diff --git a/client/db/src/lib.rs b/client/db/src/lib.rs
index 3bbff1625f2f9..305db2284b2ed 100644
--- a/client/db/src/lib.rs
+++ b/client/db/src/lib.rs
@@ -2796,6 +2796,14 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
 		let b1 = insert_header(&backend, 1, block0, None, H256::from([1; 32]));
 		let b2 = insert_header(&backend, 2, b1, None, Default::default());
 
+		{
+			let tree_route = tree_route(blockchain, a1, a1).unwrap();
+
+			assert_eq!(tree_route.common_block().hash, a1);
+			assert!(tree_route.retracted().is_empty());
+			assert!(tree_route.enacted().is_empty());
+		}
+
 		{
 			let tree_route = tree_route(blockchain, a3, b2).unwrap();
 
diff --git a/client/transaction-pool/src/enactment_state.rs b/client/transaction-pool/src/enactment_state.rs
index b347de824fa12..6aac98641cf85 100644
--- a/client/transaction-pool/src/enactment_state.rs
+++ b/client/transaction-pool/src/enactment_state.rs
@@ -231,14 +231,19 @@ mod enactment_state_tests {
 			}
 		};
 
-		Ok(TreeRoute::new(vec, pivot))
+		TreeRoute::new(vec, pivot)
 	}
 
 	mod mock_tree_route_tests {
 		use super::*;
 
 		/// asserts that tree routes are equal
-		fn assert_treeroute_eq(expected: TreeRoute<Block>, result: TreeRoute<Block>) {
+		fn assert_treeroute_eq(
+			expected: Result<TreeRoute<Block>, String>,
+			result: Result<TreeRoute<Block>, String>,
+		) {
+			let expected = expected.unwrap();
+			let result = result.unwrap();
 			assert_eq!(result.common_block().hash, expected.common_block().hash);
 			assert_eq!(result.enacted().len(), expected.enacted().len());
 			assert_eq!(result.retracted().len(), expected.retracted().len());
@@ -255,65 +260,66 @@ mod enactment_state_tests {
 		}
 
 		// some tests for mock tree_route function
+
 		#[test]
 		fn tree_route_mock_test_01() {
-			let result = tree_route(b1().hash, a().hash).expect("tree route exists");
+			let result = tree_route(b1().hash, a().hash);
 			let expected = TreeRoute::new(vec![b1(), a()], 1);
 			assert_treeroute_eq(result, expected);
 		}
 
 		#[test]
 		fn tree_route_mock_test_02() {
-			let result = tree_route(a().hash, b1().hash).expect("tree route exists");
+			let result = tree_route(a().hash, b1().hash);
 			let expected = TreeRoute::new(vec![a(), b1()], 0);
 			assert_treeroute_eq(result, expected);
 		}
 
 		#[test]
 		fn tree_route_mock_test_03() {
-			let result = tree_route(a().hash, c2().hash).expect("tree route exists");
+			let result = tree_route(a().hash, c2().hash);
 			let expected = TreeRoute::new(vec![a(), b2(), c2()], 0);
 			assert_treeroute_eq(result, expected);
 		}
 
 		#[test]
 		fn tree_route_mock_test_04() {
-			let result = tree_route(e2().hash, a().hash).expect("tree route exists");
+			let result = tree_route(e2().hash, a().hash);
 			let expected = TreeRoute::new(vec![e2(), d2(), c2(), b2(), a()], 4);
 			assert_treeroute_eq(result, expected);
 		}
 
 		#[test]
 		fn tree_route_mock_test_05() {
-			let result = tree_route(d1().hash, b1().hash).expect("tree route exists");
+			let result = tree_route(d1().hash, b1().hash);
 			let expected = TreeRoute::new(vec![d1(), c1(), b1()], 2);
 			assert_treeroute_eq(result, expected);
 		}
 
 		#[test]
 		fn tree_route_mock_test_06() {
-			let result = tree_route(d2().hash, b2().hash).expect("tree route exists");
+			let result = tree_route(d2().hash, b2().hash);
 			let expected = TreeRoute::new(vec![d2(), c2(), b2()], 2);
 			assert_treeroute_eq(result, expected);
 		}
 
 		#[test]
 		fn tree_route_mock_test_07() {
-			let result = tree_route(b1().hash, d1().hash).expect("tree route exists");
+			let result = tree_route(b1().hash, d1().hash);
 			let expected = TreeRoute::new(vec![b1(), c1(), d1()], 0);
 			assert_treeroute_eq(result, expected);
 		}
 
