diff --git a/pkg/base-dev/lib/ethereum.hoon b/pkg/base-dev/lib/ethereum.hoon
index 9f63062f92..4f53df6689 100644
--- a/pkg/base-dev/lib/ethereum.hoon
+++ b/pkg/base-dev/lib/ethereum.hoon
@@ -733,7 +733,7 @@
     ::
         %eth-get-block-by-number
       :-  'eth_getBlockByNumber'
-      :~  (tape (num-to-hex bon.req))
+      :~  (tape (num-to-hex-minimal bon.req))
           b+txs.req
       ==
     ::
@@ -942,6 +942,12 @@
   %-  render-hex-bytes
   (as-octs:mimes:html n)
 ::
+++  num-to-hex-minimal
+  |=  n=@
+  ^-  tape
+  %-  prefix-hex
+  ((x-co:co 1) n)
+::
 ++  address-to-hex
   |=  a=address
   ^-  tape