diff --git a/Neos.ContentGraph.DoctrineDbalAdapter/src/Domain/Repository/ContentGraph.php b/Neos.ContentGraph.DoctrineDbalAdapter/src/Domain/Repository/ContentGraph.php
index 40658a0c1e1..e64c67b006c 100644
--- a/Neos.ContentGraph.DoctrineDbalAdapter/src/Domain/Repository/ContentGraph.php
+++ b/Neos.ContentGraph.DoctrineDbalAdapter/src/Domain/Repository/ContentGraph.php
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\Projection\ContentGraph\NodeAggregates;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\Projection\ContentGraph\VisibilityConstraints;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\ContentRepository\ContentRepositoryId;
-use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Exception\RootNodeAggregateDoesNotExist;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Node\NodeAggregateClassification;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Node\NodeAggregateId;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Node\NodeName;
@@ -119,17 +118,15 @@ public function getSubgraph(
         return $this->subgraphs[$index];
     }
 
-    /**
-     * @throws RootNodeAggregateDoesNotExist
-     */
     public function findRootNodeAggregateByType(
         NodeTypeName $nodeTypeName
-    ): NodeAggregate {
+    ): ?NodeAggregate {
         $rootNodeAggregates = $this->findRootNodeAggregates(
             FindRootNodeAggregatesFilter::create(nodeTypeName: $nodeTypeName)
         );
 
         if ($rootNodeAggregates->count() > 1) {
+            // todo drop this check as this is enforced by the write side? https://github.com/neos/neos-development-collection/pull/4339
             $ids = [];
             foreach ($rootNodeAggregates as $rootNodeAggregate) {
                 $ids[] = $rootNodeAggregate->nodeAggregateId->value;
@@ -144,12 +141,7 @@ public function findRootNodeAggregateByType(
             ));
         }
 
-        $rootNodeAggregate = $rootNodeAggregates->first();
-        if ($rootNodeAggregate === null) {
-            throw RootNodeAggregateDoesNotExist::butWasExpectedTo($nodeTypeName);
-        }
-
-        return $rootNodeAggregate;
+        return $rootNodeAggregates->first();
     }
 
     public function findRootNodeAggregates(
diff --git a/Neos.ContentGraph.PostgreSQLAdapter/src/Domain/Repository/ContentHypergraph.php b/Neos.ContentGraph.PostgreSQLAdapter/src/Domain/Repository/ContentHypergraph.php
index 3127c86e061..2b419cace5e 100644
--- a/Neos.ContentGraph.PostgreSQLAdapter/src/Domain/Repository/ContentHypergraph.php
+++ b/Neos.ContentGraph.PostgreSQLAdapter/src/Domain/Repository/ContentHypergraph.php
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\Projection\ContentGraph\NodeAggregates;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\Projection\ContentGraph\VisibilityConstraints;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\ContentRepository\ContentRepositoryId;
-use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Exception\RootNodeAggregateDoesNotExist;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Node\NodeAggregateId;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Node\NodeName;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Workspace\ContentStreamId;
@@ -96,7 +95,7 @@ public function getSubgraph(
 
     public function findRootNodeAggregateByType(
         NodeTypeName $nodeTypeName
-    ): NodeAggregate {
+    ): ?NodeAggregate {
         $rootNodeAggregates = $this->findRootNodeAggregates(
             FindRootNodeAggregatesFilter::create(nodeTypeName: $nodeTypeName)
         );
@@ -113,13 +112,7 @@ public function findRootNodeAggregateByType(
             ));
         }
 
