diff --git a/src/test/validation_chainstate_tests.cpp b/src/test/validation_chainstate_tests.cpp
index 3ea87143b0c..fe2d2ba592c 100644
--- a/src/test/validation_chainstate_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/validation_chainstate_tests.cpp
@@ -77,6 +77,13 @@ BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_CASE(chainstate_update_tip, TestChain100Setup)
     // After adding some blocks to the tip, best block should have changed.
     BOOST_CHECK(::g_best_block != curr_tip);
 
+    // Grab block 1 from disk; we'll add it to the background chain later.
+    std::shared_ptr<CBlock> pblockone = std::make_shared<CBlock>();
+    {
+        LOCK(::cs_main);
+        chainman.m_blockman.ReadBlockFromDisk(*pblockone, *chainman.ActiveChain()[1]);
+    }
+
     BOOST_REQUIRE(CreateAndActivateUTXOSnapshot(
         this, NoMalleation, /*reset_chainstate=*/ true));
 
@@ -104,11 +111,7 @@ BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_CASE(chainstate_update_tip, TestChain100Setup)
         assert(false);
     }()};
 
-    // Create a block to append to the validation chain.
-    std::vector<CMutableTransaction> noTxns;
-    CScript scriptPubKey = CScript() << ToByteVector(coinbaseKey.GetPubKey()) << OP_CHECKSIG;
-    CBlock validation_block = this->CreateBlock(noTxns, scriptPubKey, background_cs);
-    auto pblock = std::make_shared<const CBlock>(validation_block);
+    // Append the first block to the background chain.
     BlockValidationState state;
     CBlockIndex* pindex = nullptr;
     const CChainParams& chainparams = Params();
@@ -118,18 +121,18 @@ BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_CASE(chainstate_update_tip, TestChain100Setup)
     // once it is changed to support multiple chainstates.
     {
         LOCK(::cs_main);
-        bool checked = CheckBlock(*pblock, state, chainparams.GetConsensus());
+        bool checked = CheckBlock(*pblockone, state, chainparams.GetConsensus());
         BOOST_CHECK(checked);
         bool accepted = chainman.AcceptBlock(
-            pblock, state, &pindex, true, nullptr, &newblock, true);
+            pblockone, state, &pindex, true, nullptr, &newblock, true);
         BOOST_CHECK(accepted);
     }
 
     // UpdateTip is called here
-    bool block_added = background_cs.ActivateBestChain(state, pblock);
+    bool block_added = background_cs.ActivateBestChain(state, pblockone);
 
     // Ensure tip is as expected
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(background_cs.m_chain.Tip()->GetBlockHash(), validation_block.GetHash());
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(background_cs.m_chain.Tip()->GetBlockHash(), pblockone->GetHash());
 
     // g_best_block should be unchanged after adding a block to the background
     // validation chain.
diff --git a/src/test/validation_chainstatemanager_tests.cpp b/src/test/validation_chainstatemanager_tests.cpp
index 442c7036e6e..e7cd1043a9e 100644
--- a/src/test/validation_chainstatemanager_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/validation_chainstatemanager_tests.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(chainstatemanager)
     c1.InitCoinsDB(
         /*cache_size_bytes=*/1 << 23, /*in_memory=*/true, /*should_wipe=*/false);
     WITH_LOCK(::cs_main, c1.InitCoinsCache(1 << 23));
+    c1.LoadGenesisBlock();
+    BlockValidationState val_state;
+    BOOST_CHECK(c1.ActivateBestChain(val_state, nullptr));
 
     BOOST_CHECK(!manager.IsSnapshotActive());
     BOOST_CHECK(WITH_LOCK(::cs_main, return !manager.IsSnapshotValidated()));
@@ -58,7 +61,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(chainstatemanager)
     auto& active_chain = WITH_LOCK(manager.GetMutex(), return manager.ActiveChain());
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(&active_chain, &c1.m_chain);
 
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(WITH_LOCK(manager.GetMutex(), return manager.ActiveHeight()), -1);
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(WITH_LOCK(manager.GetMutex(), return manager.ActiveHeight()), 0);
 
     auto active_tip = WITH_LOCK(manager.GetMutex(), return manager.ActiveTip());
     auto exp_tip = c1.m_chain.Tip();
@@ -68,7 +71,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(chainstatemanager)
 
     // Create a snapshot-based chainstate.
     //
-    const uint256 snapshot_blockhash = GetRandHash();
+    const uint256 snapshot_blockhash = active_tip->GetBlockHash();
     Chainstate& c2 = WITH_LOCK(::cs_main, return manager.ActivateExistingSnapshot(
         &mempool, snapshot_blockhash));
     chainstates.push_back(&c2);
@@ -78,8 +81,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(chainstatemanager)
     c2.InitCoinsDB(
         /*cache_size_bytes=*/1 << 23, /*in_memory=*/true, /*should_wipe=*/false);
     WITH_LOCK(::cs_main, c2.InitCoinsCache(1 << 23));
-    // Unlike c1, which doesn't have any blocks. Gets us different tip, height.
-    c2.LoadGenesisBlock();
+    c2.m_chain.SetTip(*active_tip);
     BlockValidationState _;
     BOOST_CHECK(c2.ActivateBestChain(_, nullptr));
 
@@ -99,16 +101,14 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(chainstatemanager)
     auto exp_tip2 = c2.m_chain.Tip();
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(active_tip2, exp_tip2);
 
