diff --git a/test/functional/abc-mempool-accept-txn.py b/test/functional/abc-mempool-accept-txn.py
--- a/test/functional/abc-mempool-accept-txn.py
+++ b/test/functional/abc-mempool-accept-txn.py
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@
         tx.rehash()
         return tx
 
-    def next_block(self, number, spend=None, additional_coinbase_value=0, script=CScript([OP_TRUE]), solve=True):
+    def next_block(self, number, spend=None, additional_coinbase_value=0, script=CScript([OP_TRUE])):
         if self.tip == None:
             base_block_hash = self.genesis_hash
             block_time = int(time.time()) + 1
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@
             self.sign_tx(tx, spend.tx, spend.n)
             self.add_transactions_to_block(block, [tx])
             block.hashMerkleRoot = block.calc_merkle_root()
-        if solve:
-            block.solve()
+        # Do PoW, which is very inexpensive on regnet
+        block.solve()
         self.tip = block
         self.block_heights[block.sha256] = height
         assert number not in self.blocks
diff --git a/test/functional/abc-p2p-compactblocks.py b/test/functional/abc-p2p-compactblocks.py
--- a/test/functional/abc-p2p-compactblocks.py
+++ b/test/functional/abc-p2p-compactblocks.py
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@
         tx = create_transaction(spend_tx, n, b"", value, script)
         return tx
 
-    def next_block(self, number, spend=None, script=CScript([OP_TRUE]), block_size=0, extra_sigops=0):
+    def next_block(self, number, spend=None, script=CScript([OP_TRUE]), block_size=0):
         if self.tip == None:
             base_block_hash = self.genesis_hash
             block_time = int(time.time()) + 1
@@ -126,17 +126,23 @@
             coinbase.vout[0].nValue += spend.tx.vout[spend.n].nValue - 1
             coinbase.rehash()
             block = create_block(base_block_hash, coinbase, block_time)
-            # spend 1 satoshi
-            tx = CTransaction()
-            tx.vin.append(CTxIn(COutPoint(spend.tx.sha256, spend.n)))
+
             # Make sure we have plenty engough to spend going forward.
-            spendable_outputs = deque([])
+            spendable_outputs = deque([spend])
 
-            def add_spendable_outputs(tx):
-                for i in range(8):
+            def get_base_transaction():
+                # Create the new transaction
+                tx = CTransaction()
+                # Spend from one of the spendable outputs
+                spend = spendable_outputs.popleft()
+                tx.vin.append(CTxIn(COutPoint(spend.tx.sha256, spend.n)))
+                # Add spendable outputs
+                for i in range(4):
                     tx.vout.append(CTxOut(0, CScript([OP_TRUE])))
                     spendable_outputs.append(PreviousSpendableOutput(tx, i))
-            add_spendable_outputs(tx)
+                return tx
+
+            tx = get_base_transaction()
 
             # Make it the same format as transaction added for padding and save the size.
             # It's missing the padding output, so we add a constant to account for it.
@@ -165,23 +171,18 @@
                 current_block_size += len(ser_compact_size(len(block.vtx) + 1))
 
                 # Create the new transaction
-                tx = CTransaction()
-                # Spend from one of the spendable outputs
-                spend = spendable_outputs.popleft()
-                tx.vin.append(CTxIn(COutPoint(spend.tx.sha256, spend.n)))
-                # Add spendable outputs
-                add_spendable_outputs(tx)
+                tx = get_base_transaction()
 
                 # Add padding to fill the block.
                 script_length = block_size - current_block_size - base_tx_size
                 if script_length > 510000:
-                    script_length = 500000
-                tx_sigops = min(extra_sigops, script_length,
-                                MAX_TX_SIGOPS_COUNT)
-                extra_sigops -= tx_sigops
-                script_pad_len = script_length - tx_sigops
-                script_output = CScript(
-                    [b'\x00' * script_pad_len] + [OP_CHECKSIG] * tx_sigops)
+                    if script_length < 1000000:
+                        # Make sure we don't find ourselves in a position where we
+                        # need to generate a transaction smaller than what we expected.
+                        script_length = script_length // 2
+                    else:
+                        script_length = 500000
+                script_output = CScript([b'\x00' * script_length])
                 tx.vout.append(CTxOut(0, script_output))
 
                 # Add the tx to the list of transactions to be included
diff --git a/test/functional/abc-p2p-fullblocktest.py b/test/functional/abc-p2p-fullblocktest.py
--- a/test/functional/abc-p2p-fullblocktest.py
+++ b/test/functional/abc-p2p-fullblocktest.py
@@ -90,17 +90,23 @@
             coinbase.vout[0].nValue += spend.tx.vout[spend.n].nValue - 1
             coinbase.rehash()
             block = create_block(base_block_hash, coinbase, block_time)
-            # spend 1 satoshi
-            tx = CTransaction()
-            tx.vin.append(CTxIn(COutPoint(spend.tx.sha256, spend.n)))
+
             # Make sure we have plenty engough to spend going forward.
-            spendable_outputs = deque([])
+            spendable_outputs = deque([spend])
 
-            def add_spendable_outputs(tx):
-                for i in range(8):
+            def get_base_transaction():
+                # Create the new transaction
+                tx = CTransaction()
+                # Spend from one of the spendable outputs
+                spend = spendable_outputs.popleft()
+                tx.vin.append(CTxIn(COutPoint(spend.tx.sha256, spend.n)))
+                # Add spendable outputs
+                for i in range(4):
                     tx.vout.append(CTxOut(0, CScript([OP_TRUE])))
                     spendable_outputs.append(PreviousSpendableOutput(tx, i))
-            add_spendable_outputs(tx)
+                return tx
+
+            tx = get_base_transaction()
 
             # Make it the same format as transaction added for padding and save the size.
             # It's missing the padding output, so we add a constant to account for it.
@@ -129,17 +135,17 @@
                 current_block_size += len(ser_compact_size(len(block.vtx) + 1))
 
                 # Create the new transaction
-                tx = CTransaction()
-                # Spend from one of the spendable outputs
-                spend = spendable_outputs.popleft()
-                tx.vin.append(CTxIn(COutPoint(spend.tx.sha256, spend.n)))
-                # Add spendable outputs
-                add_spendable_outputs(tx)
+                tx = get_base_transaction()
 
                 # Add padding to fill the block.
                 script_length = block_size - current_block_size - base_tx_size
                 if script_length > 510000:
-                    script_length = 500000
+                    if script_length < 1000000:
+                        # Make sure we don't find ourselves in a position where we
+                        # need to generate a transaction smaller than what we expected.
+                        script_length = script_length // 2
+                    else:
+                        script_length = 500000
                 tx_sigops = min(extra_sigops, script_length,
                                 MAX_TX_SIGOPS_COUNT)
                 extra_sigops -= tx_sigops