-        $rootNodeAggregate = $rootNodeAggregates->first();
-
-        if ($rootNodeAggregate === null) {
-            throw RootNodeAggregateDoesNotExist::butWasExpectedTo($nodeTypeName);
-        }
-
-        return $rootNodeAggregate;
+        return $rootNodeAggregates->first();
     }
 
     public function findRootNodeAggregates(
diff --git a/Neos.ContentRepository.Core/Classes/Feature/Common/ConstraintChecks.php b/Neos.ContentRepository.Core/Classes/Feature/Common/ConstraintChecks.php
index 94198dcf97d..9cb894f5d76 100644
--- a/Neos.ContentRepository.Core/Classes/Feature/Common/ConstraintChecks.php
+++ b/Neos.ContentRepository.Core/Classes/Feature/Common/ConstraintChecks.php
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Exception\NodeTypeNotFound;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Exception\PropertyCannotBeSet;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Exception\ReferenceCannotBeSet;
-use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Exception\RootNodeAggregateDoesNotExist;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Exception\RootNodeAggregateTypeIsAlreadyOccupied;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Node\NodeAggregateId;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Node\NodeName;
@@ -160,12 +159,9 @@ protected function requireRootNodeTypeToBeUnoccupied(
         ContentGraphInterface $contentGraph,
         NodeTypeName $nodeTypeName
     ): void {
-        try {
-            $contentGraph->findRootNodeAggregateByType($nodeTypeName);
-        } catch (RootNodeAggregateDoesNotExist $_) {
+        if ($contentGraph->findRootNodeAggregateByType($nodeTypeName) === null) {
             return;
         }
-
         throw RootNodeAggregateTypeIsAlreadyOccupied::butWasExpectedNotTo($nodeTypeName);
     }
 
diff --git a/Neos.ContentRepository.Core/Classes/Projection/ContentGraph/ContentGraphInterface.php b/Neos.ContentRepository.Core/Classes/Projection/ContentGraph/ContentGraphInterface.php
index edc925f622d..67af3f6d5ff 100644
--- a/Neos.ContentRepository.Core/Classes/Projection/ContentGraph/ContentGraphInterface.php
+++ b/Neos.ContentRepository.Core/Classes/Projection/ContentGraph/ContentGraphInterface.php
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\Projection\ProjectionStateInterface;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\ContentRepository\ContentRepositoryId;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Exception\NodeAggregatesTypeIsAmbiguous;
-use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Exception\RootNodeAggregateDoesNotExist;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Node\NodeAggregateId;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Node\NodeName;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Workspace\ContentStreamId;
@@ -59,14 +58,11 @@ public function getSubgraph(
     ): ContentSubgraphInterface;
 
     /**
-     * Throws exception if no root aggregate of the given type found.
-     *
-     * @throws RootNodeAggregateDoesNotExist
      * @api
      */
     public function findRootNodeAggregateByType(
         NodeTypeName $nodeTypeName
-    ): NodeAggregate;
+    ): ?NodeAggregate;
 
     /**
      * @api
diff --git a/Neos.ContentRepository.Core/Classes/Service/ContentRepositoryBootstrapper.php b/Neos.ContentRepository.Core/Classes/Service/ContentRepositoryBootstrapper.php
index b5b92e1858a..3a835b5cb77 100644
--- a/Neos.ContentRepository.Core/Classes/Service/ContentRepositoryBootstrapper.php
+++ b/Neos.ContentRepository.Core/Classes/Service/ContentRepositoryBootstrapper.php
@@ -62,27 +62,25 @@ public function getOrCreateLiveWorkspace(): Workspace
     }
 
