diff --git a/go/cmd/pserver/pserver.go b/go/cmd/pserver/pserver.go
index 20094fbab4d12a3feca7e3e2d8c064300ac877b1..aa81d0432b1d4f411644e0a5b703d7ea74d144b7 100644
--- a/go/cmd/pserver/pserver.go
+++ b/go/cmd/pserver/pserver.go
@@ -59,7 +59,11 @@ func main() {
 
 		cp, err = pserver.NewCheckpointFromFile(*checkpointPath, idx, e)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("Fetch checkpoint failed, %s", err)
+			if err == pserver.ErrCheckpointNotFound {
+				log.Infof("Could not find the pserver checkpoint.")
+			} else {
+				log.Errorf("Fetch checkpoint failed, %s", err)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/go/pserver/service.go b/go/pserver/service.go
index 46738413f0a28217dac484a1a219a108790e4921..a7767afa630496bd3248cc2cd8f704f8b809d5fb 100644
--- a/go/pserver/service.go
+++ b/go/pserver/service.go
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ import (
 // ElementType is the type of elements of a Parameter.
 type ElementType int
 
+// ErrCheckpointNotFound indicates that the pserver checkpoint could
+// not be found.
+var ErrCheckpointNotFound = errors.New("checkpoint not found")
+
 // RPC error message.
 const (
 	AlreadyInitialized  = "pserver already initialized"
@@ -103,6 +107,10 @@ func NewCheckpointFromFile(cpPath string, idx int, e *EtcdClient) (Checkpoint, e
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	if len(v) == 0 {
+		return nil, ErrCheckpointNotFound
+	}
+
 	var cpMeta checkpointMeta
 	if err = json.Unmarshal(v, &cpMeta); err != nil {
 		return nil, err