diff --git a/ethapi/api.go b/ethapi/api.go
index 3149c6700..c0be58f20 100644
--- a/ethapi/api.go
+++ b/ethapi/api.go
@@ -2129,7 +2129,15 @@ func (api *PublicDebugAPI) TraceTransaction(ctx context.Context, hash common.Has
 // traceTx configures a new tracer according to the provided configuration, and
 // executes the given message in the provided environment. The return value will
 // be tracer dependent.
-func (api *PublicDebugAPI) traceTx(ctx context.Context, message evmcore.Message, txctx *tracers.Context, vmctx vm.BlockContext, statedb *state.StateDB, config *TraceConfig) (interface{}, error) {
+func (api *PublicDebugAPI) traceTx(ctx context.Context, message evmcore.Message, txctx *tracers.Context, vmctx vm.BlockContext, statedb *state.StateDB, config *TraceConfig) (ret interface{}, reterr error) {
+
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			log.Error("debug trace transaction failed with panic:", r)
+			reterr = fmt.Errorf("debug trace transaction failed with panic: %v", r)
+		}
+	}()
+
 	// Assemble the structured logger or the JavaScript tracer
 	var (
 		tracer    vm.Tracer
@@ -2202,17 +2210,27 @@ func (api *PublicDebugAPI) traceTx(ctx context.Context, message evmcore.Message,
 			if config.Tracer != nil && strings.Compare(*config.Tracer, "callTracer") == 0 {
 				if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "cannot read property 'toString' of undefined") {
 					log.Debug("error when debug with callTracer", "err", err.Error())
-					callTracer, _ := tracers.New(*config.Tracer, txctx)
-					callTracer.CaptureStart(vmenv, message.From(), *message.To(), false, message.Data(), message.Gas(), message.Value())
+					callTracer, errTracer := tracers.New(*config.Tracer, txctx)
+					if errTracer != nil {
+						return nil, errTracer
+					}
+					if message == nil || vmenv == nil {
+						return nil, err
+					}
+					to := message.To()
+					if to == nil {
+						to = &common.Address{}
+					}
+					callTracer.CaptureStart(vmenv, message.From(), *to, false, message.Data(), message.Gas(), message.Value())
 					callTracer.CaptureEnd([]byte{}, message.Gas(), time.Duration(0), fmt.Errorf("execution reverted"))
-					result, err = callTracer.GetResult()
+					return callTracer.GetResult()
 				}
 			}
 		}
 		return result, err
 
 	default:
-		panic(fmt.Sprintf("bad tracer type %T", tracer))
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("bad tracer type %T", tracer)
 	}
 }