     /**
-     * Retrieve the root Node Aggregate ID for the specified $contentStreamId
+     * Retrieve the root Node Aggregate ID for the specified $workspace
      * If no root node of the specified $rootNodeTypeName exist, it will be created
      */
     public function getOrCreateRootNodeAggregate(
         Workspace $workspace,
         NodeTypeName $rootNodeTypeName
     ): NodeAggregateId {
-        try {
-            return $this->contentRepository->getContentGraph($workspace->workspaceName)->findRootNodeAggregateByType(
-                $rootNodeTypeName
-            )->nodeAggregateId;
-
-            // TODO make this case more explicit
-        } catch (\Exception $exception) {
-            $rootNodeAggregateId = NodeAggregateId::create();
-            $this->contentRepository->handle(CreateRootNodeAggregateWithNode::create(
-                $workspace->workspaceName,
-                $rootNodeAggregateId,
-                $rootNodeTypeName,
-            ));
-            return $rootNodeAggregateId;
+        $rootNodeAggregate = $this->contentRepository->getContentGraph($workspace->workspaceName)->findRootNodeAggregateByType(
+            $rootNodeTypeName
+        );
+        if ($rootNodeAggregate !== null) {
+            return $rootNodeAggregate->nodeAggregateId;
         }
+        $rootNodeAggregateId = NodeAggregateId::create();
+        $this->contentRepository->handle(CreateRootNodeAggregateWithNode::create(
+            $workspace->workspaceName,
+            $rootNodeAggregateId,
+            $rootNodeTypeName,
+        ));
+        return $rootNodeAggregateId;
     }
 }
diff --git a/Neos.ContentRepository.Core/Classes/SharedModel/Exception/RootNodeAggregateDoesNotExist.php b/Neos.ContentRepository.Core/Classes/SharedModel/Exception/RootNodeAggregateDoesNotExist.php
deleted file mode 100644
index 5478b0b3f10..00000000000
--- a/Neos.ContentRepository.Core/Classes/SharedModel/Exception/RootNodeAggregateDoesNotExist.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,31 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-
-/*
- * This file is part of the Neos.ContentRepository package.
- *
- * (c) Contributors of the Neos Project - www.neos.io
- *
- * This package is Open Source Software. For the full copyright and license
- * information, please view the LICENSE file which was distributed with this
- * source code.
- */
-
-declare(strict_types=1);
-
-namespace Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Exception;
-
-use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\NodeType\NodeTypeName;
-
-/**
- * @api Userland code might have to react to this
- */
-final class RootNodeAggregateDoesNotExist extends \RuntimeException
-{
-    public static function butWasExpectedTo(NodeTypeName $nodeTypeName): self
-    {
-        return new self(
-            'No root node aggregate could be found for node type ' . $nodeTypeName->value,
-            1687008819
-        );
-    }
-}
diff --git a/Neos.ContentRepository.TestSuite/Classes/Behavior/Features/Bootstrap/CRTestSuiteTrait.php b/Neos.ContentRepository.TestSuite/Classes/Behavior/Features/Bootstrap/CRTestSuiteTrait.php
index d9280b3b45a..1dbe5f71716 100644
--- a/Neos.ContentRepository.TestSuite/Classes/Behavior/Features/Bootstrap/CRTestSuiteTrait.php
+++ b/Neos.ContentRepository.TestSuite/Classes/Behavior/Features/Bootstrap/CRTestSuiteTrait.php
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\Projection\ContentGraph\VisibilityConstraints;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\Service\ContentStreamPruner;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\Service\ContentStreamPrunerFactory;
-use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Exception\RootNodeAggregateDoesNotExist;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Node\NodeAggregateId;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Workspace\ContentStreamId;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Workspace\ContentStreamState;
@@ -222,13 +221,9 @@ protected function getRootNodeAggregateId(): ?NodeAggregateId
             return $this->currentRootNodeAggregateId;
         }
 
-        try {
-            return $this->currentContentRepository->getContentGraph($this->currentWorkspaceName)->findRootNodeAggregateByType(
-                NodeTypeName::fromString('Neos.Neos:Sites')
-            )->nodeAggregateId;
-        } catch (RootNodeAggregateDoesNotExist) {
-            return null;
-        }
+        return $this->currentContentRepository->getContentGraph($this->currentWorkspaceName)->findRootNodeAggregateByType(
+            NodeTypeName::fromString('Neos.Neos:Sites')
+        )->nodeAggregateId;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/Neos.Neos/Classes/Controller/Module/Administration/SitesController.php b/Neos.Neos/Classes/Controller/Module/Administration/SitesController.php
index 1c047fc9b4d..3fe98412645 100755
--- a/Neos.Neos/Classes/Controller/Module/Administration/SitesController.php
+++ b/Neos.Neos/Classes/Controller/Module/Administration/SitesController.php
@@ -184,11 +184,10 @@ public function updateSiteAction(Site $site, $newSiteNodeName)
                 );
             }
 
