diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index 8fec69c2b..2ea778a5b 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -1452,7 +1452,10 @@ bool AppInitMain(boost::thread_group& threadGroup, CScheduler& scheduler)
                     assert(chainActive.Tip() != NULL);
                 }
 
-                if (!fReindex && chainActive.Tip() != NULL) {
+                if (!fReindex) {
+                    // Note that RewindBlockIndex MUST run even if we're about to -reindex-chainstate.
+                    // It both disconnects blocks based on chainActive, and drops block data in
+                    // mapBlockIndex based on lack of available witness data.
                     uiInterface.InitMessage(_("Rewinding blocks..."));
                     if (!RewindBlockIndex(chainparams)) {
                         strLoadError = _("Unable to rewind the database to a pre-fork state. You will need to redownload the blockchain");
diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
index 91982ead9..7ec77406e 100644
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -3763,6 +3763,8 @@ bool RewindBlockIndex(const CChainParams& params)
 {
     LOCK(cs_main);
 
+    // Note that during -reindex-chainstate we are called with an empty chainActive!
+
     int nHeight = 1;
     while (nHeight <= chainActive.Height()) {
         if (IsWitnessEnabled(chainActive[nHeight - 1], params.GetConsensus()) && !(chainActive[nHeight]->nStatus & BLOCK_OPT_WITNESS)) {
@@ -3832,12 +3834,19 @@ bool RewindBlockIndex(const CChainParams& params)
         }
     }
 
-    PruneBlockIndexCandidates();
+    if (chainActive.Tip() != NULL) {
+        // We can't prune block index candidates based on our tip if we have
+        // no tip due to chainActive being empty!
+        PruneBlockIndexCandidates();
 
-    CheckBlockIndex(params.GetConsensus());
+        CheckBlockIndex(params.GetConsensus());
 
-    if (!FlushStateToDisk(params, state, FLUSH_STATE_ALWAYS)) {
-        return false;
+        // FlushStateToDisk can possibly read chainActive. Be conservative
+        // and skip it here, we're about to -reindex-chainstate anyway, so
+        // it'll get called a bunch real soon.
+        if (!FlushStateToDisk(params, state, FLUSH_STATE_ALWAYS)) {
+            return false;
+        }
     }
 
     return true;