diff --git a/src/rest.cpp b/src/rest.cpp
--- a/src/rest.cpp
+++ b/src/rest.cpp
@@ -156,10 +156,12 @@
         return RESTERR(req, HTTP_BAD_REQUEST, "Invalid hash: " + hashStr);
     }
 
+    const CBlockIndex *tip = nullptr;
     std::vector<const CBlockIndex *> headers;
     headers.reserve(count);
     {
         LOCK(cs_main);
+        tip = chainActive.Tip();
         const CBlockIndex *pindex = LookupBlockIndex(hash);
         while (pindex != nullptr && chainActive.Contains(pindex)) {
             headers.push_back(pindex);
@@ -192,11 +194,8 @@
         }
         case RetFormat::JSON: {
             UniValue jsonHeaders(UniValue::VARR);
-            {
-                LOCK(cs_main);
-                for (const CBlockIndex *pindex : headers) {
-                    jsonHeaders.push_back(blockheaderToJSON(pindex));
-                }
+            for (const CBlockIndex *pindex : headers) {
+                jsonHeaders.push_back(blockheaderToJSON(tip, pindex));
             }
             std::string strJSON = jsonHeaders.write() + "\n";
             req->WriteHeader("Content-Type", "application/json");
@@ -230,8 +229,10 @@
 
     CBlock block;
     CBlockIndex *pblockindex = nullptr;
+    CBlockIndex *tip = nullptr;
     {
         LOCK(cs_main);
+        tip = chainActive.Tip();
         pblockindex = LookupBlockIndex(hash);
         if (!pblockindex) {
             return RESTERR(req, HTTP_NOT_FOUND, hashStr + " not found");
@@ -268,11 +269,8 @@
         }
 
         case RetFormat::JSON: {
-            UniValue objBlock;
-            {
-                LOCK(cs_main);
-                objBlock = blockToJSON(block, pblockindex, showTxDetails);
-            }
+            UniValue objBlock =
+                blockToJSON(block, tip, pblockindex, showTxDetails);
             std::string strJSON = objBlock.write() + "\n";
             req->WriteHeader("Content-Type", "application/json");
             req->WriteReply(HTTP_OK, strJSON);
diff --git a/src/rpc/blockchain.h b/src/rpc/blockchain.h
--- a/src/rpc/blockchain.h
+++ b/src/rpc/blockchain.h
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@
 void RPCNotifyBlockChange(bool ibd, const CBlockIndex *pindex);
 
 /** Block description to JSON */
-UniValue blockToJSON(const CBlock &block, const CBlockIndex *blockindex,
-                     bool txDetails = false);
+UniValue blockToJSON(const CBlock &block, const CBlockIndex *tip,
+                     const CBlockIndex *blockindex, bool txDetails = false);
 
 /** Mempool information to JSON */
 UniValue mempoolInfoToJSON();
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 UniValue mempoolToJSON(bool fVerbose = false);
 
 /** Block header to JSON */
-UniValue blockheaderToJSON(const CBlockIndex *blockindex);
+UniValue blockheaderToJSON(const CBlockIndex *tip,
+                           const CBlockIndex *blockindex);
 
 #endif // BITCOIN_RPCBLOCKCHAIN_H
diff --git a/src/rpc/blockchain.cpp b/src/rpc/blockchain.cpp
--- a/src/rpc/blockchain.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/blockchain.cpp
@@ -60,24 +60,28 @@
 }
 
 double GetDifficulty(const CBlockIndex *blockindex) {
-    // Floating point number that is a multiple of the minimum difficulty,
-    // minimum difficulty = 1.0.
-    if (blockindex == nullptr) {
-        return 1.0;
-    }
+    assert(blockindex);
 
     return GetDifficultyFromBits(blockindex->nBits);
 }
 
-UniValue blockheaderToJSON(const CBlockIndex *blockindex) {
-    AssertLockHeld(cs_main);
+static int ComputeNextBlockAndDepth(const CBlockIndex *tip,
+                                    const CBlockIndex *blockindex,
+                                    const CBlockIndex *&next) {
+    next = tip->GetAncestor(blockindex->nHeight + 1);
+    if (next && next->pprev == blockindex) {
+        return tip->nHeight - blockindex->nHeight + 1;
+    }
+    next = nullptr;
+    return blockindex == tip ? 1 : -1;
+}
+
+UniValue blockheaderToJSON(const CBlockIndex *tip,
+                           const CBlockIndex *blockindex) {
     UniValue result(UniValue::VOBJ);
     result.pushKV("hash", blockindex->GetBlockHash().GetHex());
-    int confirmations = -1;
-    // Only report confirmations if the block is on the main chain
-    if (chainActive.Contains(blockindex)) {
-        confirmations = chainActive.Height() - blockindex->nHeight + 1;
-    }
+    const CBlockIndex *pnext;
+    int confirmations = ComputeNextBlockAndDepth(tip, blockindex, pnext);
     result.pushKV("confirmations", confirmations);
     result.pushKV("height", blockindex->nHeight);
     result.pushKV("version", blockindex->nVersion);
@@ -94,23 +98,18 @@
         result.pushKV("previousblockhash",
                       blockindex->pprev->GetBlockHash().GetHex());
     }
-    CBlockIndex *pnext = chainActive.Next(blockindex);
     if (pnext) {
         result.pushKV("nextblockhash", pnext->GetBlockHash().GetHex());
     }
     return result;
 }
 