-            try {
-                $sitesNode = $contentRepository->getContentGraph($liveWorkspace->workspaceName)->findRootNodeAggregateByType(
-                    NodeTypeNameFactory::forSites()
-                );
-            } catch (\Exception $exception) {
+            $sitesNode = $contentRepository->getContentGraph($liveWorkspace->workspaceName)->findRootNodeAggregateByType(
+                NodeTypeNameFactory::forSites()
+            );
+            if ($sitesNode === null) {
                 throw new \InvalidArgumentException(
                     'Cannot update a site without the sites note being present.',
                     1651958452
diff --git a/Neos.Neos/Classes/Domain/Service/SiteNodeUtility.php b/Neos.Neos/Classes/Domain/Service/SiteNodeUtility.php
index 2a29f452c26..262d24e4461 100644
--- a/Neos.Neos/Classes/Domain/Service/SiteNodeUtility.php
+++ b/Neos.Neos/Classes/Domain/Service/SiteNodeUtility.php
@@ -68,6 +68,10 @@ public function findSiteNodeBySite(
         $rootNodeAggregate = $contentGraph->findRootNodeAggregateByType(
             NodeTypeNameFactory::forSites()
         );
+        if (!$rootNodeAggregate) {
+            throw new \RuntimeException(sprintf('No sites root node found in content repository "%s", while fetching site node "%s"', $contentRepository->id->value, $site->getNodeName()), 1719046570);
+        }
+
         $rootNode = $rootNodeAggregate->getNodeByCoveredDimensionSpacePoint($dimensionSpacePoint);
 
         $siteNode = $subgraph->findNodeByPath(
diff --git a/Neos.Neos/Classes/Domain/Service/SiteServiceInternals.php b/Neos.Neos/Classes/Domain/Service/SiteServiceInternals.php
index 5ace6874f3a..3337686ebeb 100644
--- a/Neos.Neos/Classes/Domain/Service/SiteServiceInternals.php
+++ b/Neos.Neos/Classes/Domain/Service/SiteServiceInternals.php
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ public function removeSiteNode(SiteNodeName $siteNodeName): void
             $sitesNodeAggregate = $contentGraph->findRootNodeAggregateByType(
                 NodeTypeNameFactory::forSites()
             );
+            if (!$sitesNodeAggregate) {
+                // nothing to prune, we could probably also return here directly?
+                continue;
+            }
             $siteNodeAggregate = $contentGraph->findChildNodeAggregateByName(
                 $sitesNodeAggregate->nodeAggregateId,
                 $siteNodeName->toNodeName()
diff --git a/Neos.TimeableNodeVisibility/Classes/Service/TimeableNodeVisibilityService.php b/Neos.TimeableNodeVisibility/Classes/Service/TimeableNodeVisibilityService.php
index e50fd2268ec..e486163553e 100644
--- a/Neos.TimeableNodeVisibility/Classes/Service/TimeableNodeVisibilityService.php
+++ b/Neos.TimeableNodeVisibility/Classes/Service/TimeableNodeVisibilityService.php
@@ -14,10 +14,7 @@
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\Projection\ContentGraph\Filter\PropertyValue\Criteria\PropertyValueLessThanOrEqual;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\Projection\ContentGraph\Node;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\Projection\ContentGraph\VisibilityConstraints;
-use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\Projection\Workspace\Workspace;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\ContentRepository\ContentRepositoryId;
-use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Exception\RootNodeAggregateDoesNotExist;
-use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Exception\WorkspaceDoesNotExist;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Node\NodeVariantSelectionStrategy;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Node\PropertyName;
 use Neos\ContentRepository\Core\SharedModel\Workspace\WorkspaceName;
@@ -101,7 +98,7 @@ private function getNodesWithExceededDates(ContentRepository $contentRepository,
             $sitesNodeTypeName = NodeTypeName::fromString('Neos.Neos:Sites');
             $rootNode = $subgraph->findRootNodeByType($sitesNodeTypeName);
             if ($rootNode === null) {
-                throw RootNodeAggregateDoesNotExist::butWasExpectedTo($sitesNodeTypeName);
+                throw new \RuntimeException(sprintf('No sites root node found in content repository "%s"', $contentRepository->id->value), 1719047148);
             }
 
             $nodes = $subgraph->findDescendantNodes(