diff --git a/src/penumbra.rs b/src/penumbra.rs
index 36298c6..8be3727 100644
--- a/src/penumbra.rs
+++ b/src/penumbra.rs
@@ -143,6 +143,54 @@ impl RegenerationStep {
             _ => self,
         }
     }
+
+    /// Check the feasability of this step against an archive.
+    ///
+    /// Will return `Ok(Err(_))` if this step is guaranteed to fail (at that starting point).
+    pub async fn check_against_archive(
+        &self,
+        start: u64,
+        archive: &Archive,
+    ) -> anyhow::Result<anyhow::Result<()>> {
+        match self {
+            RegenerationStep::Migrate { .. } => Ok(Ok(())),
+            // For this to work, we need to be able to fetch the genesis,
+            // and then to be able to do a "run to" from the start to the potential last block.
+            RegenerationStep::InitThenRunTo {
+                genesis_height,
+                last_block,
+                ..
+            } => {
+                if !archive.genesis_does_exist(*genesis_height).await? {
+                    return Err(anyhow!(
+                        "genesis at height {} does not exist",
+                        genesis_height,
+                    ));
+                }
+                if start > 0 && !archive.block_does_exist(start).await? {
+                    return Err(anyhow!("missing block at height {}", start));
+                }
+                if let Some(block) = last_block {
+                    if !archive.block_does_exist(*block).await? {
+                        return Err(anyhow!("missing block at height {}", block));
+                    }
+                }
+                Ok(Ok(()))
+            }
+            // To run from a start block to a last block, both blocks should exist.
+            RegenerationStep::RunTo { last_block, .. } => {
+                if start > 0 && !archive.block_does_exist(start).await? {
+                    return Err(anyhow!("missing block at height {}", start));
+                }
+                if let Some(block) = last_block {
+                    if !archive.block_does_exist(*block).await? {
+                        return Err(anyhow!("missing block at height {}", block));
+                    }
+                }
+                Ok(Ok(()))
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 /// Represents a series of steps to regenerate events.
@@ -195,6 +243,23 @@ impl RegenerationPlan {
         Self { steps }
     }
 
+    /// Check the integrity of this plan against an archive.
+    ///
+    /// This avoids running a plan which can't possibly succeed against an archive.
+    ///
+    /// If this plan returns `Ok(false)`, then running it against that archive *will*
+    /// fail. An error might just be something spurious, e.g. an IO error.
+    pub async fn check_against_archive(
+        &self,
+        archive: &Archive,
+    ) -> anyhow::Result<anyhow::Result<()>> {
+        let mut good = Ok(());
+        for (start, step) in &self.steps {
+            good = good.and(step.check_against_archive(*start, archive).await?);
+        }
+        Ok(good)
+    }
+
     /// Some regeneration plans are pre-specified, by a chain id.
     pub fn from_known_chain_id(chain_id: &str) -> Option<Self> {
         match chain_id {
@@ -368,6 +433,7 @@ impl Regenerator {
             stop,
             plan
         );
+        plan.check_against_archive(&self.archive).await??;
         for (start, step) in plan.steps.into_iter() {
             use RegenerationStep::*;
             match step {
diff --git a/src/storage.rs b/src/storage.rs
index caec1a3..aa4556d 100644
--- a/src/storage.rs
+++ b/src/storage.rs
@@ -271,6 +271,15 @@ impl Storage {
         Ok(data.map(|x| Genesis::decode(&x.0)).transpose()?)
     }
 
+    pub async fn genesis_does_exist(&self, initial_height: u64) -> anyhow::Result<bool> {
+        let exists: bool =
+            sqlx::query_scalar("SELECT EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM geneses WHERE initial_height = ?)")
+                .bind(i64::try_from(initial_height)?)
+                .fetch_one(&self.pool)
+                .await?;
+        Ok(exists)
+    }
+
     /// Get a block from storage.
     ///
     /// This will return [Option::None] if there's no such block.
@@ -285,6 +294,15 @@ impl Storage {
         Ok(data.map(|x| Block::decode(&x.0)).transpose()?)
     }
 
+    pub async fn block_does_exist(&self, height: u64) -> anyhow::Result<bool> {
+        let exists: bool =
+            sqlx::query_scalar("SELECT EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM blocks WHERE height = ?)")
+                .bind(i64::try_from(height)?)
+                .fetch_one(&self.pool)
+                .await?;
+        Ok(exists)
+    }
+
     /// Get the highest known block in the storage.
     #[allow(dead_code)]
     pub async fn last_height(&self) -> anyhow::Result<Option<u64>> {
@@ -333,6 +351,7 @@ mod test {
         let height = in_block.height();
         let storage = Storage::new(None, Some(CHAIN_ID)).await?;
         storage.put_block(&in_block).await?;
+        assert!(storage.block_does_exist(height).await?);
         let out_block = storage.get_block(height).await?;
         assert_eq!(out_block, Some(in_block));
         let last_height = storage.last_height().await?;
@@ -361,6 +380,7 @@ mod test {
         let storage = Storage::new(None, Some(CHAIN_ID)).await?;
         let genesis = Genesis::test_value();
         storage.put_genesis(&genesis).await?;
+        assert!(storage.genesis_does_exist(genesis.initial_height()).await?);
         let out = storage
             .get_genesis(genesis.initial_height())
             .await?