diff --git a/src/httprpc.cpp b/src/httprpc.cpp
index 56bbe4a680..ae9a821348 100644
--- a/src/httprpc.cpp
+++ b/src/httprpc.cpp
@@ -328,7 +328,19 @@ void StopHTTPRPC()
     }
 }
 
-const std::set<std::string>& GetWhitelistedRpcs(const std::string& user_name)
+std::set<std::string> GetWhitelistedRpcs(const std::string& user_name)
 {
-    return g_rpc_whitelist.at(user_name);
+    if (auto it = g_rpc_whitelist.find(user_name); it != g_rpc_whitelist.end()) {
+        return it->second;
+    }
+    if (g_rpc_whitelist_default) {
+        return std::set<std::string>();
+    }
+
+    // Build a list of every method
+    std::set<std::string> allowed_methods;
+    for (const auto& method_name : tableRPC.listCommands()) {
+        allowed_methods.insert(method_name);
+    }
+    return allowed_methods;
 }
diff --git a/src/httprpc.h b/src/httprpc.h
index ab25c1a100..55a1e271dd 100644
--- a/src/httprpc.h
+++ b/src/httprpc.h
@@ -35,6 +35,6 @@ void StopREST();
 
 /** Returns a collection of whitelisted RPCs for the given user
  */
-const std::set<std::string>& GetWhitelistedRpcs(const std::string& user_name);
+std::set<std::string> GetWhitelistedRpcs(const std::string& user_name);
 
 #endif // BITCOIN_HTTPRPC_H
diff --git a/test/functional/rpc_getrpcwhitelist.py b/test/functional/rpc_getrpcwhitelist.py
index 91fa9ce741..41e6b45bca 100755
--- a/test/functional/rpc_getrpcwhitelist.py
+++ b/test/functional/rpc_getrpcwhitelist.py
@@ -66,5 +66,9 @@ class RPCWhitelistTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
         result = call_rpc(self.nodes[0], self.settings_forbidden, 'getrpcwhitelist')
         assert_equal(result['status'], 403)
 
+        # should return a long list of allowed RPC methods (ie, all of them)
+        result = self.nodes[0].getrpcwhitelist()
+        assert len(result['methods']) > 10
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     RPCWhitelistTest().main()