diff --git a/src/avalanche/peermanager.cpp b/src/avalanche/peermanager.cpp
--- a/src/avalanche/peermanager.cpp
+++ b/src/avalanche/peermanager.cpp
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@
 }
 
 ProofRef PeerManager::getProof(const ProofId &proofid) const {
-    ProofRef proof = nullptr;
+    ProofRef proof;
 
     forPeer(proofid, [&](const Peer &p) {
         proof = p.proof;
diff --git a/src/avalanche/processor.cpp b/src/avalanche/processor.cpp
--- a/src/avalanche/processor.cpp
+++ b/src/avalanche/processor.cpp
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@
 }
 
 ProofRef Processor::getLocalProof() const {
-    return peerData ? peerData->proof : nullptr;
+    return peerData ? peerData->proof : ProofRef();
 }
 
 bool Processor::startEventLoop(CScheduler &scheduler) {
diff --git a/src/avalanche/proofpool.cpp b/src/avalanche/proofpool.cpp
--- a/src/avalanche/proofpool.cpp
+++ b/src/avalanche/proofpool.cpp
@@ -91,12 +91,12 @@
 ProofRef ProofPool::getProof(const ProofId &proofid) const {
     auto &poolView = pool.get<by_proofid>();
     auto it = poolView.find(proofid);
-    return it == poolView.end() ? nullptr : it->proof;
+    return it == poolView.end() ? ProofRef() : it->proof;
 }
 
 ProofRef ProofPool::getProof(const COutPoint &outpoint) const {
     auto it = pool.find(outpoint);
-    return it == pool.end() ? nullptr : it->proof;
+    return it == pool.end() ? ProofRef() : it->proof;
 }
 
 } // namespace avalanche
diff --git a/src/net_processing.cpp b/src/net_processing.cpp
--- a/src/net_processing.cpp
+++ b/src/net_processing.cpp
@@ -2678,7 +2678,7 @@
 static avalanche::ProofRef
 FindProofForGetData(const CNode &peer, const avalanche::ProofId &proofid,
                     const std::chrono::seconds now) {
-    avalanche::ProofRef proof = nullptr;
+    avalanche::ProofRef proof;
 
     bool send_unconditionally =
         g_avalanche->withPeerManager([&](const avalanche::PeerManager &pm) {
@@ -2703,7 +2703,7 @@
 
     // We don't have this proof
     if (!proof) {
-        return nullptr;
+        return avalanche::ProofRef();
     }
 
     if (send_unconditionally) {
@@ -2716,7 +2716,7 @@
         return proof;
     }
 
-    return nullptr;
+    return avalanche::ProofRef();
 }
 
 void PeerManagerImpl::ProcessGetData(