diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 85914e54e..df2dfd537 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -3212,15 +3212,8 @@ uint64_t nNotifiedSequence = 0;
  */
 bool static ConnectTip(CValidationState& state, const CChainParams& chainparams, CBlockIndex* pindexNew, const CBlock* pblock)
 {
-    assert(pindexNew->pprev == chainActive.Tip());
-    // Read block from disk.
+    assert(pblock && pindexNew->pprev == chainActive.Tip());
     int64_t nTime1 = GetTimeMicros();
-    CBlock block;
-    if (!pblock) {
-        if (!ReadBlockFromDisk(block, pindexNew, chainparams.GetConsensus()))
-            return AbortNode(state, "Failed to read block");
-        pblock = █
-    }
     // Apply the block atomically to the chain state.
     int64_t nTime2 = GetTimeMicros(); nTimeReadFromDisk += nTime2 - nTime1;
     int64_t nTime3;
@@ -3431,7 +3424,18 @@ static bool ActivateBestChainStep(CValidationState& state, const CChainParams& c
 
         // Connect new blocks.
         BOOST_REVERSE_FOREACH(CBlockIndex *pindexConnect, vpindexToConnect) {
-            if (!ConnectTip(state, chainparams, pindexConnect, pindexConnect == pindexMostWork ? pblock : NULL)) {
+            const CBlock* pconnectBlock;
+            CBlock block;
+            if (pblock && pindexConnect == pindexMostWork) {
+                pconnectBlock = pblock;
+            } else {
+                // read the block to be connected from disk
+                if (!ReadBlockFromDisk(block, pindexConnect, chainparams.GetConsensus()))
+                    return AbortNode(state, "Failed to read block");
+                pconnectBlock = █
+            }
+
+            if (!ConnectTip(state, chainparams, pindexConnect, pconnectBlock)) {
                 if (state.IsInvalid()) {
                     // The block violates a consensus rule.
                     if (!state.CorruptionPossible())