diff --git a/src/api/mod.rs b/src/api/mod.rs
index 716da79..be67521 100644
--- a/src/api/mod.rs
+++ b/src/api/mod.rs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ mod stream;
 mod xrpc;
 
 pub async fn serve(hydrant: Hydrant, port: u16) -> miette::Result<()> {
+    let blocks_available = hydrant.state.is_block_storage_enabled();
     let app = Router::new()
         .route(
             "/",
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ pub async fn serve(hydrant: Hydrant, port: u16) -> miette::Result<()> {
     #[cfg(feature = "indexer")]
     let app = app.nest("/stream", stream::router());
     let app = app
-        .merge(xrpc::router())
+        .merge(xrpc::router(blocks_available))
         .merge(filter::router())
         .merge(pds::router())
         .merge(repos::router())
diff --git a/src/api/xrpc/mod.rs b/src/api/xrpc/mod.rs
index 18dc7d7..b96146d 100644
--- a/src/api/xrpc/mod.rs
+++ b/src/api/xrpc/mod.rs
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ mod request_crawl;
 #[cfg(feature = "relay")]
 mod subscribe_repos;
 
-pub fn router() -> Router<Hydrant> {
+pub fn router(blocks_available: bool) -> Router<Hydrant> {
     let r = Router::new()
         .route(GetHostStatusRequest::PATH, get(get_host_status::handle))
         .route(ListHostsRequest::PATH, get(list_hosts::handle))
@@ -74,16 +74,22 @@ pub fn router() -> Router<Hydrant> {
 
     #[cfg(feature = "indexer")]
     let r = r
-        .route(GetRecordRequest::PATH, get(get_record::handle))
-        .route(ListRecordsRequest::PATH, get(list_records::handle))
         .route(CountRecords::PATH, get(count_records::handle))
-        .route(GetRepoRequest::PATH, get(get_repo::handle))
         .route(DescribeRepo::PATH, get(describe_repo::handle))
         .route(
             AtprotoDescribeRepoRequest::PATH,
             get(com_atproto_describe_repo::handle),
         );
 
+    #[cfg(feature = "indexer")]
+    let r = if blocks_available {
+        r.route(GetRecordRequest::PATH, get(get_record::handle))
+            .route(ListRecordsRequest::PATH, get(list_records::handle))
+            .route(GetRepoRequest::PATH, get(get_repo::handle))
+    } else {
+        r
+    };
+
     #[cfg(feature = "relay")]
     let r = r
         .route(SubscribeReposEndpoint::PATH, get(subscribe_repos::handle))
diff --git a/src/control/repos/indexer.rs b/src/control/repos/indexer.rs
index 3a4f3b0..81001e8 100644
--- a/src/control/repos/indexer.rs
+++ b/src/control/repos/indexer.rs
@@ -334,8 +334,8 @@ impl ReposControl {
 impl<'i> RepoHandle<'i> {
     /// gets a record from this repository.
     pub async fn get_record(&self, collection: &str, rkey: &str) -> Result<Option<Record>> {
-        if self.state.only_index_links {
-            miette::bail!("block storage is disabled (HYDRANT_ONLY_INDEX_LINKS)");
+        if !self.state.is_block_storage_enabled() {
+            miette::bail!("block storage is not available in this mode");
         }
 
         let did = self.did.clone().into_static();
@@ -380,8 +380,8 @@ impl<'i> RepoHandle<'i> {
         reverse: bool,
         cursor: Option<&str>,
     ) -> Result<RecordList> {
-        if self.state.only_index_links {
-            miette::bail!("block storage is disabled (HYDRANT_ONLY_INDEX_LINKS)");
+        if !self.state.is_block_storage_enabled() {
+            miette::bail!("block storage is not available in this mode");
         }
         let did = self.did.clone().into_static();
 
@@ -486,8 +486,8 @@ impl<'i> RepoHandle<'i> {
         &self,
     ) -> Result<Option<impl futures::Stream<Item = std::io::Result<bytes::Bytes>> + Send + 'static>>
     {
-        if self.state.only_index_links {
-            miette::bail!("block storage is disabled (HYDRANT_ONLY_INDEX_LINKS)");
+        if !self.state.is_block_storage_enabled() {
+            miette::bail!("block storage is not available in this mode");
         }
         use iroh_car::{CarHeader, CarWriter};
         use jacquard_repo::{BlockStore, MemoryBlockStore, Mst};
diff --git a/src/state.rs b/src/state.rs
index ef2fdf0..796cbff 100644
--- a/src/state.rs
+++ b/src/state.rs
@@ -115,6 +115,10 @@ impl AppState {
         })
     }
 
+    pub fn is_block_storage_enabled(&self) -> bool {
+        !self.ephemeral && !self.only_index_links
+    }
+
     #[cfg(feature = "indexer")]
     pub fn notify_backfill(&self) {
         self.backfill_notify.notify_one();