diff --git a/src/chain.h b/src/chain.h
index 0daa00edb7..a73d0d9215 100644
--- a/src/chain.h
+++ b/src/chain.h
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ protected:
 
     bool m_trimmed{false};
     bool m_trimmed_dynafed_block{false};
+    bool m_stored_lvl{false};
 
     friend class CBlockTreeDB;
 
@@ -228,19 +229,28 @@ public:
 
     // Irrevocably remove blocksigning and dynafed-related stuff from this
     // in-memory copy of the block header.
-    void trim() {
+    bool trim() {
         assert_untrimmed();
+        if (!m_stored_lvl) {
+            // We can't trim in-memory data if it's not on disk yet, but we can if it's already been recovered once
+            return false;
+        }
         m_trimmed = true;
         m_trimmed_dynafed_block = !m_dynafed_params.value().IsNull();
         proof = std::nullopt;
         m_dynafed_params = std::nullopt;
         m_signblock_witness = std::nullopt;
+        return true;
     }
 
+    void untrim();
     inline bool trimmed() const {
         return m_trimmed;
     }
 
+    inline void set_stored() {
+        m_stored_lvl = true;
+    }
     inline void assert_untrimmed() const {
         assert(!m_trimmed);
     }
@@ -507,6 +517,9 @@ public:
 
         // For compatibility with elements 0.14 based chains
         if (g_signed_blocks) {
+            if (!ser_action.ForRead()) {
+                obj.assert_untrimmed();
+            }
             if (is_dyna) {
                 READWRITE(obj.m_dynafed_params.value());
                 READWRITE(obj.m_signblock_witness.value().stack);
diff --git a/src/txdb.cpp b/src/txdb.cpp
index 4ebd1c4f08..16e8b23d2d 100644
--- a/src/txdb.cpp
+++ b/src/txdb.cpp
@@ -396,6 +396,7 @@ bool CBlockTreeDB::LoadBlockIndexGuts(const Consensus::Params& consensusParams,
                 pindexNew->nStatus        = diskindex.nStatus;
                 pindexNew->nTx            = diskindex.nTx;
 
+                pindexNew->set_stored();
                 n_total++;
                 if (diskindex.nHeight >= trimBelowHeight) {
                     n_untrimmed++;
diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
index 0b18345215..c74363a218 100644
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -2577,6 +2577,11 @@ bool CChainState::FlushStateToDisk(
                     return AbortNode(state, "Failed to write to block index database");
                 }
 
+                // This should be done inside WriteBatchSync, but CBlockIndex is const there
+                for (std::set<CBlockIndex*>::iterator it = setTrimmableBlockIndex.begin(); it != setTrimmableBlockIndex.end(); it++) {
+                    (*it)->set_stored();
+                }
+
                 if (node::fTrimHeaders) {
                     LogPrintf("Flushing block index, trimming headers, setTrimmableBlockIndex.size(): %d\n", setTrimmableBlockIndex.size());
                     int trim_height = m_chain.Height() - node::nMustKeepFullHeaders;