diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a57e7c07..6f68b47d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 
 - Relax username validation to allow emails
   [#2364](https://github.com/juanfont/headscale/pull/2364)
+- Remove invalid routes and add stronger constraints for routes to avoid API panic
+  [#2371](https://github.com/juanfont/headscale/pull/2371)
 
 ## 0.24.0 (2025-01-17)
 
diff --git a/cmd/headscale/cli/routes.go b/cmd/headscale/cli/routes.go
index e39b407f..ef289497 100644
--- a/cmd/headscale/cli/routes.go
+++ b/cmd/headscale/cli/routes.go
@@ -251,10 +251,15 @@ func routesToPtables(routes []*v1.Route) pterm.TableData {
 			isPrimaryStr = strconv.FormatBool(route.GetIsPrimary())
 		}
 
+		var nodeName string
+		if route.GetNode() != nil {
+			nodeName = route.GetNode().GetGivenName()
+		}
+
 		tableData = append(tableData,
 			[]string{
 				strconv.FormatUint(route.GetId(), Base10),
-				route.GetNode().GetGivenName(),
+				nodeName,
 				route.GetPrefix(),
 				strconv.FormatBool(route.GetAdvertised()),
 				strconv.FormatBool(route.GetEnabled()),
diff --git a/hscontrol/db/db.go b/hscontrol/db/db.go
index 0d9120c2..553d7f0e 100644
--- a/hscontrol/db/db.go
+++ b/hscontrol/db/db.go
@@ -521,6 +521,27 @@ func NewHeadscaleDatabase(
 				},
 				Rollback: func(db *gorm.DB) error { return nil },
 			},
+			{
+				// Add a constraint to routes ensuring they cannot exist without a node.
+				ID: "202501221827",
+				Migrate: func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
+					// Remove any invalid routes associated with a node that does not exist.
+					if tx.Migrator().HasTable(&types.Route{}) && tx.Migrator().HasTable(&types.Node{}) {
+						err := tx.Exec("delete from routes where node_id not in (select id from nodes)").Error
+						if err != nil {
+							return err
+						}
+					}
+
+					err := tx.AutoMigrate(&types.Route{})
+					if err != nil {
+						return err
+					}
+
+					return nil
+				},
+				Rollback: func(db *gorm.DB) error { return nil },
+			},
 		},
 	)
 
diff --git a/hscontrol/types/routes.go b/hscontrol/types/routes.go
index 4ef3621f..12559fa6 100644
--- a/hscontrol/types/routes.go
+++ b/hscontrol/types/routes.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 type Route struct {
 	gorm.Model
 
-	NodeID uint64
+	NodeID uint64 `gorm:"not null"`
 	Node   *Node
 
 	// TODO(kradalby): change this custom type to netip.Prefix
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ func (rs Routes) Proto() []*v1.Route {
 	for _, route := range rs {
 		protoRoute := v1.Route{
 			Id:         uint64(route.ID),
-			Node:       route.Node.Proto(),
 			Prefix:     route.Prefix.String(),
 			Advertised: route.Advertised,
 			Enabled:    route.Enabled,
@@ -88,6 +87,10 @@ func (rs Routes) Proto() []*v1.Route {
 			UpdatedAt:  timestamppb.New(route.UpdatedAt),
 		}
 
+		if route.Node != nil {
+			protoRoute.Node = route.Node.Proto()
+		}
+
 		if route.DeletedAt.Valid {
 			protoRoute.DeletedAt = timestamppb.New(route.DeletedAt.Time)
 		}