diff --git a/Core/src/ConditionsGitReader.cpp b/Core/src/ConditionsGitReader.cpp
index 29bd95c83b44f8b32b9fd0266b9ed7065c711be6..fca1c9916ac4931c6954eaae3f0225b61b8c3965 100644
--- a/Core/src/ConditionsGitReader.cpp
+++ b/Core/src/ConditionsGitReader.cpp
@@ -101,6 +101,11 @@ int LHCb::Detector::ConditionsGitReader::getObject( const std::string& system_id
   try {
     std::tie( data, iov ) = m_condDB->get( {m_dbtag, path, time_point} );
   } catch ( std::runtime_error const& e ) { return 0; }
+  if ( !iov.valid() ) {
+    throw std::runtime_error(
+        fmt::format( "invalid IOV for {}:{}, cannot find data for point {} (probably missing 0 value)", m_dbtag, path,
+                     time_point ) );
+  }
 
   if ( !m_limitedIovPaths.empty() && m_limitedIovPaths.find( path ) != m_limitedIovPaths.end() ) {
     if ( iov.since != time_point ) {
diff --git a/Core/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/Core/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index da56121a0ef658dea7136684ddfe652297aec466..d116c353a1d970fdd5c858338c288d19ce0ba8dd 100644
--- a/Core/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Core/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ add_executable(test_DDS
     src/test_DDS_tell40links.cpp
     src/test_DDS_interactionregion.cpp
     src/test_conddb_schema_handling.cpp
+    src/test_condition_git_reader.cpp
 )
 target_link_libraries(test_DDS
     Catch2::Catch2WithMain
diff --git a/Core/tests/src/test_condition_git_reader.cpp b/Core/tests/src/test_condition_git_reader.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..b0cb391a854ca620a7220089e1502a634f42c4a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Core/tests/src/test_condition_git_reader.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+/*****************************************************************************\
+* (c) Copyright 2024 CERN for the benefit of the LHCb Collaboration           *
+*                                                                             *
+* This software is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public      *
+* Licence version 3 (GPL Version 3), copied verbatim in the file "COPYING".   *
+*                                                                             *
+* In applying this licence, CERN does not waive the privileges and immunities *
+* granted to it by virtue of its status as an Intergovernmental Organization  *
+* or submit itself to any jurisdiction.                                       *
+\*****************************************************************************/
+#include <Core/ConditionHelper.h>
+#include <Core/DeConditionCall.h>
+#include <Core/DeIOV.h>
+#include <Core/DetectorDataService.h>
+#include <Core/Keys.h>
+#include <DD4hep/Detector.h>
+#include <DD4hep/DetectorLoad.h>
+#include <Detector/Test/Fixture.h>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+#include <catch2/catch.hpp>
+
+namespace {
+  struct DummyDeIOVObject final : LHCb::Detector::detail::DeIOVObject {
+    using DeIOVObject::DeIOVObject;
+    void applyToAllChildren( const std::function<void( LHCb::Detector::DeIOVElement<DeIOVObject> )>& ) const override {}
+  };
+
+  struct DummyConditionCall : LHCb::Detector::DeConditionCall {
+    using DeConditionCall::DeConditionCall;
+    virtual dd4hep::Condition operator()( const dd4hep::ConditionKey&,
+                                          dd4hep::cond::ConditionUpdateContext& context ) override final {
+      auto det = dd4hep::Detector::getInstance().detector( "test" );
+      return LHCb::Detector::DeIOV{new DummyDeIOVObject( det, context, 9000001, false )};
+    }
+  };
+  long create_conditions_recipes( dd4hep::Detector& description, xml_h e ) {
+    // Use the helper to load the XML, setup the callback according
+    LHCb::Detector::ConditionConfigHelper<DummyConditionCall> config_helper{description, "test", e};
+    config_helper.configure();
+    return 1;
+  }
+} // namespace
+DECLARE_XML_DOC_READER( Test_Dummy_cond, create_conditions_recipes )
+
+static constexpr const char* main_xml = R"(<lccdd>
+  <info name="Test" status="development"/>
+  <geometry open="true" close="false"/>
+  <includes>
+    <!-- FIXME: it would be nice to embed the materials needed for the test. but I didn't manage -->
+    <gdmlFile ref="tests/testscope/sc/elements.xml"/>
+    <gdmlFile ref="tests/testscope/sc/materials.xml"/>
+  </includes>
+  <define>
+    <constant name="world_side" value="10*m" />
+    <constant name="world_x" value="world_side/2" />
+    <constant name="world_y" value="world_side/2" />
+    <constant name="world_z" value="world_side/2" />
+  </define>
+  <detectors>
+    <detector name="test" type="DD4hep_VolumeAssembly" parent="/world">
+      <envelope material="Air">
+        <shape name="BiggerBox" type="Box" dx="100*cm" dy="100*cm" dz="100*cm"/>
+      </envelope>
+      <position x="0*cm" y="0*cm" z="0*cm"/>
+    </detector>
+  </detectors>
+  <plugins>
+    <plugin name="Test_Dummy_cond_XML_reader" type="xml">
+      <conditions_config prefix="Conditions/" />
+      <conditions path="test/no0cond.yml">
+        <condition name="cond"/>
+      </conditions>
+    </plugin>
+  </plugins>
+</lccdd>)";
+
+TEST_CASE( "ConditionGitReader.missing_0" ) {
+  Detector::Test::Fixture f;
+
+  auto& description = f.description();
+  dd4hep::DetectorLoad{description}.processXMLString( main_xml );
+
+  auto det = description.detector( "test" );
+  // the `!!` is needed because handles have `operator!` but not `operator bool`
+  REQUIRE( !!det );
+
+  std::vector<std::string>            detector_list{"/world", "test"};
+  LHCb::Detector::DetectorDataService dds( description, detector_list );
+  // this DB is invalid as it misses the special condition for time point 0
+  // and hitting it must throw an exception
+  dds.initialize( nlohmann::json{{"repository",
+                                  R"(json:{
+    "Conditions": { "test": { "no0cond.yml": {".condition": "", "1000": "cond: {value: 42}"} } },
+    ".schema.json": "{\"Conditions/test/no0cond.yml\":[\"cond\"]}"
+  })"}} );
+
+  // get a valid condition slice
+  auto slice = dds.get_slice( 2000 );
+  REQUIRE( slice );
+
+  // this is a condition actually in the DB
+  auto cond = slice->get( det, LHCb::Detector::item_key( "cond" ) ).get<nlohmann::json>();
+  REQUIRE( cond.is_object() );
+  CHECK( cond.contains( "value" ) );
+
+  // hit the problematic IOV
+  using Catch::Matchers::Contains;
+  CHECK_THROWS_WITH( dds.get_slice( 100 ), Contains( "Conditions/test/no0cond.yml" ) && Contains( "missing 0 value" ) );
+}
+
+#include "DD4hep/detail/Handle.inl"
+DD4HEP_INSTANTIATE_HANDLE_UNNAMED( DummyDeIOVObject, LHCb::Detector::detail::DeIOVObject, ConditionObject );