diff --git a/evmrpc/historical_debug_trace_test.go b/evmrpc/historical_debug_trace_test.go
index f5691517bf..894b4e4660 100644
--- a/evmrpc/historical_debug_trace_test.go
+++ b/evmrpc/historical_debug_trace_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	sdk "github.com/sei-protocol/sei-chain/sei-cosmos/types"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
@@ -91,3 +92,25 @@ func TestGuardHistoricalDebugTraceHeight(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Error(t, err)
 	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "block number 9 is beyond max lookback of 0")
 }
+
+func TestGuardHistoricalDebugTraceByHashUsesTendermintHeight(t *testing.T) {
+	latestHeight := int64(10)
+	latestCtx := sdk.Context{}.WithBlockHeight(latestHeight)
+	tmClient := newHeightTestClient(8, 1, latestHeight)
+	api := &DebugAPI{
+		tmClient:         tmClient,
+		ctxProvider:      func(int64) sdk.Context { return latestCtx },
+		connectionType:   ConnectionTypeHTTP,
+		maxBlockLookback: 1,
+		backend: &Backend{
+			watermarks: NewWatermarkManager(tmClient, func(int64) sdk.Context { return latestCtx }, nil, nil),
+		},
+	}
+
+	err := api.guardHistoricalDebugTraceByHash(context.Background(), "debug_traceBlockByHash", common.HexToHash(highBlockHashHex))
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "block number 8 is beyond max lookback of 1")
+
+	err = api.guardHistoricalDebugTraceByHash(context.Background(), "debug_traceCall", common.HexToHash("0x1"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}
diff --git a/evmrpc/tracers.go b/evmrpc/tracers.go
index c3760bddda..2926c96451 100644
--- a/evmrpc/tracers.go
+++ b/evmrpc/tracers.go
@@ -112,14 +112,14 @@ func (api *DebugAPI) guardHistoricalDebugTraceByNumber(ctx context.Context, endp
 }
 
 func (api *DebugAPI) guardHistoricalDebugTraceByHash(ctx context.Context, endpoint string, hash common.Hash) error {
-	if api.backend == nil {
+	if api.backend == nil || api.tmClient == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	block, _, err := api.backend.BlockByHash(ctx, hash)
-	if err != nil || block == nil {
+	block, err := blockByHashRespectingWatermarks(ctx, api.tmClient, api.backend.watermarks, hash.Bytes(), 1)
+	if err != nil || block == nil || block.Block == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	return api.guardHistoricalDebugTraceHeight(ctx, endpoint, int64(block.NumberU64())) //nolint:gosec
+	return api.guardHistoricalDebugTraceHeight(ctx, endpoint, block.Block.Height)
 }
 
 func (api *DebugAPI) guardHistoricalDebugTraceByNumberOrHash(ctx context.Context, endpoint string, blockNrOrHash rpc.BlockNumberOrHash) error {
@@ -646,16 +646,16 @@ func (api *DebugAPI) TraceBlockByHash(ctx context.Context, hash common.Hash, con
 		recordMetricsWithError(ctx, "debug_traceBlockByHash", api.connectionType, startTime, returnErr, recover())
 	}()
 
-	if returnErr = api.guardHistoricalDebugTraceByHash(ctx, "debug_traceBlockByHash", hash); returnErr != nil {
-		return nil, returnErr
-	}
-
 	ctx, done, err := api.prepareTraceContext(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	defer done()
 
+	if returnErr = api.guardHistoricalDebugTraceByHash(ctx, "debug_traceBlockByHash", hash); returnErr != nil {
+		return nil, returnErr
+	}
+
 	if cached, ok := api.tryBlockTraceCacheByHash(ctx, hash, config); ok {
 		return cached, nil
 	}
@@ -674,16 +674,16 @@ func (api *DebugAPI) TraceCall(ctx context.Context, args export.TransactionArgs,
 		recordMetricsWithError(ctx, "debug_traceCall", api.connectionType, startTime, returnErr, recover())
 	}()
 
-	if returnErr = api.guardHistoricalDebugTraceByNumberOrHash(ctx, "debug_traceCall", blockNrOrHash); returnErr != nil {
-		return nil, returnErr
-	}
-
 	ctx, done, err := api.prepareTraceContext(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	defer done()
 
+	if returnErr = api.guardHistoricalDebugTraceByNumberOrHash(ctx, "debug_traceCall", blockNrOrHash); returnErr != nil {
+		return nil, returnErr
+	}
+
 	result, returnErr = api.tracersAPI.TraceCall(ctx, args, blockNrOrHash, config)
 	return
 }
diff --git a/evmrpc/tracers_semaphore_test.go b/evmrpc/tracers_semaphore_test.go
index ff81f1c5f7..37bf079cd3 100644
--- a/evmrpc/tracers_semaphore_test.go
+++ b/evmrpc/tracers_semaphore_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/export"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rpc"
+	sdk "github.com/sei-protocol/sei-chain/sei-cosmos/types"
+	tmbytes "github.com/sei-protocol/sei-chain/sei-tendermint/libs/bytes"
+	"github.com/sei-protocol/sei-chain/sei-tendermint/rpc/coretypes"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
@@ -82,3 +88,42 @@ func TestAcquireTraceSemaphoreCanceledContextDoesNotConsumeSlot(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+type panicHashLookupClient struct {
+	*heightTestClient
+}
+
+func (c *panicHashLookupClient) BlockByHash(context.Context, tmbytes.HexBytes) (*coretypes.ResultBlock, error) {
+	panic("hash lookup should not happen before trace context setup")
+}
+
+func TestHashBasedTraceEndpointsAcquireSemaphoreBeforeHashLookup(t *testing.T) {
+	latestHeight := int64(10)
+	latestCtx := sdk.Context{}.WithBlockHeight(latestHeight)
+	tmClient := &panicHashLookupClient{
+		heightTestClient: newHeightTestClient(8, 1, latestHeight),
+	}
+	watermarks := NewWatermarkManager(tmClient, func(int64) sdk.Context { return latestCtx }, nil, nil)
+	api := &DebugAPI{
+		tmClient:           tmClient,
+		ctxProvider:        func(int64) sdk.Context { return latestCtx },
+		connectionType:     ConnectionTypeHTTP,
+		traceCallSemaphore: make(chan struct{}, 1),
+		traceTimeout:       time.Second,
+		backend: &Backend{
+			tmClient:   tmClient,
+			watermarks: watermarks,
+		},
+	}
+
+	api.traceCallSemaphore <- struct{}{}
+	defer func() { <-api.traceCallSemaphore }()
+
+	hash := common.HexToHash(highBlockHashHex)
+	_, err := api.TraceBlockByHash(context.Background(), hash, nil)
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, errTraceConcurrencyLimit)
+
+	blockNrOrHash := rpc.BlockNumberOrHashWithHash(hash, false)
+	_, err = api.TraceCall(context.Background(), export.TransactionArgs{}, blockNrOrHash, nil)
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, errTraceConcurrencyLimit)
+}