diff --git a/src/test/fuzz/process_messages.cpp b/src/test/fuzz/process_messages.cpp
index 0ff95ea1ae9..fcfa623508d 100644
--- a/src/test/fuzz/process_messages.cpp
+++ b/src/test/fuzz/process_messages.cpp
@@ -47,9 +47,7 @@ FUZZ_TARGET_INIT(process_messages, initialize_process_messages)
 
     const auto num_peers_to_add = fuzzed_data_provider.ConsumeIntegralInRange(1, 3);
     for (int i = 0; i < num_peers_to_add; ++i) {
-        const ServiceFlags service_flags = ServiceFlags(fuzzed_data_provider.ConsumeIntegral<uint64_t>());
-        const ConnectionType conn_type = fuzzed_data_provider.PickValueInArray({ConnectionType::INBOUND, ConnectionType::OUTBOUND_FULL_RELAY, ConnectionType::MANUAL, ConnectionType::FEELER, ConnectionType::BLOCK_RELAY, ConnectionType::ADDR_FETCH});
-        peers.push_back(MakeUnique<CNode>(i, service_flags, INVALID_SOCKET, CAddress{CService{in_addr{0x0100007f}, 7777}, NODE_NETWORK}, 0, 0, CAddress{}, std::string{}, conn_type).release());
+        peers.push_back(ConsumeNodeAsUniquePtr(fuzzed_data_provider, i).release());
         CNode& p2p_node = *peers.back();
 
         p2p_node.fSuccessfullyConnected = true;
diff --git a/src/test/fuzz/util.h b/src/test/fuzz/util.h
index ff79dfe5f3c..8fdb16d2df2 100644
--- a/src/test/fuzz/util.h
+++ b/src/test/fuzz/util.h
@@ -286,9 +286,10 @@ inline CAddress ConsumeAddress(FuzzedDataProvider& fuzzed_data_provider) noexcep
     return {ConsumeService(fuzzed_data_provider), static_cast<ServiceFlags>(fuzzed_data_provider.ConsumeIntegral<uint64_t>()), fuzzed_data_provider.ConsumeIntegral<uint32_t>()};
 }
 
-inline CNode ConsumeNode(FuzzedDataProvider& fuzzed_data_provider) noexcept
+template <bool ReturnUniquePtr = false>
+auto ConsumeNode(FuzzedDataProvider& fuzzed_data_provider, const std::optional<NodeId>& node_id_in = nullopt) noexcept
 {
-    const NodeId node_id = fuzzed_data_provider.ConsumeIntegral<NodeId>();
+    const NodeId node_id = node_id_in.value_or(fuzzed_data_provider.ConsumeIntegral<NodeId>());
     const ServiceFlags local_services = static_cast<ServiceFlags>(fuzzed_data_provider.ConsumeIntegral<uint64_t>());
     const SOCKET socket = INVALID_SOCKET;
     const CAddress address = ConsumeAddress(fuzzed_data_provider);
@@ -298,8 +299,13 @@ inline CNode ConsumeNode(FuzzedDataProvider& fuzzed_data_provider) noexcept
     const std::string addr_name = fuzzed_data_provider.ConsumeRandomLengthString(64);
     const ConnectionType conn_type = fuzzed_data_provider.PickValueInArray({ConnectionType::INBOUND, ConnectionType::OUTBOUND_FULL_RELAY, ConnectionType::MANUAL, ConnectionType::FEELER, ConnectionType::BLOCK_RELAY, ConnectionType::ADDR_FETCH});
     const bool inbound_onion{conn_type == ConnectionType::INBOUND ? fuzzed_data_provider.ConsumeBool() : false};
-    return {node_id, local_services, socket, address, keyed_net_group, local_host_nonce, addr_bind, addr_name, conn_type, inbound_onion};
+    if constexpr (ReturnUniquePtr) {
+        return std::make_unique<CNode>(node_id, local_services, socket, address, keyed_net_group, local_host_nonce, addr_bind, addr_name, conn_type, inbound_onion);
+    } else {
+        return CNode{node_id, local_services, socket, address, keyed_net_group, local_host_nonce, addr_bind, addr_name, conn_type, inbound_onion};
+    }
 }
+inline std::unique_ptr<CNode> ConsumeNodeAsUniquePtr(FuzzedDataProvider& fdp, const std::optional<NodeId>& node_id_in = nullopt) { return ConsumeNode<true>(fdp, node_id_in); }
 
 inline void InitializeFuzzingContext(const std::string& chain_name = CBaseChainParams::REGTEST)
 {