diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index b41c1ad2e..385ab7153 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -2638,9 +2638,8 @@ bool ActivateBestChain(CValidationState &state, const CChainParams& chainparams,
                 GetMainSignals().UpdatedBlockTip(pindexNewTip);
             }
         }
-        if (!vHashes.empty()) {
-            uiInterface.NotifyBlockTip(fInitialDownload, pindexNewTip);
-        }
+        // Always notify the UI if a new block tip was connected
+        uiInterface.NotifyBlockTip(fInitialDownload, pindexNewTip);
     } while(pindexMostWork != chainActive.Tip());
     CheckBlockIndex(chainparams.GetConsensus());
 
diff --git a/src/qt/bitcoingui.cpp b/src/qt/bitcoingui.cpp
index 4933f76d6..4651e842b 100644
--- a/src/qt/bitcoingui.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/bitcoingui.cpp
@@ -443,8 +443,8 @@ void BitcoinGUI::setClientModel(ClientModel *clientModel)
         setNumConnections(clientModel->getNumConnections());
         connect(clientModel, SIGNAL(numConnectionsChanged(int)), this, SLOT(setNumConnections(int)));
 
-        setNumBlocks(clientModel->getNumBlocks(), clientModel->getLastBlockDate(), NULL);
-        connect(clientModel, SIGNAL(numBlocksChanged(int,QDateTime,const CBlockIndex*)), this, SLOT(setNumBlocks(int,QDateTime,const CBlockIndex*)));
+        setNumBlocks(clientModel->getNumBlocks(), clientModel->getLastBlockDate(), clientModel->getVerificationProgress(NULL));
+        connect(clientModel, SIGNAL(numBlocksChanged(int,QDateTime,double)), this, SLOT(setNumBlocks(int,QDateTime,double)));
 
         // Receive and report messages from client model
         connect(clientModel, SIGNAL(message(QString,QString,unsigned int)), this, SLOT(message(QString,QString,unsigned int)));
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ void BitcoinGUI::setNumConnections(int count)
     labelConnectionsIcon->setToolTip(tr("%n active connection(s) to Bitcoin network", "", count));
 }
 
-void BitcoinGUI::setNumBlocks(int count, const QDateTime& blockDate, const CBlockIndex *tip)
+void BitcoinGUI::setNumBlocks(int count, const QDateTime& blockDate, double nVerificationProgress)
 {
     if(!clientModel)
         return;
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ void BitcoinGUI::setNumBlocks(int count, const QDateTime& blockDate, const CBloc
         progressBarLabel->setVisible(true);
         progressBar->setFormat(tr("%1 behind").arg(timeBehindText));
         progressBar->setMaximum(1000000000);
-        progressBar->setValue(clientModel->getVerificationProgress(tip) * 1000000000.0 + 0.5);
+        progressBar->setValue(nVerificationProgress * 1000000000.0 + 0.5);
         progressBar->setVisible(true);
 
         tooltip = tr("Catching up...") + QString("<br>") + tooltip;
diff --git a/src/qt/bitcoingui.h b/src/qt/bitcoingui.h
index 42da14988..3ad6519db 100644
--- a/src/qt/bitcoingui.h
+++ b/src/qt/bitcoingui.h
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ class UnitDisplayStatusBarControl;
 class WalletFrame;
 class WalletModel;
 class HelpMessageDialog;
-class CBlockIndex;
 
 class CWallet;
 
@@ -150,7 +149,7 @@ public Q_SLOTS:
     /** Set number of connections shown in the UI */
     void setNumConnections(int count);
     /** Set number of blocks and last block date shown in the UI */
-    void setNumBlocks(int count, const QDateTime& blockDate, const CBlockIndex* tip);
+    void setNumBlocks(int count, const QDateTime& blockDate, double nVerificationProgress);
 
     /** Notify the user of an event from the core network or transaction handling code.
        @param[in] title     the message box / notification title
diff --git a/src/qt/clientmodel.cpp b/src/qt/clientmodel.cpp
index f7d8b7174..d36d129c1 100644
--- a/src/qt/clientmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/clientmodel.cpp
@@ -98,9 +98,15 @@ size_t ClientModel::getMempoolDynamicUsage() const
     return mempool.DynamicMemoryUsage();
 }
 
