diff --git a/src/net_processing.cpp b/src/net_processing.cpp
index e31ca81a08..27c426b811 100644
--- a/src/net_processing.cpp
+++ b/src/net_processing.cpp
@@ -661,9 +661,9 @@ private:
      */
     bool MaybeSendGetHeaders(CNode& pfrom, const CBlockLocator& locator, Peer& peer) EXCLUSIVE_LOCKS_REQUIRED(g_msgproc_mutex);
     /** Potentially fetch blocks from this peer upon receipt of a new headers tip */
-    void HeadersDirectFetchBlocks(CNode& pfrom, const Peer& peer, const CBlockIndex* pindexLast);
+    void HeadersDirectFetchBlocks(CNode& pfrom, const Peer& peer, const CBlockIndex& last_header);
     /** Update peer state based on received headers message */
-    void UpdatePeerStateForReceivedHeaders(CNode& pfrom, const CBlockIndex *pindexLast, bool received_new_header, bool may_have_more_headers);
+    void UpdatePeerStateForReceivedHeaders(CNode& pfrom, const CBlockIndex& last_header, bool received_new_header, bool may_have_more_headers);
 
     void SendBlockTransactions(CNode& pfrom, Peer& peer, const CBlock& block, const BlockTransactionsRequest& req);
 
@@ -2622,22 +2622,21 @@ bool PeerManagerImpl::MaybeSendGetHeaders(CNode& pfrom, const CBlockLocator& loc
 }
 
 /*
- * Given a new headers tip ending in pindexLast, potentially request blocks towards that tip.
+ * Given a new headers tip ending in last_header, potentially request blocks towards that tip.
  * We require that the given tip have at least as much work as our tip, and for
  * our current tip to be "close to synced" (see CanDirectFetch()).
  */
-void PeerManagerImpl::HeadersDirectFetchBlocks(CNode& pfrom, const Peer& peer, const CBlockIndex* pindexLast)
+void PeerManagerImpl::HeadersDirectFetchBlocks(CNode& pfrom, const Peer& peer, const CBlockIndex& last_header)
 {
     const CNetMsgMaker msgMaker(pfrom.GetCommonVersion());
 
     LOCK(cs_main);
     CNodeState *nodestate = State(pfrom.GetId());
 
-    if (CanDirectFetch() && pindexLast->IsValid(BLOCK_VALID_TREE) && m_chainman.ActiveChain().Tip()->nChainWork <= pindexLast->nChainWork) {
-
+    if (CanDirectFetch() && last_header.IsValid(BLOCK_VALID_TREE) && m_chainman.ActiveChain().Tip()->nChainWork <= last_header.nChainWork) {
         std::vector<const CBlockIndex*> vToFetch;
-        const CBlockIndex *pindexWalk = pindexLast;
-        // Calculate all the blocks we'd need to switch to pindexLast, up to a limit.
+        const CBlockIndex* pindexWalk{&last_header};
+        // Calculate all the blocks we'd need to switch to last_header, up to a limit.
         while (pindexWalk && !m_chainman.ActiveChain().Contains(pindexWalk) && vToFetch.size() <= MAX_BLOCKS_IN_TRANSIT_PER_PEER) {
             if (!(pindexWalk->nStatus & BLOCK_HAVE_DATA) &&
                     !IsBlockRequested(pindexWalk->GetBlockHash()) &&
@@ -2653,8 +2652,8 @@ void PeerManagerImpl::HeadersDirectFetchBlocks(CNode& pfrom, const Peer& peer, c
         // direct fetch and rely on parallel download instead.
         if (!m_chainman.ActiveChain().Contains(pindexWalk)) {
             LogPrint(BCLog::NET, "Large reorg, won't direct fetch to %s (%d)\n",
-                    pindexLast->GetBlockHash().ToString(),
-                    pindexLast->nHeight);
+                     last_header.GetBlockHash().ToString(),
+                     last_header.nHeight);
         } else {
             std::vector<CInv> vGetData;
             // Download as much as possible, from earliest to latest.
@@ -2671,14 +2670,15 @@ void PeerManagerImpl::HeadersDirectFetchBlocks(CNode& pfrom, const Peer& peer, c
             }
             if (vGetData.size() > 1) {
                 LogPrint(BCLog::NET, "Downloading blocks toward %s (%d) via headers direct fetch\n",
-                        pindexLast->GetBlockHash().ToString(), pindexLast->nHeight);
+                         last_header.GetBlockHash().ToString(),
+                         last_header.nHeight);
             }
             if (vGetData.size() > 0) {
                 if (!m_ignore_incoming_txs &&
                         nodestate->m_provides_cmpctblocks &&
                         vGetData.size() == 1 &&
                         mapBlocksInFlight.size() == 1 &&
-                        pindexLast->pprev->IsValid(BLOCK_VALID_CHAIN)) {
+                        last_header.pprev->IsValid(BLOCK_VALID_CHAIN)) {
                     // In any case, we want to download using a compact block, not a regular one
                     vGetData[0] = CInv(MSG_CMPCT_BLOCK, vGetData[0].hash);
                 }
@@ -2689,12 +2689,12 @@ void PeerManagerImpl::HeadersDirectFetchBlocks(CNode& pfrom, const Peer& peer, c
 }
 
