diff --git a/doc/REST-interface.md b/doc/REST-interface.md
index 7010edfcd..6982df5b1 100644
--- a/doc/REST-interface.md
+++ b/doc/REST-interface.md
@@ -17,10 +17,16 @@ Given a transaction hash: returns a transaction in binary, hex-encoded binary, o
 For full TX query capability, one must enable the transaction index via "txindex=1" command line / configuration option.
 
 #### Blocks
+`GET /rest/block/tip.<bin|hex|json>`
 `GET /rest/block/<BLOCK-HASH>.<bin|hex|json>`
+`GET /rest/block/<BLOCK-HEIGHT>.<bin|hex|json>`
+`GET /rest/block/notxdetails/tip.<bin|hex|json>`
 `GET /rest/block/notxdetails/<BLOCK-HASH>.<bin|hex|json>`
+`GET /rest/block/notxdetails/<BLOCK-HEIGHT>.<bin|hex|json>`
 
 Given a block hash: returns a block, in binary, hex-encoded binary or JSON formats.
+You can give a block height instead of a hash. Height 0 is not available, 
+but can be negative to go back that many blocks from the tip.
 
 The HTTP request and response are both handled entirely in-memory, thus making maximum memory usage at least 2.66MB (1 MB max block, plus hex encoding) per request.
 
diff --git a/src/rest.cpp b/src/rest.cpp
index b81a6f9c5..95648c09b 100644
--- a/src/rest.cpp
+++ b/src/rest.cpp
@@ -205,14 +205,26 @@ static bool rest_block(HTTPRequest* req,
     const RetFormat rf = ParseDataFormat(hashStr, strURIPart);
 
     uint256 hash;
-    if (!ParseHashStr(hashStr, hash))
-        return RESTERR(req, HTTP_BAD_REQUEST, "Invalid hash: " + hashStr);
-
+    long int blockHeight = 0;
+    if (hashStr != "tip") {
+        blockHeight = hashStr.size() < 12 ? std::strtol(hashStr.c_str(), nullptr, 10) : 0;
+        if (blockHeight == 0 && !ParseHashStr(hashStr, hash))
+            return RESTERR(req, HTTP_BAD_REQUEST, "Invalid hash or block height: " + hashStr);
+    }
     CBlock block;
     CBlockIndex* pblockindex = nullptr;
     {
         LOCK(cs_main);
-        pblockindex = LookupBlockIndex(hash);
+        if (blockHeight < 0) // negative block heights take us back from current tip
+            blockHeight += chainActive.Height();
+        if (blockHeight > 0 && blockHeight <= chainActive.Height())
+            pblockindex = chainActive[blockHeight];
+        else if (blockHeight != 0)
+            return RESTERR(req, HTTP_BAD_REQUEST, "Invalid hash or block height: " + hashStr);
+        else if (hashStr == "tip")
+            pblockindex = chainActive.Tip();
+        else
+            pblockindex = LookupBlockIndex(hash);
         if (!pblockindex) {
             return RESTERR(req, HTTP_NOT_FOUND, hashStr + " not found");
         }
diff --git a/test/functional/interface_rest.py b/test/functional/interface_rest.py
index afa9de580..4efb8cd32 100755
--- a/test/functional/interface_rest.py
+++ b/test/functional/interface_rest.py
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ class RESTTest (BitcoinTestFramework):
         self.nodes[1].generatetoaddress(100, not_related_address)
         self.sync_all()
 
-        assert_equal(self.nodes[0].getbalance(), 50)
+        assert_equal(self.nodes[0].getbalance(), 1)
 
         txid = self.nodes[0].sendtoaddress(self.nodes[1].getnewaddress(), 0.1)
         self.sync_all()
@@ -200,17 +200,26 @@ class RESTTest (BitcoinTestFramework):
 
         self.log.info("Test the /block and /headers URIs")
         bb_hash = self.nodes[0].getbestblockhash()
+        bb_height = self.nodes[0].getblock(self.nodes[0].getbestblockhash())['height']
 
         # Check binary format
         response = self.test_rest_request("/block/{}".format(bb_hash), req_type=ReqType.BIN, ret_type=RetType.OBJ)
         assert_greater_than(int(response.getheader('content-length')), 80)
         response_bytes = response.read()
 
+        response2 = self.test_rest_request("/block/{}".format(bb_height), req_type=ReqType.BIN, ret_type=RetType.OBJ)
+        response2_bytes = response2.read()
+        assert_equal(response_bytes, response2_bytes)
+
+        response3 = self.test_rest_request("/block/tip", req_type=ReqType.BIN, ret_type=RetType.OBJ)
+        response3_bytes = response3.read()
+        assert_equal(response_bytes, response3_bytes)
+
         # Compare with block header
         response_header = self.test_rest_request("/headers/1/{}".format(bb_hash), req_type=ReqType.BIN, ret_type=RetType.OBJ)
-        assert_equal(int(response_header.getheader('content-length')), 80)
+        assert_equal(int(response_header.getheader('content-length')), 112)
         response_header_bytes = response_header.read()
-        assert_equal(response_bytes[:80], response_header_bytes)
+        assert_equal(response_bytes[:112], response_header_bytes)
 
         # Check block hex format
         response_hex = self.test_rest_request("/block/{}".format(bb_hash), req_type=ReqType.HEX, ret_type=RetType.OBJ)
@@ -259,9 +268,9 @@ class RESTTest (BitcoinTestFramework):
 
         # Make 3 tx and mine them on node 1
         txs = []
-        txs.append(self.nodes[0].sendtoaddress(not_related_address, 11))
-        txs.append(self.nodes[0].sendtoaddress(not_related_address, 11))
-        txs.append(self.nodes[0].sendtoaddress(not_related_address, 11))
+        txs.append(self.nodes[0].sendtoaddress(not_related_address, 0.11))
+        txs.append(self.nodes[0].sendtoaddress(not_related_address, 0.11))
+        txs.append(self.nodes[0].sendtoaddress(not_related_address, 0.11))
         self.sync_all()
 
         # Check that there are exactly 3 transactions in the TX memory pool before generating the block