diff --git a/brownie/network/middlewares/hardhat.py b/brownie/network/middlewares/hardhat.py
index fd1368310..47ed860f4 100644
--- a/brownie/network/middlewares/hardhat.py
+++ b/brownie/network/middlewares/hardhat.py
@@ -17,12 +17,17 @@ def process_request(self, make_request: Callable, method: str, params: List) ->
         result = make_request(method, params)
 
         # modify Hardhat transaction error to mimick the format that Ganache uses
-        if method == "eth_sendTransaction" and "error" in result:
+        if method in ("eth_call", "eth_sendTransaction") and "error" in result:
             message = result["error"]["message"]
             if message.startswith("VM Exception") or message.startswith("Transaction reverted"):
-                txid = self.w3.eth.getBlock("latest")["transactions"][0]
+                if method == "eth_call":
+                    # ganache returns a txid even on a failed eth_call, which is weird,
+                    # but we still mimick it here for the sake of consistency
+                    txid = "0x"
+                else:
+                    txid = self.w3.eth.getBlock("latest")["transactions"][0].hex()
                 data: Dict = {}
-                result["error"]["data"] = {txid.hex(): data}
+                result["error"]["data"] = {txid: data}
                 message = message.split(": ", maxsplit=1)[-1]
                 if message == "Transaction reverted without a reason":
                     data.update({"error": "revert", "reason": None})