 /**
- * Given receipt of headers from a peer ending in pindexLast, along with
+ * Given receipt of headers from a peer ending in last_header, along with
  * whether that header was new and whether the headers message was full,
  * update the state we keep for the peer.
  */
 void PeerManagerImpl::UpdatePeerStateForReceivedHeaders(CNode& pfrom,
-        const CBlockIndex *pindexLast, bool received_new_header, bool may_have_more_headers)
+        const CBlockIndex& last_header, bool received_new_header, bool may_have_more_headers)
 {
     LOCK(cs_main);
     CNodeState *nodestate = State(pfrom.GetId());
@@ -2703,14 +2703,13 @@ void PeerManagerImpl::UpdatePeerStateForReceivedHeaders(CNode& pfrom,
     }
     nodestate->nUnconnectingHeaders = 0;
 
-    assert(pindexLast);
-    UpdateBlockAvailability(pfrom.GetId(), pindexLast->GetBlockHash());
+    UpdateBlockAvailability(pfrom.GetId(), last_header.GetBlockHash());
 
     // From here, pindexBestKnownBlock should be guaranteed to be non-null,
     // because it is set in UpdateBlockAvailability. Some nullptr checks
     // are still present, however, as belt-and-suspenders.
 
-    if (received_new_header && pindexLast->nChainWork > m_chainman.ActiveChain().Tip()->nChainWork) {
+    if (received_new_header && last_header.nChainWork > m_chainman.ActiveChain().Tip()->nChainWork) {
         nodestate->m_last_block_announcement = GetTime();
     }
 
@@ -2876,7 +2875,7 @@ void PeerManagerImpl::ProcessHeadersMessage(CNode& pfrom, Peer& peer,
             return;
         }
     }
-    Assume(pindexLast);
+    assert(pindexLast);
 
     // Consider fetching more headers if we are not using our headers-sync mechanism.
     if (nCount == MAX_HEADERS_RESULTS && !have_headers_sync) {
@@ -2887,10 +2886,10 @@ void PeerManagerImpl::ProcessHeadersMessage(CNode& pfrom, Peer& peer,
         }
     }
 
-    UpdatePeerStateForReceivedHeaders(pfrom, pindexLast, received_new_header, nCount == MAX_HEADERS_RESULTS);
+    UpdatePeerStateForReceivedHeaders(pfrom, *pindexLast, received_new_header, nCount == MAX_HEADERS_RESULTS);
 
     // Consider immediately downloading blocks.
-    HeadersDirectFetchBlocks(pfrom, peer, pindexLast);
+    HeadersDirectFetchBlocks(pfrom, peer, *pindexLast);
 
     return;
 }