diff --git a/consensus/src/consensus/mod.rs b/consensus/src/consensus/mod.rs
index 38e0d3268..e920b034d 100644
--- a/consensus/src/consensus/mod.rs
+++ b/consensus/src/consensus/mod.rs
@@ -519,12 +519,13 @@ impl ConsensusApi for Consensus {
     }
 
     fn validate_pruning_points(&self) -> ConsensusResult<()> {
+        let hst = self.storage.headers_selected_tip_store.read().get().unwrap().hash;
         let pp_info = self.pruning_point_store.read().get().unwrap();
-        if !self.services.pruning_point_manager.is_valid_pruning_point(pp_info.pruning_point) {
+        if !self.services.pruning_point_manager.is_valid_pruning_point(pp_info.pruning_point, hst) {
             return Err(ConsensusError::General("invalid pruning point candidate"));
         }
 
-        if !self.services.pruning_point_manager.are_pruning_points_in_valid_chain(pp_info) {
+        if !self.services.pruning_point_manager.are_pruning_points_in_valid_chain(pp_info, hst) {
             return Err(ConsensusError::General("past pruning points do not form a valid chain"));
         }
 
diff --git a/consensus/src/pipeline/virtual_processor/processor.rs b/consensus/src/pipeline/virtual_processor/processor.rs
index 162f842c0..af0bd171c 100644
--- a/consensus/src/pipeline/virtual_processor/processor.rs
+++ b/consensus/src/pipeline/virtual_processor/processor.rs
@@ -938,10 +938,12 @@ impl VirtualStateProcessor {
         // Ideally we would want to check if the last known pruning point has the finality point
         // in its chain, but in some cases it's impossible: let `lkp` be the last known pruning
         // point from the list, and `fup` be the first unknown pruning point (the one following `lkp`).
-        // fup.blue_score - lkp.blue_score ∈ [finality_depth, finality_depth + k], so it's possible for
-        // `lkp` not to have the finality point in its past (if `fup` is close to the sink). So we have
-        // no choice but to check if `lkp` has `finality_point.finality_point` in its chain, meaning
-        // this function can only detect finality violations in depth of 2*finality_depth.
+        // fup.blue_score - lkp.blue_score ≈ finality_depth (±k), so it's possible for `lkp` not to
+        // have the finality point in its past. So we have no choice but to check if `lkp`
+        // has `finality_point.finality_point` in its chain (in the worst case `fup` is one block
+        // above the current finality point, and in this case `lkp` will be a few blocks above the
+        // finality_point.finality_point), meaning this function can only detect finality violations
+        // in depth of 2*finality_depth, and can give false negatives for smaller finality violations.
         let current_pp = self.pruning_point_store.read().pruning_point().unwrap();
         let vf = self.virtual_finality_point(&self.virtual_stores.read().state.get().unwrap().ghostdag_data, current_pp);
         let vff = self.depth_manager.calc_finality_point(&self.ghostdag_primary_store.get_data(vf).unwrap(), current_pp);
diff --git a/consensus/src/processes/pruning.rs b/consensus/src/processes/pruning.rs
index 5f4be43e6..1d419c063 100644
--- a/consensus/src/processes/pruning.rs
+++ b/consensus/src/processes/pruning.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ use crate::model::{
     },
 };
 use kaspa_hashes::Hash;
+use kaspa_utils::option::OptionExtensions;
 use parking_lot::RwLock;
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
@@ -181,13 +182,10 @@ impl<
         pov_blue_score >= pp_bs + self.pruning_depth
     }
 
-    pub fn is_valid_pruning_point(&self, pp_candidate: Hash) -> bool {
+    pub fn is_valid_pruning_point(&self, pp_candidate: Hash, hst: Hash) -> bool {
         if pp_candidate == self.genesis_hash {
             return true;
         }
-
-        let hst = self.header_selected_tip_store.read().get().unwrap().hash;
-
         if !self.reachability_service.is_chain_ancestor_of(pp_candidate, hst) {
             return false;
         }
@@ -196,7 +194,7 @@ impl<
         self.is_pruning_point_in_pruning_depth(hst_bs, pp_candidate)
     }
 
-    pub fn are_pruning_points_in_valid_chain(&self, pruning_info: PruningPointInfo) -> bool {
+    pub fn are_pruning_points_in_valid_chain(&self, pruning_info: PruningPointInfo, hst: Hash) -> bool {
         // We want to validate that the past pruning points form a chain to genesis. Since
         // each pruning point's header doesn't point to the previous pruning point, but to
         // the pruning point from its POV, we can't just traverse from one pruning point to
@@ -213,10 +211,9 @@ impl<
         // any other pruning point in the list, so we are compelled to check if it's refereced by
         // the selected chain.
         let mut expected_pps_queue = VecDeque::new();
-        let hst = self.header_selected_tip_store.read().get().unwrap().hash;
         for current in self.reachability_service.backward_chain_iterator(hst, pruning_info.pruning_point, false) {
             let current_header = self.headers_store.get_header(current).unwrap();
-            if expected_pps_queue.is_empty() || *expected_pps_queue.back().unwrap() != current_header.pruning_point {
+            if expected_pps_queue.back().is_none_or(|&&h| h != current_header.pruning_point) {
                 expected_pps_queue.push_back(current_header.pruning_point);
             }
         }
diff --git a/protocol/flows/src/v5/ibd/flow.rs b/protocol/flows/src/v5/ibd/flow.rs
index 350dad835..df416117a 100644
--- a/protocol/flows/src/v5/ibd/flow.rs
+++ b/protocol/flows/src/v5/ibd/flow.rs
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ impl IbdFlow {
             // means it's in its antichain (because if `highest_known_syncer_chain_hash` was in
             // the pruning point's past the pruning point itself would be
             // `highest_known_syncer_chain_hash`). So it means there's a finality conflict.
-            // TODO: Find a better way to handle finality conflicts.
+            // TODO: consider performing additional actions on finality conflicts in addition to disconnecting from the peer (e.g., banning, rpc notification)
             return Ok(IbdType::None);
         }
 
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ impl IbdFlow {
                     // We reject the headers proof if the node has a relatively up-to-date finality point and current
                     // consensus has matured for long enough (and not recently synced). This is mostly a spam-protector
                     // since subsequent checks identify these violations as well
-                    // TODO: Find a better way to handle finality conflicts.
+                    // TODO: consider performing additional actions on finality conflicts in addition to disconnecting from the peer (e.g., banning, rpc notification)
                     return Ok(IbdType::None);
                 }
             }
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ impl IbdFlow {
         }
 
         if consensus.async_are_pruning_points_violating_finality(pruning_points.clone()).await {
-            // TODO: Find a better way to deal with finality conflicts
+            // TODO: consider performing additional actions on finality conflicts in addition to disconnecting from the peer (e.g., banning, rpc notification)
             return Err(ProtocolError::Other("pruning points are violating finality"));
         }