-UniValue blockToJSON(const CBlock &block, const CBlockIndex *blockindex,
-                     bool txDetails) {
-    AssertLockHeld(cs_main);
+UniValue blockToJSON(const CBlock &block, const CBlockIndex *tip,
+                     const CBlockIndex *blockindex, bool txDetails) {
     UniValue result(UniValue::VOBJ);
     result.pushKV("hash", blockindex->GetBlockHash().GetHex());
-    int confirmations = -1;
-    // Only report confirmations if the block is on the main chain
-    if (chainActive.Contains(blockindex)) {
-        confirmations = chainActive.Height() - blockindex->nHeight + 1;
-    }
+    const CBlockIndex *pnext;
+    int confirmations = ComputeNextBlockAndDepth(tip, blockindex, pnext);
     result.pushKV("confirmations", confirmations);
     result.pushKV(
         "size", (int)::GetSerializeSize(block, SER_NETWORK, PROTOCOL_VERSION));
@@ -140,7 +139,6 @@
         result.pushKV("previousblockhash",
                       blockindex->pprev->GetBlockHash().GetHex());
     }
-    CBlockIndex *pnext = chainActive.Next(blockindex);
     if (pnext) {
         result.pushKV("nextblockhash", pnext->GetBlockHash().GetHex());
     }
@@ -801,7 +799,7 @@
         return strHex;
     }
 
-    return blockheaderToJSON(pblockindex);
+    return blockheaderToJSON(chainActive.Tip(), pblockindex);
 }
 
 static UniValue getblock(const Config &config, const JSONRPCRequest &request) {
@@ -911,7 +909,7 @@
         return strHex;
     }
 
-    return blockToJSON(block, pblockindex, verbosity >= 2);
+    return blockToJSON(block, chainActive.Tip(), pblockindex, verbosity >= 2);
 }
 
 struct CCoinsStats {
@@ -1222,7 +1220,7 @@
 }
 
 /** Implementation of IsSuperMajority with better feedback */
-static UniValue SoftForkMajorityDesc(int version, CBlockIndex *pindex,
+static UniValue SoftForkMajorityDesc(int version, const CBlockIndex *pindex,
                                      const Consensus::Params &consensusParams) {
     UniValue rv(UniValue::VOBJ);
     bool activated = false;
@@ -1245,7 +1243,7 @@
 }
 
 static UniValue SoftForkDesc(const std::string &name, int version,
-                             CBlockIndex *pindex,
+                             const CBlockIndex *pindex,
                              const Consensus::Params &consensusParams) {
     UniValue rv(UniValue::VOBJ);
     rv.pushKV("id", name);
@@ -1311,22 +1309,22 @@
 
     LOCK(cs_main);
 
+    const CBlockIndex *tip = chainActive.Tip();
     UniValue obj(UniValue::VOBJ);
     obj.pushKV("chain", config.GetChainParams().NetworkIDString());
     obj.pushKV("blocks", int(chainActive.Height()));
     obj.pushKV("headers", pindexBestHeader ? pindexBestHeader->nHeight : -1);
-    obj.pushKV("bestblockhash", chainActive.Tip()->GetBlockHash().GetHex());
-    obj.pushKV("difficulty", double(GetDifficulty(chainActive.Tip())));
-    obj.pushKV("mediantime", int64_t(chainActive.Tip()->GetMedianTimePast()));
+    obj.pushKV("bestblockhash", tip->GetBlockHash().GetHex());
+    obj.pushKV("difficulty", double(GetDifficulty(tip)));
+    obj.pushKV("mediantime", int64_t(tip->GetMedianTimePast()));
     obj.pushKV("verificationprogress",
-               GuessVerificationProgress(config.GetChainParams().TxData(),
-                                         chainActive.Tip()));
-    obj.pushKV("chainwork", chainActive.Tip()->nChainWork.GetHex());
+               GuessVerificationProgress(Params().TxData(), tip));
+    obj.pushKV("chainwork", tip->nChainWork.GetHex());
     obj.pushKV("size_on_disk", CalculateCurrentUsage());
     obj.pushKV("pruned", fPruneMode);
 
     if (fPruneMode) {
-        CBlockIndex *block = chainActive.Tip();
+        const CBlockIndex *block = tip;
         assert(block);
         while (block->pprev && (block->pprev->nStatus.hasData())) {
             block = block->pprev;
@@ -1344,7 +1342,6 @@
 
     const Consensus::Params &consensusParams =
         config.GetChainParams().GetConsensus();
-    CBlockIndex *tip = chainActive.Tip();
     UniValue softforks(UniValue::VARR);
     softforks.push_back(SoftForkDesc("bip34", 2, tip, consensusParams));
     softforks.push_back(SoftForkDesc("bip66", 3, tip, consensusParams));