diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py b/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py
index 50444b95bb6..4e6d245b5fe 100755
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ class BitcoinTestFramework(metaclass=BitcoinTestMetaClass):
         parser.add_argument("--perf", dest="perf", default=False, action="store_true",
                             help="profile running nodes with perf for the duration of the test")
         parser.add_argument("--valgrind", dest="valgrind", default=False, action="store_true",
-                            help="run nodes under the valgrind memory error detector: expect at least a ~10x slowdown. valgrind 3.14 or later required.")
+                            help="run nodes under the valgrind memory error detector: expect at least a ~10x slowdown. valgrind 3.14 or later required. Does not apply to previous release binaries.")
         parser.add_argument("--randomseed", type=int,
                             help="set a random seed for deterministically reproducing a previous test run")
         parser.add_argument("--timeout-factor", dest="timeout_factor", type=float, help="adjust test timeouts by a factor. Setting it to 0 disables all timeouts")
diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
index fc92aa445a7..4d7adf322cf 100755
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@ class TestNode():
         if self.descriptors is None:
             self.args.append("-disablewallet")
 
-        if use_valgrind:
+        # Use valgrind, expect for previous release binaries
+        if use_valgrind and version is None:
             default_suppressions_file = Path(__file__).parents[3] / "contrib" / "valgrind.supp"
             suppressions_file = os.getenv("VALGRIND_SUPPRESSIONS_FILE",
                                           default_suppressions_file)