diff --git a/src/node/blockstorage.h b/src/node/blockstorage.h
index 9405f68c6cf..0e4c13debbc 100644
--- a/src/node/blockstorage.h
+++ b/src/node/blockstorage.h
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ public:
     void UnlinkPrunedFiles(const std::set<int>& setFilesToPrune) const;
 
     /** Functions for disk access for blocks */
-    bool ReadBlock(CBlock& block, const FlatFilePos& pos, const std::optional<uint256>& expected_hash = {}) const;
+    bool ReadBlock(CBlock& block, const FlatFilePos& pos, const std::optional<uint256>& expected_hash) const;
     bool ReadBlock(CBlock& block, const CBlockIndex& index) const;
     bool ReadRawBlock(std::vector<uint8_t>& block, const FlatFilePos& pos) const;
 
diff --git a/src/test/blockmanager_tests.cpp b/src/test/blockmanager_tests.cpp
index d1c64e786dc..d3b58143719 100644
--- a/src/test/blockmanager_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/blockmanager_tests.cpp
@@ -190,12 +190,12 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(blockmanager_flush_block_file)
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(read_block.nVersion, 0);
     {
         ASSERT_DEBUG_LOG("Errors in block header");
-        BOOST_CHECK(!blockman.ReadBlock(read_block, pos1));
+        BOOST_CHECK(!blockman.ReadBlock(read_block, pos1, {}));
         BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(read_block.nVersion, 1);
     }
     {
         ASSERT_DEBUG_LOG("Errors in block header");
-        BOOST_CHECK(!blockman.ReadBlock(read_block, pos2));
+        BOOST_CHECK(!blockman.ReadBlock(read_block, pos2, {}));
         BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(read_block.nVersion, 2);
     }
 
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(blockmanager_flush_block_file)
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(blockman.CalculateCurrentUsage(), (TEST_BLOCK_SIZE + STORAGE_HEADER_BYTES) * 2);
 
     // Block 2 was not overwritten:
-    blockman.ReadBlock(read_block, pos2);
+    BOOST_CHECK(!blockman.ReadBlock(read_block, pos2, {}));
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(read_block.nVersion, 2);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
index 18c775a9db9..35f66271c45 100644
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -5168,14 +5168,14 @@ void ChainstateManager::LoadExternalBlockFile(
                     while (range.first != range.second) {
                         std::multimap<uint256, FlatFilePos>::iterator it = range.first;
                         std::shared_ptr<CBlock> pblockrecursive = std::make_shared<CBlock>();
-                        if (m_blockman.ReadBlock(*pblockrecursive, it->second)) {
-                            LogDebug(BCLog::REINDEX, "%s: Processing out of order child %s of %s\n", __func__, pblockrecursive->GetHash().ToString(),
-                                    head.ToString());
+                        if (m_blockman.ReadBlock(*pblockrecursive, it->second, {})) {
+                            const auto& block_hash{pblockrecursive->GetHash()};
+                            LogDebug(BCLog::REINDEX, "%s: Processing out of order child %s of %s", __func__, block_hash.ToString(), head.ToString());
                             LOCK(cs_main);
                             BlockValidationState dummy;
                             if (AcceptBlock(pblockrecursive, dummy, nullptr, true, &it->second, nullptr, true)) {
                                 nLoaded++;
-                                queue.push_back(pblockrecursive->GetHash());
+                                queue.push_back(block_hash);
                             }
                         }
                         range.first++;