diff --git a/src/avalanche/test/processor_tests.cpp b/src/avalanche/test/processor_tests.cpp
--- a/src/avalanche/test/processor_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/avalanche/test/processor_tests.cpp
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
         m_connman = connman.get();
         m_node.connman = std::move(connman);
         m_node.peer_logic = std::make_unique<PeerLogicValidation>(
-            m_connman, m_node.banman.get(), *m_node.scheduler);
+            m_connman, m_node.banman.get());
     }
 
     ~AvalancheTestingSetup() { m_connman->ClearNodes(); }
diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -2207,8 +2207,8 @@
         config, GetRand(std::numeric_limits<uint64_t>::max()),
         GetRand(std::numeric_limits<uint64_t>::max()));
 
-    node.peer_logic.reset(new PeerLogicValidation(
-        node.connman.get(), node.banman.get(), *node.scheduler));
+    node.peer_logic.reset(
+        new PeerLogicValidation(node.connman.get(), node.banman.get()));
     RegisterValidationInterface(node.peer_logic.get());
 
     // sanitize comments per BIP-0014, format user agent and check total size
@@ -2822,6 +2822,8 @@
         return false;
     }
 
+    node.peer_logic->Start(*node.scheduler);
+
     // Step 13: finished
 
     SetRPCWarmupFinished();
diff --git a/src/net_processing.h b/src/net_processing.h
--- a/src/net_processing.h
+++ b/src/net_processing.h
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@
     bool CheckIfBanned(CNode &pnode) EXCLUSIVE_LOCKS_REQUIRED(cs_main);
 
 public:
-    PeerLogicValidation(CConnman *connman, BanMan *banman,
-                        CScheduler &scheduler);
+    PeerLogicValidation(CConnman *connman, BanMan *banman);
 
     /**
      * Overridden from CValidationInterface.
@@ -64,6 +63,12 @@
     void NewPoWValidBlock(const CBlockIndex *pindex,
                           const std::shared_ptr<const CBlock> &pblock) override;
 
+    /**
+     * Start the peer logic validation thread.
+     * Should be called after CConman initialization has completed.
+     */
+    void Start(CScheduler &scheduler);
+
     /**
      * Initialize a peer by adding it to mapNodeState and pushing a message
      * requesting its version.
diff --git a/src/net_processing.cpp b/src/net_processing.cpp
--- a/src/net_processing.cpp
+++ b/src/net_processing.cpp
@@ -1345,12 +1345,13 @@
             STALE_RELAY_AGE_LIMIT);
 }
 
-PeerLogicValidation::PeerLogicValidation(CConnman *connmanIn, BanMan *banman,
-                                         CScheduler &scheduler)
+PeerLogicValidation::PeerLogicValidation(CConnman *connmanIn, BanMan *banman)
     : connman(connmanIn), m_banman(banman), m_stale_tip_check_time(0) {
     // Initialize global variables that cannot be constructed at startup.
     recentRejects.reset(new CRollingBloomFilter(120000, 0.000001));
+}
 
+void PeerLogicValidation::Start(CScheduler &scheduler) {
     const Consensus::Params &consensusParams = Params().GetConsensus();
     // Stale tip checking and peer eviction are on two different timers, but we
     // don't want them to get out of sync due to drift in the scheduler, so we
diff --git a/src/test/denialofservice_tests.cpp b/src/test/denialofservice_tests.cpp
--- a/src/test/denialofservice_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/denialofservice_tests.cpp
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@
     std::atomic<bool> interruptDummy(false);
 
     auto connman = std::make_unique<CConnman>(config, 0x1337, 0x1337);
-    auto peerLogic = std::make_unique<PeerLogicValidation>(
-        connman.get(), nullptr, *m_node.scheduler);
+    auto peerLogic =
+        std::make_unique<PeerLogicValidation>(connman.get(), nullptr);
 
     // Mock an outbound peer
     CAddress addr1(ip(0xa0b0c001), NODE_NONE);
@@ -162,8 +162,8 @@
     const Config &config = GetConfig();
 
     auto connman = std::make_unique<CConnmanTest>(config, 0x1337, 0x1337);
-    auto peerLogic = std::make_unique<PeerLogicValidation>(
-        connman.get(), nullptr, *m_node.scheduler);
+    auto peerLogic =
+        std::make_unique<PeerLogicValidation>(connman.get(), nullptr);
 
     const Consensus::Params &consensusParams =
         config.GetChainParams().GetConsensus();
@@ -241,8 +241,8 @@
                                            config.GetChainParams(), nullptr,
                                            DEFAULT_MISBEHAVING_BANTIME);
     auto connman = std::make_unique<CConnman>(config, 0x1337, 0x1337);
-    auto peerLogic = std::make_unique<PeerLogicValidation>(
-        connman.get(), banman.get(), *m_node.scheduler);
+    auto peerLogic =
+        std::make_unique<PeerLogicValidation>(connman.get(), banman.get());
 
     banman->ClearBanned();
     CAddress addr1(ip(0xa0b0c001), NODE_NONE);
@@ -310,8 +310,8 @@
                                            config.GetChainParams(), nullptr,
                                            DEFAULT_MISBEHAVING_BANTIME);
     auto connman = std::make_unique<CConnman>(config, 0x1337, 0x1337);
-    auto peerLogic = std::make_unique<PeerLogicValidation>(
-        connman.get(), banman.get(), *m_node.scheduler);
+    auto peerLogic =
+        std::make_unique<PeerLogicValidation>(connman.get(), banman.get());
 
     banman->ClearBanned();
     // because 11 is my favorite number.
@@ -367,8 +367,8 @@
                                            config.GetChainParams(), nullptr,
                                            DEFAULT_MISBEHAVING_BANTIME);
     auto connman = std::make_unique<CConnman>(config, 0x1337, 0x1337);
-    auto peerLogic = std::make_unique<PeerLogicValidation>(
-        connman.get(), banman.get(), *m_node.scheduler);
+    auto peerLogic =
+        std::make_unique<PeerLogicValidation>(connman.get(), banman.get());
 
     banman->ClearBanned();
     int64_t nStartTime = GetTime();
diff --git a/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp b/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp
--- a/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp
+++ b/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp
@@ -177,12 +177,13 @@
     // Deterministic randomness for tests.
     m_node.connman = std::make_unique<CConnman>(config, 0x1337, 0x1337);
     m_node.peer_logic = std::make_unique<PeerLogicValidation>(
-        m_node.connman.get(), m_node.banman.get(), *m_node.scheduler);
+        m_node.connman.get(), m_node.banman.get());
     {
         CConnman::Options options;
         options.m_msgproc = m_node.peer_logic.get();
         m_node.connman->Init(options);
     }
+    m_node.peer_logic->Start(*m_node.scheduler);
 }
 
 TestingSetup::~TestingSetup() {