diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index ebedca94..ff129ae3 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ bool fPruneMode = false;
 bool fIsBareMultisigStd = true;
 bool fCheckBlockIndex = false;
 bool fCheckpointsEnabled = true;
+bool fCoinbaseEnforcedProtectionEnabled = true;
 size_t nCoinCacheUsage = 5000 * 300;
 uint64_t nPruneTarget = 0;
 bool fAlerts = DEFAULT_ALERTS;
@@ -1631,7 +1632,9 @@ bool NonContextualCheckInputs(const CTransaction& tx, CValidationState &state, c
             if (coins->IsCoinBase()) {
                 // Ensure that coinbases cannot be spent to transparent outputs
                 // Disabled on regtest
-                if (consensusParams.fCoinbaseMustBeProtected && !tx.vout.empty()) {
+                if (fCoinbaseEnforcedProtectionEnabled &&
+                    consensusParams.fCoinbaseMustBeProtected &&
+                    !tx.vout.empty()) {
                     return state.Invalid(
                         error("CheckInputs(): tried to spend coinbase with transparent outputs"),
                         REJECT_INVALID, "bad-txns-coinbase-spend-has-transparent-outputs");
diff --git a/src/main.h b/src/main.h
index df5085a9..088c58be 100644
--- a/src/main.h
+++ b/src/main.h
@@ -116,6 +116,9 @@ extern bool fTxIndex;
 extern bool fIsBareMultisigStd;
 extern bool fCheckBlockIndex;
 extern bool fCheckpointsEnabled;
+// TODO: remove this flag by structuring our code such that
+// it is unneeded for testing
+extern bool fCoinbaseEnforcedProtectionEnabled;
 extern size_t nCoinCacheUsage;
 extern CFeeRate minRelayTxFee;
 extern bool fAlerts;
diff --git a/src/test/miner_tests.cpp b/src/test/miner_tests.cpp
index a657fe72..a10abacd 100644
--- a/src/test/miner_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/miner_tests.cpp
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(CreateNewBlock_validity)
 
     LOCK(cs_main);
     fCheckpointsEnabled = false;
+    fCoinbaseEnforcedProtectionEnabled = false;
 
     // We can't make transactions until we have inputs
     // Therefore, load 100 blocks :)
@@ -417,6 +418,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(CreateNewBlock_validity)
         delete tx;
 
     fCheckpointsEnabled = true;
+    fCoinbaseEnforcedProtectionEnabled = true;
 }
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE_END()