diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -2433,6 +2433,9 @@
     // Step 6.5 (I guess ?): Initialize Avalanche.
     g_avalanche = std::make_unique<avalanche::Processor>(
         *node.chain, node.connman.get(), node.peerman.get());
+    if (args.GetBoolArg("-enableavalanche", AVALANCHE_DEFAULT_ENABLED)) {
+        nLocalServices = ServiceFlags(nLocalServices | NODE_AVALANCHE);
+    }
 
     // Step 7: load block chain
 
diff --git a/test/functional/abc_p2p_avalanche.py b/test/functional/abc_p2p_avalanche.py
--- a/test/functional/abc_p2p_avalanche.py
+++ b/test/functional/abc_p2p_avalanche.py
@@ -126,6 +126,11 @@
     def run_test(self):
         node = self.nodes[0]
 
+        self.log.info("Check the node is signalling the avalanche service.")
+        assert_equal(
+            int(node.getnetworkinfo()['localservices'], 16) & NODE_AVALANCHE,
+            NODE_AVALANCHE)
+
         # Build a fake quorum of nodes.
         def get_quorum():
             def get_node():