-api.md
index 71cd1a0cc0..8c29ec96ae 100644
--- a/docs/src/developing/clients/jsonrpc-api.md
+++ b/docs/src/developing/clients/jsonrpc-api.md
@@ -1294,7 +1294,9 @@ None
 #### Results:
 
 If the node is healthy: "ok"
-If the node is unhealthy, a JSON RPC error response is returned indicating how far behind the node is.
+If the node is unhealthy, a JSON RPC error response is returned.  The specifics
+of the error response are **UNSTABLE** and may change in the future
+
 
 #### Example:
 
@@ -1310,13 +1312,26 @@ Healthy Result:
 {"jsonrpc":"2.0","result": "ok","id":1}
 ```
 
-Unhealthy Result:
+Unhealthy Result (generic):
 ```json
 {
   "jsonrpc": "2.0",
   "error": {
     "code": -32005,
-    "message": "RPC node is behind by 42 slots",
+    "message": "Node is unhealthy",
+    "data": {}
+  },
+  "id": 1
+}
+```
+
+Unhealthy Result (if additional information is available)
+```json
+{
+  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
+  "error": {
+    "code": -32005,
+    "message": "Node is behind by 42 slots",
     "data": {
       "numSlotsBehind": 42
     }
diff --git a/validator/src/bin/solana-test-validator.rs b/validator/src/bin/solana-test-validator.rs
index a6a9cc1dbf..efc55f49df 100644
--- a/validator/src/bin/solana-test-validator.rs
+++ b/validator/src/bin/solana-test-validator.rs
@@ -358,7 +358,9 @@ fn main() {
                             code: _,
                             message: _,
                             data:
-                                rpc_request::RpcResponseErrorData::NodeUnhealthy { num_slots_behind },
+                                rpc_request::RpcResponseErrorData::NodeUnhealthy {
+                                    num_slots_behind: Some(num_slots_behind),
+                                },
                         },
                     ) = &err.kind
                     {