diff --git a/src/validation.h b/src/validation.h
--- a/src/validation.h
+++ b/src/validation.h
@@ -262,10 +262,7 @@
  * Validation result for a single transaction mempool acceptance.
  */
 struct MempoolAcceptResult {
-    /**
-     * Used to indicate the results of mempool validation,
-     * including the possibility of unfinished validation.
-     */
+    /** Used to indicate the results of mempool validation. */
     enum class ResultType {
         //! Fully validated, valid.
         VALID,
@@ -279,7 +276,17 @@
     // ResultType::VALID
     /** Raw base fees in satoshis. */
     const std::optional<Amount> m_base_fees;
+    static MempoolAcceptResult Failure(TxValidationState state) {
+        return MempoolAcceptResult(state);
+    }
 
+    static MempoolAcceptResult Success(Amount fees) {
+        return MempoolAcceptResult(fees);
+    }
+
+    // Private constructors. Use static methods MempoolAcceptResult::Success,
+    // etc. to construct.
+private:
     /** Constructor for failure case */
     explicit MempoolAcceptResult(TxValidationState state)
         : m_result_type(ResultType::INVALID), m_state(state),
diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -691,7 +691,7 @@
                           m_active_chainstate.m_chain.Tip()));
 
     if (!PreChecks(args, ws)) {
-        return MempoolAcceptResult(ws.m_state);
+        return MempoolAcceptResult::Failure(ws.m_state);
     }
 
     // Only compute the precomputed transaction data if we need to verify
@@ -701,22 +701,22 @@
     PrecomputedTransactionData txdata(*ptx);
 
     if (!ConsensusScriptChecks(args, ws, txdata)) {
-        return MempoolAcceptResult(ws.m_state);
+        return MempoolAcceptResult::Failure(ws.m_state);
     }
 
     // Tx was accepted, but not added
     if (args.m_test_accept) {
-        return MempoolAcceptResult(ws.m_base_fees);
+        return MempoolAcceptResult::Success(ws.m_base_fees);
     }
 
     if (!Finalize(args, ws)) {
-        return MempoolAcceptResult(ws.m_state);
+        return MempoolAcceptResult::Failure(ws.m_state);
     }
 
     GetMainSignals().TransactionAddedToMempool(
         ptx, m_pool.GetAndIncrementSequence());
 
-    return MempoolAcceptResult(ws.m_base_fees);
+    return MempoolAcceptResult::Success(ws.m_base_fees);
 }
 
 } // namespace