diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index 84b0108ea8770..0f42d907b9b4a 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -1100,6 +1100,10 @@ bool AppInit2(boost::thread_group& threadGroup, CScheduler& scheduler)
         return false;
 #endif
     // ********************************************************* Step 6: network initialization
+    // Note that we absolutely cannot open any actual connections
+    // until the very end ("start node") as the UTXO/block state
+    // is not yet setup and may end up being set up twice if we
+    // need to reindex later.
 
     assert(!g_connman);
     g_connman = std::unique_ptr<CConnman>(new CConnman(GetRand(std::numeric_limits<uint64_t>::max()), GetRand(std::numeric_limits<uint64_t>::max())));
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index c6b82bf82512d..5be97d586749f 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -4272,6 +4272,9 @@ bool RewindBlockIndex(const CChainParams& params)
     return true;
 }
 
+// May NOT be used after any connections are up as much
+// of the peer-processing logic assumes a consistent
+// block index state
 void UnloadBlockIndex()
 {
     LOCK(cs_main);
@@ -4282,18 +4285,12 @@ void UnloadBlockIndex()
     mempool.clear();
     mapOrphanTransactions.clear();
     mapOrphanTransactionsByPrev.clear();
-    nSyncStarted = 0;
     mapBlocksUnlinked.clear();
     vinfoBlockFile.clear();
     nLastBlockFile = 0;
     nBlockSequenceId = 1;
-    mapBlockSource.clear();
-    mapBlocksInFlight.clear();
-    nPreferredDownload = 0;
     setDirtyBlockIndex.clear();
     setDirtyFileInfo.clear();
-    mapNodeState.clear();
-    recentRejects.reset(NULL);
     versionbitscache.Clear();
     for (int b = 0; b < VERSIONBITS_NUM_BITS; b++) {
         warningcache[b].clear();
@@ -4318,9 +4315,6 @@ bool InitBlockIndex(const CChainParams& chainparams)
 {
     LOCK(cs_main);
 
-    // Initialize global variables that cannot be constructed at startup.
-    recentRejects.reset(new CRollingBloomFilter(120000, 0.000001));
-
     // Check whether we're already initialized
     if (chainActive.Genesis() != NULL)
         return true;
@@ -4709,6 +4703,11 @@ std::string GetWarnings(const std::string& strFor)
 // blockchain -> download logic notification
 //
 
+PeerLogicValidation::PeerLogicValidation(CConnman* connmanIn) : connman(connmanIn) {
+    // Initialize global variables that cannot be constructed at startup.
+    recentRejects.reset(new CRollingBloomFilter(120000, 0.000001));
+}
+
 void PeerLogicValidation::UpdatedBlockTip(const CBlockIndex *pindexNew, const CBlockIndex *pindexFork, bool fInitialDownload) {
     const int nNewHeight = pindexNew->nHeight;
     connman->SetBestHeight(nNewHeight);
diff --git a/src/main.h b/src/main.h
index 3eab9b89daa66..3cab1e6afae0e 100644
--- a/src/main.h
+++ b/src/main.h
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ class PeerLogicValidation : public CValidationInterface {
     CConnman* connman;
 
 public:
-    PeerLogicValidation(CConnman* connmanIn) : connman(connmanIn) {}
+    PeerLogicValidation(CConnman* connmanIn);
 
     virtual void UpdatedBlockTip(const CBlockIndex *pindexNew, const CBlockIndex *pindexFork, bool fInitialDownload);
     virtual void BlockChecked(const CBlock& block, const CValidationState& state);