-double ClientModel::getVerificationProgress(const CBlockIndex *tip) const
+double ClientModel::getVerificationProgress(const CBlockIndex *tipIn) const
 {
-    return Checkpoints::GuessVerificationProgress(Params().Checkpoints(), (CBlockIndex *)tip);
+    CBlockIndex *tip = const_cast<CBlockIndex *>(tipIn);
+    if (!tip)
+    {
+        LOCK(cs_main);
+        tip = chainActive.Tip();
+    }
+    return Checkpoints::GuessVerificationProgress(Params().Checkpoints(), tip);
 }
 
 void ClientModel::updateTimer()
@@ -247,10 +253,9 @@ static void BlockTipChanged(ClientModel *clientmodel, bool initialSync, const CB
     // if we are in-sync, update the UI regardless of last update time
     if (!initialSync || now - nLastBlockTipUpdateNotification > MODEL_UPDATE_DELAY) {
         //pass a async signal to the UI thread
-        Q_EMIT clientmodel->numBlocksChanged(pIndex->nHeight, QDateTime::fromTime_t(pIndex->GetBlockTime()), pIndex);
+        Q_EMIT clientmodel->numBlocksChanged(pIndex->nHeight, QDateTime::fromTime_t(pIndex->GetBlockTime()), clientmodel->getVerificationProgress(pIndex));
         nLastBlockTipUpdateNotification = now;
     }
-
 }
 
 void ClientModel::subscribeToCoreSignals()
diff --git a/src/qt/clientmodel.h b/src/qt/clientmodel.h
index c3beb8239..2d204fdb6 100644
--- a/src/qt/clientmodel.h
+++ b/src/qt/clientmodel.h
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ private:
 
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void numConnectionsChanged(int count);
-    void numBlocksChanged(int count, const QDateTime& blockDate, const CBlockIndex *tip);
+    void numBlocksChanged(int count, const QDateTime& blockDate, double nVerificationProgress);
     void mempoolSizeChanged(long count, size_t mempoolSizeInBytes);
     void alertsChanged(const QString &warnings);
     void bytesChanged(quint64 totalBytesIn, quint64 totalBytesOut);
diff --git a/src/qt/rpcconsole.cpp b/src/qt/rpcconsole.cpp
index 8dbbac957..30e551de1 100644
--- a/src/qt/rpcconsole.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/rpcconsole.cpp
@@ -343,8 +343,8 @@ void RPCConsole::setClientModel(ClientModel *model)
         setNumConnections(model->getNumConnections());
         connect(model, SIGNAL(numConnectionsChanged(int)), this, SLOT(setNumConnections(int)));
 
-        setNumBlocks(model->getNumBlocks(), model->getLastBlockDate(), NULL);
-        connect(model, SIGNAL(numBlocksChanged(int,QDateTime,const CBlockIndex*)), this, SLOT(setNumBlocks(int,QDateTime,const CBlockIndex*)));
+        setNumBlocks(model->getNumBlocks(), model->getLastBlockDate(), model->getVerificationProgress(NULL));
+        connect(model, SIGNAL(numBlocksChanged(int,QDateTime,double)), this, SLOT(setNumBlocks(int,QDateTime,double)));
 
         updateTrafficStats(model->getTotalBytesRecv(), model->getTotalBytesSent());
         connect(model, SIGNAL(bytesChanged(quint64,quint64)), this, SLOT(updateTrafficStats(quint64, quint64)));
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ void RPCConsole::setNumConnections(int count)
     ui->numberOfConnections->setText(connections);
 }
 
-void RPCConsole::setNumBlocks(int count, const QDateTime& blockDate, const CBlockIndex* tip)
+void RPCConsole::setNumBlocks(int count, const QDateTime& blockDate, double nVerificationProgress)
 {
     ui->numberOfBlocks->setText(QString::number(count));
     ui->lastBlockTime->setText(blockDate.toString());
diff --git a/src/qt/rpcconsole.h b/src/qt/rpcconsole.h
index 5debc1754..4aebad480 100644
--- a/src/qt/rpcconsole.h
+++ b/src/qt/rpcconsole.h
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ public Q_SLOTS:
     /** Set number of connections shown in the UI */
     void setNumConnections(int count);
     /** Set number of blocks and last block date shown in the UI */
-    void setNumBlocks(int count, const QDateTime& blockDate, const CBlockIndex* tip);
+    void setNumBlocks(int count, const QDateTime& blockDate, double nVerificationProgress);
     /** Set size (number of transactions and memory usage) of the mempool in the UI */
     void setMempoolSize(long numberOfTxs, size_t dynUsage);
     /** Go forward or back in history */
diff --git a/src/qt/sendcoinsdialog.cpp b/src/qt/sendcoinsdialog.cpp
index 1c72a292e..0fd86da03 100644
--- a/src/qt/sendcoinsdialog.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/sendcoinsdialog.cpp
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ void SendCoinsDialog::setClientModel(ClientModel *clientModel)
     this->clientModel = clientModel;
 
     if (clientModel) {
-        connect(clientModel, SIGNAL(numBlocksChanged(int,QDateTime,const CBlockIndex*)), this, SLOT(updateSmartFeeLabel()));
+        connect(clientModel, SIGNAL(numBlocksChanged(int,QDateTime,double)), this, SLOT(updateSmartFeeLabel()));
     }
 }