diff --git a/src/rpc/blockchain.h b/src/rpc/blockchain.h
--- a/src/rpc/blockchain.h
+++ b/src/rpc/blockchain.h
@@ -7,9 +7,12 @@
 
 #include <univalue.h>
 
+class CBlockIndex;
 class Config;
 class JSONRPCRequest;
 
 UniValue getblockchaininfo(const Config &config, const JSONRPCRequest &request);
 
+double GetDifficulty(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
@@ -44,25 +44,15 @@
 void ScriptPubKeyToJSON(const CScript &scriptPubKey, UniValue &out,
                         bool fIncludeHex);
 
-double GetDifficulty(const CBlockIndex *blockindex) {
-    // Floating point number that is a multiple of the minimum difficulty,
-    // minimum difficulty = 1.0.
-    if (blockindex == nullptr) {
-        if (chainActive.Tip() == nullptr) {
-            return 1.0;
-        }
-
-        blockindex = chainActive.Tip();
-    }
-
-    int nShift = (blockindex->nBits >> 24) & 0xff;
-
-    double dDiff = double(0x0000ffff) / double(blockindex->nBits & 0x00ffffff);
+static double GetDifficultyFromBits(uint32_t nBits) {
+    int nShift = (nBits >> 24) & 0xff;
+    double dDiff = 0x0000ffff / double(nBits & 0x00ffffff);
 
     while (nShift < 29) {
         dDiff *= 256.0;
         nShift++;
     }
+
     while (nShift > 29) {
         dDiff /= 256.0;
         nShift--;
@@ -71,6 +61,16 @@
     return dDiff;
 }
 
+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;
+    }
+
+    return GetDifficultyFromBits(blockindex->nBits);
+}
+
 UniValue blockheaderToJSON(const CBlockIndex *blockindex) {
     UniValue result(UniValue::VOBJ);
     result.push_back(Pair("hash", blockindex->GetBlockHash().GetHex()));
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@
     }
 
     LOCK(cs_main);
-    return GetDifficulty();
+    return GetDifficulty(chainActive.Tip());
 }
 
 std::string EntryDescriptionString() {
@@ -1306,7 +1306,7 @@
         Pair("headers", pindexBestHeader ? pindexBestHeader->nHeight : -1));
     obj.push_back(
         Pair("bestblockhash", chainActive.Tip()->GetBlockHash().GetHex()));
-    obj.push_back(Pair("difficulty", double(GetDifficulty())));
+    obj.push_back(Pair("difficulty", double(GetDifficulty(chainActive.Tip()))));
     obj.push_back(
         Pair("mediantime", int64_t(chainActive.Tip()->GetMedianTimePast())));
     obj.push_back(
diff --git a/src/rpc/mining.cpp b/src/rpc/mining.cpp
--- a/src/rpc/mining.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/mining.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include "net.h"
 #include "policy/policy.h"
 #include "pow.h"
+#include "rpc/blockchain.h"
 #include "rpc/server.h"
 #include "txmempool.h"
 #include "util.h"
@@ -24,11 +25,11 @@
 #include "validation.h"
 #include "validationinterface.h"
 
+#include <univalue.h>
+
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <memory>
 
-#include <univalue.h>
-
 /**
  * Return average network hashes per second based on the last 'lookup' blocks,
  * or from the last difficulty change if 'lookup' is nonpositive. If 'height' is
@@ -286,7 +287,7 @@
     obj.push_back(Pair("blocks", int(chainActive.Height())));
     obj.push_back(Pair("currentblocksize", uint64_t(nLastBlockSize)));
     obj.push_back(Pair("currentblocktx", uint64_t(nLastBlockTx)));
-    obj.push_back(Pair("difficulty", double(GetDifficulty())));
+    obj.push_back(Pair("difficulty", double(GetDifficulty(chainActive.Tip()))));
     obj.push_back(Pair("blockprioritypercentage",
                        uint8_t(GetArg("-blockprioritypercentage",
                                       DEFAULT_BLOCK_PRIORITY_PERCENTAGE))));
diff --git a/src/rpc/misc.cpp b/src/rpc/misc.cpp
--- a/src/rpc/misc.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/misc.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "init.h"
 #include "net.h"
 #include "netbase.h"
+#include "rpc/blockchain.h"
 #include "rpc/server.h"
 #include "timedata.h"
 #include "util.h"
@@ -21,10 +22,10 @@
 #include "wallet/walletdb.h"
 #endif
 
-#include <cstdint>
-
 #include <univalue.h>
 
+#include <cstdint>
+
 /**
  * @note Do not add or change anything in the information returned by this
  * method. `getinfo` exists for backwards-compatibility only. It combines
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@
                                               CConnman::CONNECTIONS_ALL)));
     obj.push_back(Pair("proxy", (proxy.IsValid() ? proxy.proxy.ToStringIPPort()
                                                  : std::string())));
-    obj.push_back(Pair("difficulty", (double)GetDifficulty()));
+    obj.push_back(Pair("difficulty", double(GetDifficulty(chainActive.Tip()))));
     obj.push_back(Pair("testnet", Params().NetworkIDString() ==
                                       CBaseChainParams::TESTNET));
 #ifdef ENABLE_WALLET
diff --git a/src/rpc/server.h b/src/rpc/server.h
--- a/src/rpc/server.h
+++ b/src/rpc/server.h
@@ -219,7 +219,6 @@
 extern int64_t nWalletUnlockTime;
 extern Amount AmountFromValue(const UniValue &value);
 extern UniValue ValueFromAmount(const Amount &amount);
-extern double GetDifficulty(const CBlockIndex *blockindex = nullptr);
 extern std::string HelpRequiringPassphrase();
 extern std::string HelpExampleCli(const std::string &methodname,
                                   const std::string &args);