 		#[test]
 		fn tree_route_mock_test_08() {
-			let result = tree_route(b2().hash, d2().hash).expect("tree route exists");
+			let result = tree_route(b2().hash, d2().hash);
 			let expected = TreeRoute::new(vec![b2(), c2(), d2()], 0);
 			assert_treeroute_eq(result, expected);
 		}
 
 		#[test]
 		fn tree_route_mock_test_09() {
-			let result = tree_route(e2().hash, e1().hash).expect("tree route exists");
+			let result = tree_route(e2().hash, e1().hash);
 			let expected =
 				TreeRoute::new(vec![e2(), d2(), c2(), b2(), a(), b1(), c1(), d1(), e1()], 4);
 			assert_treeroute_eq(result, expected);
@@ -321,49 +327,49 @@ mod enactment_state_tests {
 
 		#[test]
 		fn tree_route_mock_test_10() {
-			let result = tree_route(e1().hash, e2().hash).expect("tree route exists");
+			let result = tree_route(e1().hash, e2().hash);
 			let expected =
 				TreeRoute::new(vec![e1(), d1(), c1(), b1(), a(), b2(), c2(), d2(), e2()], 4);
 			assert_treeroute_eq(result, expected);
 		}
 		#[test]
 		fn tree_route_mock_test_11() {
-			let result = tree_route(b1().hash, c2().hash).expect("tree route exists");
+			let result = tree_route(b1().hash, c2().hash);
 			let expected = TreeRoute::new(vec![b1(), a(), b2(), c2()], 1);
 			assert_treeroute_eq(result, expected);
 		}
 
 		#[test]
 		fn tree_route_mock_test_12() {
-			let result = tree_route(d2().hash, b1().hash).expect("tree route exists");
+			let result = tree_route(d2().hash, b1().hash);
 			let expected = TreeRoute::new(vec![d2(), c2(), b2(), a(), b1()], 3);
 			assert_treeroute_eq(result, expected);
 		}
 
 		#[test]
 		fn tree_route_mock_test_13() {
-			let result = tree_route(c2().hash, e1().hash).expect("tree route exists");
+			let result = tree_route(c2().hash, e1().hash);
 			let expected = TreeRoute::new(vec![c2(), b2(), a(), b1(), c1(), d1(), e1()], 2);
 			assert_treeroute_eq(result, expected);
 		}
 
 		#[test]
 		fn tree_route_mock_test_14() {
-			let result = tree_route(b1().hash, b1().hash).expect("tree route exists");
+			let result = tree_route(b1().hash, b1().hash);
 			let expected = TreeRoute::new(vec![b1()], 0);
 			assert_treeroute_eq(result, expected);
 		}
 
 		#[test]
 		fn tree_route_mock_test_15() {
-			let result = tree_route(b2().hash, b2().hash).expect("tree route exists");
+			let result = tree_route(b2().hash, b2().hash);
 			let expected = TreeRoute::new(vec![b2()], 0);
 			assert_treeroute_eq(result, expected);
 		}
 
 		#[test]
 		fn tree_route_mock_test_16() {
-			let result = tree_route(a().hash, a().hash).expect("tree route exists");
+			let result = tree_route(a().hash, a().hash);
 			let expected = TreeRoute::new(vec![a()], 0);
 			assert_treeroute_eq(result, expected);
 		}
diff --git a/primitives/blockchain/src/header_metadata.rs b/primitives/blockchain/src/header_metadata.rs
index 1db37b47e4d44..87ac44459987e 100644
--- a/primitives/blockchain/src/header_metadata.rs
+++ b/primitives/blockchain/src/header_metadata.rs
@@ -179,9 +179,17 @@ pub struct TreeRoute<Block: BlockT> {
 impl<Block: BlockT> TreeRoute<Block> {
 	/// Creates a new `TreeRoute`.
 	///
-	/// It is required that `pivot >= route.len()`, otherwise it may panics.
-	pub fn new(route: Vec<HashAndNumber<Block>>, pivot: usize) -> Self {
-		TreeRoute { route, pivot }
+	/// To preserve the structure safety invariats it is required that `pivot < route.len()`.
+	pub fn new(route: Vec<HashAndNumber<Block>>, pivot: usize) -> Result<Self, String> {
+		if pivot < route.len() {
+			Ok(TreeRoute { route, pivot })
+		} else {
+			Err(format!(
+				"TreeRoute pivot ({}) should be less than route length ({})",
+				pivot,
+				route.len()
+			))
+		}
 	}
 
 	/// Get a slice of all retracted blocks in reverse order (towards common ancestor).