diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
index 6e6de0ea6e4..52c636c8151 100644
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -5305,6 +5305,7 @@ void ChainstateManager::CheckBlockIndex()
     // are not yet validated.
     CChain best_hdr_chain;
     assert(m_best_header);
+    assert(!(m_best_header->nStatus & BLOCK_FAILED_MASK));
     best_hdr_chain.SetTip(*m_best_header);
 
     std::multimap<CBlockIndex*,CBlockIndex*> forward;
@@ -5418,6 +5419,8 @@ void ChainstateManager::CheckBlockIndex()
         if (pindexFirstInvalid == nullptr) {
             // Checks for not-invalid blocks.
             assert((pindex->nStatus & BLOCK_FAILED_MASK) == 0); // The failed mask cannot be set for blocks without invalid parents.
+        } else {
+            assert(pindex->nStatus & BLOCK_FAILED_MASK); // Invalid blocks and their descendants must be marked as invalid
         }
         // Make sure m_chain_tx_count sum is correctly computed.
         if (!pindex->pprev) {
@@ -5431,6 +5434,8 @@ void ChainstateManager::CheckBlockIndex()
             // block, and must be set if it is.
             assert((pindex->m_chain_tx_count != 0) == (pindex == snap_base));
         }
+        // There should be no block with more work than m_best_header, unless it's known to be invalid
+        assert((pindex->nStatus & BLOCK_FAILED_MASK) || pindex->nChainWork <= m_best_header->nChainWork);
 
         // Chainstate-specific checks on setBlockIndexCandidates
         for (auto c : GetAll()) {