diff --git a/lib/utils.js b/lib/utils.js
index 2419b67..6617f9c 100644
--- a/lib/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils.js
@@ -123,9 +123,13 @@ class GhostDB {
       this.#path(tangleID),
       GhostDB.encodingOpts,
       (/** @type {any} */ err, /** @type {any} */ str) => {
+        // Load Map
+        /** @type {Map<string, number>} */
+        let map;
+        if (err && err.code === 'ENOENT') map = new Map()
         // prettier-ignore
-        if (err) return cb(new Error('GhostDB.read() failed to read ghost file', { cause: err }))
-        const map = this.#deserialize(str)
+        else if (err) return cb(new Error('GhostDB.read() failed to read ghost file', { cause: err }))
+        else map = this.#deserialize(str)
 
         cb(null, map)
       }
diff --git a/test/ghosts.tests.js b/test/ghosts.tests.js
index 506acd9..5044350 100644
--- a/test/ghosts.tests.js
+++ b/test/ghosts.tests.js
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ test('ghosts.add, ghosts.get, ghosts.getMinDepth', async (t) => {
   }
   const feedID = peer.db.feed.getID(account, 'post')
 
+  const ghosts0 = await p(peer.db.ghosts.get)(feedID)
+  assert.deepEqual(ghosts0, [], 'no ghosts so far')
+
   await p(peer.db.ghosts.add)({ msg: msgIDs[0], tangle: feedID, max: MAX })
   await p(peer.db.ghosts.add)({ msg: msgIDs[1], tangle: feedID, max: MAX })
   await p(peer.db.ghosts.add)({ msg: msgIDs[2], tangle: feedID, max: MAX })