diff --git a/client/distance/src/lib.rs b/client/distance/src/lib.rs
index 1b67e85fe2dba9c4a155440231ec8f5e664289d8..c19c29fd2f3a44a18086882f085bb4e69d3fb6df 100644
--- a/client/distance/src/lib.rs
+++ b/client/distance/src/lib.rs
@@ -40,19 +40,24 @@ where
     Backend: sc_client_api::Backend<B>,
     IdtyIndex: Decode + Encode + PartialEq + TypeInfo,
 {
-    let pool_index = client
+    let pool_index = if let Some(index) = client
         .storage(
             parent,
             &StorageKey(
                 frame_support::storage::storage_prefix(b"Distance", b"CurrentPoolIndex").to_vec(),
             ),
         )
-        .expect("CurrentIndex is Err")
-        .map_or(0, |raw| {
-            u32::decode(&mut &raw.0[..]).expect("cannot decode CurrentIndex")
-        });
+        .ok()
+        .flatten()
+        .map_or(None, |raw| u32::decode(&mut &raw.0[..]).ok())
+    {
+        index
+    } else {
+        log::error!("🧙 [distance oracle] CurrentPoolIndex cannot be decoded");
+        return Ok(sp_distance::InherentDataProvider::<IdtyIndex>::new(None));
+    };
 
-    let published_results = client
+    let published_results = if let Some(results) = client
         .storage(
             parent,
             &StorageKey(
@@ -67,11 +72,17 @@ where
                 )
                 .to_vec(),
             ),
-        )?
-        .map_or_else(Default::default, |raw| {
-            pallet_distance::EvaluationPool::<AccountId32, IdtyIndex>::decode(&mut &raw.0[..])
-                .expect("cannot decode EvaluationPool")
-        });
+        )
+        .ok()
+        .flatten()
+        .map_or(None, |raw| {
+            pallet_distance::EvaluationPool::<AccountId32, IdtyIndex>::decode(&mut &raw.0[..]).ok()
+        }) {
+        results
+    } else {
+        log::error!("🧙 [distance oracle] EvaluationPool cannot be decoded");
+        return Ok(sp_distance::InherentDataProvider::<IdtyIndex>::new(None));
+    };
 
     // Have we already published a result for this period?
     // The block author is guaranteed to be in the owner_keys.