diff --git a/src/cutecoin/core/account.py b/src/cutecoin/core/account.py
index eb6ae82250caafc9b395a02cd43c102eda264100..a5806207fd85215698c9aa6e8de3c76f55c86398 100644
--- a/src/cutecoin/core/account.py
+++ b/src/cutecoin/core/account.py
@@ -113,12 +113,18 @@ class Account(object):
 
     def certify(self, password, community, pubkey):
         certified = Person.lookup(pubkey, community)
-        block = community.get_block()
-        block_hash = hashlib.sha1(block.signed_raw().encode("ascii")).hexdigest().upper()
+        
+        try:
+            block = community.get_block()
+            block_hash = hashlib.sha1(block.signed_raw().encode("ascii")).hexdigest().upper()
+            block_number = block['number']
+        except ValueError as e:
+            block_number = 0
+            block_hash = "DA39A3EE5E6B4B0D3255BFEF95601890AFD80709"
 
         certification = Certification(PROTOCOL_VERSION, community.currency,
                                       self.pubkey, certified.pubkey,
-                                      block_hash, block.number, None)
+                                      block_hash, block_number, None)
 
         selfcert = certified.selfcert(community)
         logging.debug("SelfCertification : {0}".format(selfcert.raw()))