diff --git a/crates/cli/commands/src/common.rs b/crates/cli/commands/src/common.rs
index f23fe2d5a0..20f478fc08 100644
--- a/crates/cli/commands/src/common.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/commands/src/common.rs
@@ -146,11 +146,24 @@ impl<C: ChainSpecParser> EnvironmentArgs<C> {
                 })
             }
         };
-        let rocksdb_provider = RocksDBProvider::builder(data_dir.rocksdb())
-            .with_default_tables()
-            .with_database_log_level(self.db.log_level)
-            .with_read_only(!access.is_read_write())
-            .build()?;
+        let rocksdb_provider = if !access.is_read_write() && !RocksDBProvider::exists(&rocksdb_path)
+        {
+            // RocksDB database doesn't exist yet (e.g. datadir restored from a snapshot
+            // or created before RocksDB storage). Create an empty one so read-only
+            // commands can proceed.
+            debug!(target: "reth::cli", ?rocksdb_path, "RocksDB not found, initializing empty database");
+            reth_fs_util::create_dir_all(&rocksdb_path)?;
+            RocksDBProvider::builder(data_dir.rocksdb())
+                .with_default_tables()
+                .with_database_log_level(self.db.log_level)
+                .build()?
+        } else {
+            RocksDBProvider::builder(data_dir.rocksdb())
+                .with_default_tables()
+                .with_database_log_level(self.db.log_level)
+                .with_read_only(!access.is_read_write())
+                .build()?
+        };
 
         let provider_factory =
             self.create_provider_factory(&config, db, sfp, rocksdb_provider, access, runtime)?;
diff --git a/crates/storage/provider/src/providers/rocksdb/provider.rs b/crates/storage/provider/src/providers/rocksdb/provider.rs
index 7fa5cf7191..574473e49a 100644
--- a/crates/storage/provider/src/providers/rocksdb/provider.rs
+++ b/crates/storage/provider/src/providers/rocksdb/provider.rs
@@ -691,6 +691,14 @@ impl RocksDBProvider {
         RocksDBBuilder::new(path)
     }
 
+    /// Returns `true` if a `RocksDB` database exists at the given path.
+    ///
+    /// Checks for the presence of the `CURRENT` file, which `RocksDB` creates
+    /// when initializing a database.
+    pub fn exists(path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> bool {
+        path.as_ref().join("CURRENT").exists()
+    }
+
     /// Returns `true` if this provider is in read-only mode.
     pub fn is_read_only(&self) -> bool {
         matches!(self.0.as_ref(), RocksDBProviderInner::ReadOnly { .. })
diff --git a/crates/storage/provider/src/providers/rocksdb_stub.rs b/crates/storage/provider/src/providers/rocksdb_stub.rs
index ff84f1b17e..6b36404339 100644
--- a/crates/storage/provider/src/providers/rocksdb_stub.rs
+++ b/crates/storage/provider/src/providers/rocksdb_stub.rs
@@ -74,6 +74,13 @@ impl RocksDBProvider {
         RocksDBBuilder::new(path)
     }
 
+    /// Returns `true` if a `RocksDB` database exists at the given path (stub implementation).
+    ///
+    /// Always returns `false` since `RocksDB` is not available.
+    pub fn exists(_path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> bool {
+        false
+    }
+
     /// Check consistency of `RocksDB` tables (stub implementation).
     ///
     /// Returns `None` since there is no `RocksDB` data to check when the feature is disabled.