diff --git a/client/src/models/TxBlockScene.js b/client/src/models/TxBlockScene.js
index a2967bf..cea3593 100644
--- a/client/src/models/TxBlockScene.js
+++ b/client/src/models/TxBlockScene.js
@@ -1,4 +1,12 @@
 import TxMondrianPoolScene from './TxMondrianPoolScene.js'
+import { settings } from '../stores.js'
+import { logTxSize, byteTxSize } from '../utils/misc.js'
+import config from '../config.js'
+
+let settingsValue
+settings.subscribe(v => {
+  settingsValue = v
+})
 
 export default class TxBlockScene extends TxMondrianPoolScene {
   constructor ({ width, height, unit = 4, padding = 1, blockId, controller, heightStore, colorMode }) {
@@ -47,6 +55,12 @@ export default class TxBlockScene extends TxMondrianPoolScene {
     this.resetLayout()
   }
 
+  // calculates and returns the size of the tx in multiples of the grid size
+  txSize (tx={ value: 1, vbytes: 1 }) {
+    if (settingsValue.vbytes) return byteTxSize(tx.vbytes, Math.Infinity)
+    else return logTxSize(tx.value, Math.Infinity)
+  }
+
   setTxOnScreen (tx, pixelPosition) {
     if (!tx.view.initialised) {
       tx.view.update({
diff --git a/server/lib/mempool.ex b/server/lib/mempool.ex
index 4ae7b45..8c9ecdc 100644
--- a/server/lib/mempool.ex
+++ b/server/lib/mempool.ex
@@ -498,7 +498,6 @@ defmodule BitcoinStream.Mempool do
     end
   end
 
-
   defp cache_spend(txid, index, input) do
     :ets.insert(:spend_cache, {[input.prev_txid, input.prev_vout], [txid, index]})
   end
diff --git a/server/lib/router.ex b/server/lib/router.ex
index 21aa207..adddee0 100644
--- a/server/lib/router.ex
+++ b/server/lib/router.ex
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ defmodule BitcoinStream.Router do
         |> send_resp(200, spends)
       _ ->
         Logger.debug("Error getting tx spends");
-        send_resp(conn, 404, "Transaction not found")
+        send_resp(conn, 200, "[]")
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/server/lib/spend_index.ex b/server/lib/spend_index.ex
index 0c11095..87db187 100644
--- a/server/lib/spend_index.ex
+++ b/server/lib/spend_index.ex
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ defmodule BitcoinStream.Index.Spend do
       Process.send_after(self(), :sync, 2000);
       {:ok, [dbref, indexed, false]}
     else
-      {:ok, nil}
+      {:ok, [nil, indexed, false]}
     end
   end
 
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ defmodule BitcoinStream.Index.Spend do
 
   @impl true
   def handle_call({:get_tx_spends, txid}, _from, [dbref, indexed, done]) do
-    case get_transaction_spends(dbref, txid) do
+    case get_transaction_spends(dbref, txid, (indexed != nil)) do
       {:ok, spends} ->
         {:reply, {:ok, spends}, [dbref, indexed, done]}
 
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ defmodule BitcoinStream.Index.Spend do
   defp index_block_inputs(dbref, batch, txns) do
     spends = index_txs(txns, %{});
     Enum.each(spends, fn {binid, outputs} ->
-      case get_chain_spends(dbref, binid) do
+      case get_chain_spends(dbref, binid, true) do
         false ->
           Logger.error("uninitialised tx in input index: #{Base.encode16(binid, [case: :lower])}")
           :ok
@@ -296,8 +296,8 @@ defmodule BitcoinStream.Index.Spend do
     end
   end
 
-  defp get_chain_spends(dbref, binary_txid) do
-    case :rocksdb.get(dbref, binary_txid, []) do
+  defp get_chain_spends(dbref, binary_txid, use_index) do
+    case (if use_index do :rocksdb.get(dbref, binary_txid, []) else :not_found end) do
       {:ok, spends} ->
         spends
 
@@ -337,9 +337,9 @@ defmodule BitcoinStream.Index.Spend do
     unpack_spends(bin, [])
   end
 
-  defp get_transaction_spends(dbref, txid) do
+  defp get_transaction_spends(dbref, txid, use_index) do
     binary_txid = Base.decode16!(txid, [case: :lower]);
-    chain_spends = get_chain_spends(dbref, binary_txid);
+    chain_spends = get_chain_spends(dbref, binary_txid, use_index);
     spend_list = unpack_spends(chain_spends);
     spend_list = add_mempool_spends(txid, spend_list);
     {:ok, spend_list}
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ defmodule BitcoinStream.Index.Spend do
   defp drop_block_inputs(dbref, batch, txns) do
     spends = index_txs(txns, %{});
     Enum.each(spends, fn {binid, outputs} ->
-      case get_chain_spends(dbref, binid) do
+      case get_chain_spends(dbref, binid, true) do
         false ->
           Logger.error("uninitialised tx in input index: #{Base.encode16(binid, [case: :lower])}")
           :ok