diff --git a/src/net_processing.cpp b/src/net_processing.cpp
index 91abd6025f..b3eb795d65 100644
--- a/src/net_processing.cpp
+++ b/src/net_processing.cpp
@@ -2018,18 +2018,26 @@ void PeerManagerImpl::ProcessHeadersMessage(CNode& pfrom, const Peer& peer,
         uint64_t headers_ahead = pindexBestHeader->nHeight - m_chainman.ActiveHeight();
         bool too_far_ahead = fTrimHeaders && (headers_ahead >= nHeaderDownloadBuffer);
         if (too_far_ahead) {
-            LogPrint(BCLog::NET, "Discarding received headers and pausing header sync from peer=%d, because we are too far ahead of block sync (%d > %d, %d new headers received)\n", pfrom.GetId(), pindexBestHeader->nHeight, m_chainman.ActiveHeight(), nCount);
             LOCK(cs_main);
             CNodeState *nodestate = State(pfrom.GetId());
-            if (nodestate->fSyncStarted) {
-                // Cancel sync from this node, so we don't penalize it later.
-                // This will cause us to automatically start syncing from a different node (or restart syncing from the same node) later,
-                //   if we still need to sync headers.
-                nSyncStarted--;
-                nodestate->fSyncStarted = false;
-                nodestate->m_headers_sync_timeout = 0us;
+            if ((nodestate->pindexBestKnownBlock == nullptr) ||
+                (nodestate->pindexBestKnownBlock->nHeight < m_chainman.ActiveHeight())) {
+                // Our notion of what blocks a peer has available is based on its pindexBestKnownBlock,
+                // which is based on headers recieved from it. If we don't have one, or it's too old,
+                // then we can never get blocks from this peer until we accept headers from it first.
+                LogPrint(BCLog::NET, "NOT discarding headers from peer=%d, to update its block availability. (current best header %d, active chain height %d)\n", pfrom.GetId(), pindexBestHeader->nHeight, m_chainman.ActiveHeight());
+            } else {
+                LogPrint(BCLog::NET, "Discarding received headers and pausing header sync from peer=%d, because we are too far ahead of block sync. (%d > %d)\n", pfrom.GetId(), pindexBestHeader->nHeight, m_chainman.ActiveHeight());
+                if (nodestate->fSyncStarted) {
+                    // Cancel sync from this node, so we don't penalize it later.
+                    // This will cause us to automatically start syncing from a different node (or restart syncing from the same node) later,
+                    //   if we still need to sync headers.
+                    nSyncStarted--;
+                    nodestate->fSyncStarted = false;
+                    nodestate->m_headers_sync_timeout = 0us;
+                }
+                return;
             }
-            return;
         }
     }