-    // Ensure that these pointers actually correspond to different
-    // CCoinsViewCache instances.
-    BOOST_CHECK(exp_tip != exp_tip2);
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(exp_tip, exp_tip2);
 
     // Let scheduler events finish running to avoid accessing memory that is going to be unloaded
     SyncWithValidationInterfaceQueue();
 }
 
 //! Test rebalancing the caches associated with each chainstate.
-BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(chainstatemanager_rebalance_caches)
+BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_CASE(chainstatemanager_rebalance_caches, TestChain100Setup)
 {
     ChainstateManager& manager = *m_node.chainman;
     CTxMemPool& mempool = *m_node.mempool;
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(chainstatemanager_rebalance_caches)
 
     // Create a legacy (IBD) chainstate.
     //
-    Chainstate& c1 = WITH_LOCK(::cs_main, return manager.InitializeChainstate(&mempool));
+    Chainstate& c1 = manager.ActiveChainstate();
     chainstates.push_back(&c1);
     c1.InitCoinsDB(
         /*cache_size_bytes=*/1 << 23, /*in_memory=*/true, /*should_wipe=*/false);
@@ -129,8 +129,6 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(chainstatemanager_rebalance_caches)
     {
         LOCK(::cs_main);
         c1.InitCoinsCache(1 << 23);
-        BOOST_REQUIRE(c1.LoadGenesisBlock());
-        c1.CoinsTip().SetBestBlock(InsecureRand256());
         manager.MaybeRebalanceCaches();
     }
 
@@ -139,7 +137,8 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(chainstatemanager_rebalance_caches)
 
     // Create a snapshot-based chainstate.
     //
-    Chainstate& c2 = WITH_LOCK(cs_main, return manager.ActivateExistingSnapshot(&mempool, GetRandHash()));
+    CBlockIndex* snapshot_base{WITH_LOCK(manager.GetMutex(), return manager.ActiveChain()[manager.ActiveChain().Height() / 2])};
+    Chainstate& c2 = WITH_LOCK(cs_main, return manager.ActivateExistingSnapshot(&mempool, *snapshot_base->phashBlock));
     chainstates.push_back(&c2);
     c2.InitCoinsDB(
         /*cache_size_bytes=*/1 << 23, /*in_memory=*/true, /*should_wipe=*/false);
@@ -147,8 +146,6 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(chainstatemanager_rebalance_caches)
     {
         LOCK(::cs_main);
         c2.InitCoinsCache(1 << 23);
-        BOOST_REQUIRE(c2.LoadGenesisBlock());
-        c2.CoinsTip().SetBestBlock(InsecureRand256());
         manager.MaybeRebalanceCaches();
     }
 
@@ -430,6 +427,7 @@ BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_CASE(chainstatemanager_loadblockindex, TestChain100Setup)
     const int assumed_valid_start_idx = last_assumed_valid_idx - expected_assumed_valid;
 
     CBlockIndex* validated_tip{nullptr};
+    CBlockIndex* assumed_base{nullptr};
     CBlockIndex* assumed_tip{WITH_LOCK(chainman.GetMutex(), return chainman.ActiveChain().Tip())};
 
     auto reload_all_block_indexes = [&]() {
@@ -468,12 +466,20 @@ BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_CASE(chainstatemanager_loadblockindex, TestChain100Setup)
             validated_tip = index;
             BOOST_CHECK(!index->IsAssumedValid());
         }
+        // Note the block after the last assumed valid block as the snapshot base
+        if (i == last_assumed_valid_idx) {
+            assumed_base = index;
+            BOOST_CHECK(!index->IsAssumedValid());
+        }
     }
 
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(expected_assumed_valid, num_assumed_valid);
 
     Chainstate& cs2 = WITH_LOCK(::cs_main,
-        return chainman.ActivateExistingSnapshot(&mempool, GetRandHash()));
+        return chainman.ActivateExistingSnapshot(&mempool, *assumed_base->phashBlock));
+
+    // Set tip of the fully validated chain to be the validated tip
+    cs1.m_chain.SetTip(*validated_tip);
 
     reload_all_block_indexes();
 
diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
index 16cec9198a8..a232ceb30f9 100644
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -3419,9 +3419,24 @@ void Chainstate::ResetBlockFailureFlags(CBlockIndex *pindex) {
 void Chainstate::TryAddBlockIndexCandidate(CBlockIndex* pindex)
 {
     AssertLockHeld(cs_main);
-    // If the block has more work than our tip, then it should be a candidate for most-work-chain.
-    if (m_chain.Tip() == nullptr || !setBlockIndexCandidates.value_comp()(pindex, m_chain.Tip())) {
+    // The block only is a candidate for the most-work-chain if it has more work than our current tip.
+    if (m_chain.Tip() != nullptr && setBlockIndexCandidates.value_comp()(pindex, m_chain.Tip())) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    bool is_active_chainstate = this == &m_chainman.ActiveChainstate();
+    if (is_active_chainstate) {
+        // The active chainstate should always add entries that have more
+        // work than the tip.
         setBlockIndexCandidates.insert(pindex);
+    } else if (!m_disabled) {
+        // For the background chainstate, we only consider connecting blocks
+        // towards the snapshot base (which can't be nullptr or else we'll
+        // never make progress).
+        const CBlockIndex* snapshot_base = Assert(m_chainman.GetSnapshotBaseBlock());
+        if (snapshot_base->GetAncestor(pindex->nHeight) == pindex) {
+            setBlockIndexCandidates.insert(pindex);
+        }
     }
 }