diff --git a/src/net_processing.cpp b/src/net_processing.cpp
index 4c3aacaf5f860..b26caf377f4fd 100644
--- a/src/net_processing.cpp
+++ b/src/net_processing.cpp
@@ -755,11 +755,13 @@ void Misbehaving(NodeId pnode, int howmuch)
 
 // To prevent fingerprinting attacks, only send blocks/headers outside of the
 // active chain if they are no more than a month older (both in time, and in
-// best equivalent proof of work) than the best header chain we know about.
-static bool StaleBlockRequestAllowed(const CBlockIndex* pindex, const Consensus::Params& consensusParams)
+// best equivalent proof of work) than the best header chain we know about and
+// we fully-validated them at some point.
+static bool BlockRequestAllowed(const CBlockIndex* pindex, const Consensus::Params& consensusParams)
 {
     AssertLockHeld(cs_main);
-    return (pindexBestHeader != nullptr) &&
+    if (chainActive.Contains(pindex)) return true;
+    return pindex->IsValid(BLOCK_VALID_SCRIPTS) && (pindexBestHeader != nullptr) &&
         (pindexBestHeader->GetBlockTime() - pindex->GetBlockTime() < STALE_RELAY_AGE_LIMIT) &&
         (GetBlockProofEquivalentTime(*pindexBestHeader, *pindex, *pindexBestHeader, consensusParams) < STALE_RELAY_AGE_LIMIT);
 }
@@ -1038,14 +1040,9 @@ void static ProcessGetData(CNode* pfrom, const Consensus::Params& consensusParam
                         CValidationState dummy;
                         ActivateBestChain(dummy, Params(), a_recent_block);
                     }
-                    if (chainActive.Contains(mi->second)) {
-                        send = true;
-                    } else {
-                        send = mi->second->IsValid(BLOCK_VALID_SCRIPTS) &&
-                            StaleBlockRequestAllowed(mi->second, consensusParams);
-                        if (!send) {
-                            LogPrintf("%s: ignoring request from peer=%i for old block that isn't in the main chain\n", __func__, pfrom->GetId());
-                        }
+                    send = BlockRequestAllowed(mi->second, consensusParams);
+                    if (!send) {
+                        LogPrintf("%s: ignoring request from peer=%i for old block that isn't in the main chain\n", __func__, pfrom->GetId());
                     }
                 }
                 // disconnect node in case we have reached the outbound limit for serving historical blocks
@@ -1986,8 +1983,7 @@ bool static ProcessMessage(CNode* pfrom, const std::string& strCommand, CDataStr
                 return true;
             pindex = (*mi).second;
 
-            if (!chainActive.Contains(pindex) &&
-                !StaleBlockRequestAllowed(pindex, chainparams.GetConsensus())) {
+            if (!BlockRequestAllowed(pindex, chainparams.GetConsensus())) {
                 LogPrintf("%s: ignoring request from peer=%i for old block header that isn't in the main chain\n", __func__, pfrom->GetId());
                 return true;
             }