diff --git a/src/chainparams.cpp b/src/chainparams.cpp
index cf9d4fde7..77caa5b96 100644
--- a/src/chainparams.cpp
+++ b/src/chainparams.cpp
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ public:
         pchMessageStart[3] = 0xbd;
         vAlertPubKey = ParseHex("048240a8748a80a286b270ba126705ced4f2ce5a7847b3610ea3c06513150dade2a8512ed5ea86320824683fc0818f0ac019214973e677acd1244f6d0571fc5103");
         nDefaultPort = 9999;
-        nMaxTipAge = 6 * 60 * 60; // ~144 blocks behind -> 2 x fork detection time, was 24 * 60 * 60 in bitcoin
         nDelayGetHeadersTime = 24 * 60 * 60;
         nPruneAfterHeight = 100000;
 
@@ -269,7 +268,6 @@ public:
         pchMessageStart[3] = 0xff;
         vAlertPubKey = ParseHex("04517d8a699cb43d3938d7b24faaff7cda448ca4ea267723ba614784de661949bf632d6304316b244646dea079735b9a6fc4af804efb4752075b9fe2245e14e412");
         nDefaultPort = 19999;
-        nMaxTipAge = 0x7fffffff; // allow mining on top of old blocks for testnet
         nDelayGetHeadersTime = 24 * 60 * 60;
         nPruneAfterHeight = 1000;
 
@@ -380,7 +378,6 @@ public:
         pchMessageStart[1] = 0xc1;
         pchMessageStart[2] = 0xb7;
         pchMessageStart[3] = 0xdc;
-        nMaxTipAge = 6 * 60 * 60; // ~144 blocks behind -> 2 x fork detection time, was 24 * 60 * 60 in bitcoin
         nDelayGetHeadersTime = 0; // never delay GETHEADERS in regtests
         nDefaultPort = 19994;
         nPruneAfterHeight = 1000;
diff --git a/src/chainparams.h b/src/chainparams.h
index 4160e6c53..1538f880c 100644
--- a/src/chainparams.h
+++ b/src/chainparams.h
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ public:
     bool DefaultConsistencyChecks() const { return fDefaultConsistencyChecks; }
     /** Policy: Filter transactions that do not match well-defined patterns */
     bool RequireStandard() const { return fRequireStandard; }
-    int64_t MaxTipAge() const { return nMaxTipAge; }
     int64_t DelayGetHeadersTime() const { return nDelayGetHeadersTime; }
     uint64_t PruneAfterHeight() const { return nPruneAfterHeight; }
     /** Make miner stop after a block is found. In RPC, don't return until nGenProcLimit blocks are generated */
@@ -89,7 +88,6 @@ protected:
     //! Raw pub key bytes for the broadcast alert signing key.
     std::vector<unsigned char> vAlertPubKey;
     int nDefaultPort;
-    long nMaxTipAge;
     int64_t nDelayGetHeadersTime;
     uint64_t nPruneAfterHeight;
     std::vector<CDNSSeedData> vSeeds;
diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index 39d24cd2a..1f535630d 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -567,6 +567,7 @@ std::string HelpMessage(HelpMessageMode mode)
         strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-limitfreerelay=<n>", strprintf("Continuously rate-limit free transactions to <n>*1000 bytes per minute (default: %u)", DEFAULT_LIMITFREERELAY));
         strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-relaypriority", strprintf("Require high priority for relaying free or low-fee transactions (default: %u)", DEFAULT_RELAYPRIORITY));
         strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-maxsigcachesize=<n>", strprintf("Limit size of signature cache to <n> MiB (default: %u)", DEFAULT_MAX_SIG_CACHE_SIZE));
+        strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-maxtipage=<n>", strprintf("Maximum tip age in seconds to consider node in initial block download (default: %u)", DEFAULT_MAX_TIP_AGE));
     }
     strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-minrelaytxfee=<amt>", strprintf(_("Fees (in %s/kB) smaller than this are considered zero fee for relaying, mining and transaction creation (default: %s)"),
         CURRENCY_UNIT, FormatMoney(DEFAULT_MIN_RELAY_TX_FEE)));
@@ -1209,6 +1210,8 @@ bool AppInit2(boost::thread_group& threadGroup, CScheduler& scheduler)
     if (GetBoolArg("-peerbloomfilters", true))
         nLocalServices = ServiceFlags(nLocalServices | NODE_BLOOM);
 
+    nMaxTipAge = GetArg("-maxtipage", DEFAULT_MAX_TIP_AGE);
+
     fEnableReplacement = GetBoolArg("-mempoolreplacement", DEFAULT_ENABLE_REPLACEMENT);
     if ((!fEnableReplacement) && mapArgs.count("-mempoolreplacement")) {
         // Minimal effort at forwards compatibility
diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
index 942ae50e9..d413a9aaa 100644
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ bool fCheckpointsEnabled = DEFAULT_CHECKPOINTS_ENABLED;
 size_t nCoinCacheUsage = 5000 * 300;
 uint64_t nPruneTarget = 0;
 bool fAlerts = DEFAULT_ALERTS;
+/* If the tip is older than this (in seconds), the node is considered to be in initial block download.
+ */
+int64_t nMaxTipAge = DEFAULT_MAX_TIP_AGE;
 bool fEnableReplacement = DEFAULT_ENABLE_REPLACEMENT;
 
 std::atomic<bool> fDIP0001WasLockedIn{false};
@@ -1308,7 +1311,7 @@ bool IsInitialBlockDownload()
         return true;
     if (chainActive.Tip()->nChainWork < UintToArith256(chainParams.GetConsensus().nMinimumChainWork))
         return true;
-    if (chainActive.Tip()->GetBlockTime() < (GetTime() - chainParams.MaxTipAge()))
+    if (chainActive.Tip()->GetBlockTime() < (GetTime() - nMaxTipAge))
         return true;
     lockIBDState = true;
     return false;
diff --git a/src/validation.h b/src/validation.h
index 9c5f307e5..82e5e06c9 100644
--- a/src/validation.h
+++ b/src/validation.h
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ static const int64_t BLOCK_DOWNLOAD_TIMEOUT_PER_PEER = 125000;
 
 static const unsigned int DEFAULT_LIMITFREERELAY = 15;
 static const bool DEFAULT_RELAYPRIORITY = true;
+static const int64_t DEFAULT_MAX_TIP_AGE = 6 * 60 * 60; // ~144 blocks behind -> 2 x fork detection time, was 24 * 60 * 60 in bitcoin
 
 /** Default for -permitbaremultisig */
 static const bool DEFAULT_PERMIT_BAREMULTISIG = true;
@@ -156,6 +157,7 @@ extern bool fCheckpointsEnabled;
 extern size_t nCoinCacheUsage;
 extern CFeeRate minRelayTxFee;
 extern bool fAlerts;
+extern int64_t nMaxTipAge;
 extern bool fEnableReplacement;
 
 extern bool fLargeWorkForkFound;