diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -653,6 +653,7 @@
 	node/blockstorage.cpp
 	node/caches.cpp
 	node/chainstate.cpp
+	node/chainstatemanager_args.cpp
 	node/coin.cpp
 	node/coinstats.cpp
 	node/context.cpp
diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 #include <node/blockstorage.h>
 #include <node/caches.h>
 #include <node/chainstate.h>
+#include <node/chainstatemanager_args.h>
 #include <node/context.h>
 #include <node/mempool_persist_args.h>
 #include <node/miner.h>
@@ -1095,7 +1096,7 @@
     argsman.AddArg("-maxtipage=<n>",
                    strprintf("Maximum tip age in seconds to consider node in "
                              "initial block download (default: %u)",
-                             DEFAULT_MAX_TIP_AGE),
+                             Ticks<std::chrono::seconds>(DEFAULT_MAX_TIP_AGE)),
                    ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY | ArgsManager::DEBUG_ONLY,
                    OptionsCategory::DEBUG_TEST);
 
@@ -1965,8 +1966,6 @@
         nLocalServices = ServiceFlags(nLocalServices | NODE_BLOOM);
     }
 
-    nMaxTipAge = args.GetIntArg("-maxtipage", DEFAULT_MAX_TIP_AGE);
-
     if (args.IsArgSet("-proxy") && args.GetArg("-proxy", "").empty()) {
         return InitError(_(
             "No proxy server specified. Use -proxy=<ip> or -proxy=<ip:port>."));
@@ -2396,6 +2395,12 @@
     fReindex = args.GetBoolArg("-reindex", false);
     bool fReindexChainState = args.GetBoolArg("-reindex-chainstate", false);
 
+    ChainstateManager::Options chainman_opts{
+        .config = config,
+        .adjusted_time_callback = GetAdjustedTime,
+    };
+    ApplyArgsManOptions(args, chainman_opts);
+
     // cache size calculations
     CacheSizes cache_sizes =
         CalculateCacheSizes(args, g_enabled_filter_types.size());
@@ -2446,10 +2451,6 @@
     for (bool fLoaded = false; !fLoaded && !ShutdownRequested();) {
         node.mempool = std::make_unique<CTxMemPool>(mempool_opts);
 
-        const ChainstateManager::Options chainman_opts{
-            .config = config,
-            .adjusted_time_callback = GetAdjustedTime,
-        };
         node.chainman = std::make_unique<ChainstateManager>(chainman_opts);
         ChainstateManager &chainman = *node.chainman;
 
diff --git a/src/kernel/chainstatemanager_opts.h b/src/kernel/chainstatemanager_opts.h
--- a/src/kernel/chainstatemanager_opts.h
+++ b/src/kernel/chainstatemanager_opts.h
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 
 class Config;
 
+static constexpr auto DEFAULT_MAX_TIP_AGE{24h};
+
 namespace kernel {
 
 /**
@@ -23,6 +25,9 @@
     const Config &config;
     const std::function<NodeClock::time_point()> adjusted_time_callback{
         nullptr};
+    //! If the tip is older than this, the node is considered to be in initial
+    //! block download.
+    std::chrono::seconds max_tip_age{DEFAULT_MAX_TIP_AGE};
 };
 
 } // namespace kernel
diff --git a/src/node/chainstatemanager_args.h b/src/node/chainstatemanager_args.h
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/node/chainstatemanager_args.h
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2022 The Bitcoin Core developers
+// Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
+// file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
+
+#ifndef BITCOIN_NODE_CHAINSTATEMANAGER_ARGS_H
+#define BITCOIN_NODE_CHAINSTATEMANAGER_ARGS_H
+
+#include <validation.h>
+
+class ArgsManager;
+
+namespace node {
+void ApplyArgsManOptions(const ArgsManager &args,
+                         ChainstateManager::Options &opts);
+} // namespace node
+
+#endif // BITCOIN_NODE_CHAINSTATEMANAGER_ARGS_H
diff --git a/src/node/chainstatemanager_args.cpp b/src/node/chainstatemanager_args.cpp
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/node/chainstatemanager_args.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2022 The Bitcoin Core developers
+// Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
+// file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
+
+#include <node/chainstatemanager_args.h>
+
+#include <util/system.h>
+
+#include <chrono>
+#include <optional>
+
+namespace node {
+void ApplyArgsManOptions(const ArgsManager &args,
+                         ChainstateManager::Options &opts) {
+    if (auto value{args.GetIntArg("-maxtipage")}) {
+        opts.max_tip_age = std::chrono::seconds{*value};
+    }
+}
+} // namespace node
diff --git a/src/validation.h b/src/validation.h
--- a/src/validation.h
+++ b/src/validation.h
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@
 static const int MAX_SCRIPTCHECK_THREADS = 15;
 /** -par default (number of script-checking threads, 0 = auto) */
 static const int DEFAULT_SCRIPTCHECK_THREADS = 0;
-static const int64_t DEFAULT_MAX_TIP_AGE = 24 * 60 * 60;
 static const bool DEFAULT_CHECKPOINTS_ENABLED = true;
 
 static const bool DEFAULT_PEERBLOOMFILTERS = true;
@@ -121,12 +120,6 @@
 extern bool fCheckBlockIndex;
 extern bool fCheckpointsEnabled;
 
-/**
- * If the tip is older than this (in seconds), the node is considered to be in
- * initial block download.
- */
-extern int64_t nMaxTipAge;
-
 /**
  * Block hash whose ancestors we will assume to have valid scripts without
  * checking them.
diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@
 uint256 g_best_block;
 bool fCheckBlockIndex = false;
 bool fCheckpointsEnabled = DEFAULT_CHECKPOINTS_ENABLED;
-int64_t nMaxTipAge = DEFAULT_MAX_TIP_AGE;
 
 BlockHash hashAssumeValid;
 arith_uint256 nMinimumChainWork;
@@ -1176,7 +1175,8 @@
     if (m_chain.Tip()->nChainWork < nMinimumChainWork) {
         return true;
     }
-    if (m_chain.Tip()->GetBlockTime() < (GetTime() - nMaxTipAge)) {
+    if (m_chain.Tip()->Time() <
+        Now<NodeSeconds>() - m_chainman.m_options.max_tip_age) {
         return true;
     }
     LogPrintf("Leaving InitialBlockDownload (latching to false)\n");