diff --git a/src/bench/pool.cpp b/src/bench/pool.cpp
index 0bf2b18514..0ce3b952f8 100644
--- a/src/bench/pool.cpp
+++ b/src/bench/pool.cpp
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@ static void PoolAllocator_StdUnorderedMapWithPoolResource(benchmark::Bench& benc
                                    std::hash<uint64_t>,
                                    std::equal_to<uint64_t>,
                                    PoolAllocator<std::pair<const uint64_t, uint64_t>,
-                                                 sizeof(std::pair<const uint64_t, uint64_t>) + 4 * sizeof(void*),
-                                                 alignof(void*)>>;
+                                                 sizeof(std::pair<const uint64_t, uint64_t>) + 4 * sizeof(void*)>>;
 
     // make sure the resource supports large enough pools to hold the node. We do this by adding the size of a few pointers to it.
     auto pool_resource = Map::allocator_type::ResourceType();
diff --git a/src/coins.h b/src/coins.h
index fde5f688cc..369a645e49 100644
--- a/src/coins.h
+++ b/src/coins.h
@@ -145,8 +145,7 @@ using CCoinsMap = std::unordered_map<COutPoint,
                                      SaltedOutpointHasher,
                                      std::equal_to<COutPoint>,
                                      PoolAllocator<std::pair<const COutPoint, CCoinsCacheEntry>,
-                                                   sizeof(std::pair<const COutPoint, CCoinsCacheEntry>) + sizeof(void*) * 4,
-                                                   alignof(void*)>>;
+                                                   sizeof(std::pair<const COutPoint, CCoinsCacheEntry>) + sizeof(void*) * 4>>;
 
 using CCoinsMapMemoryResource = CCoinsMap::allocator_type::ResourceType;
 
diff --git a/src/support/allocators/pool.h b/src/support/allocators/pool.h
index c8e70ebacf..873e260b65 100644
--- a/src/support/allocators/pool.h
+++ b/src/support/allocators/pool.h
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ public:
 /**
  * Forwards all allocations/deallocations to the PoolResource.
  */
-template <class T, std::size_t MAX_BLOCK_SIZE_BYTES, std::size_t ALIGN_BYTES>
+template <class T, std::size_t MAX_BLOCK_SIZE_BYTES, std::size_t ALIGN_BYTES = alignof(T)>
 class PoolAllocator
 {
     PoolResource<MAX_BLOCK_SIZE_BYTES, ALIGN_BYTES>* m_resource;
diff --git a/src/test/pool_tests.cpp b/src/test/pool_tests.cpp
index 3f8ed3636d..e83b41e5ba 100644
--- a/src/test/pool_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/pool_tests.cpp
@@ -155,21 +155,20 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(random_allocations)
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(memusage_test)
 {
-    auto std_map = std::unordered_map<int, int>{};
+    auto std_map = std::unordered_map<int64_t, int64_t>{};
 
-    using Map = std::unordered_map<int,
-                                   int,
-                                   std::hash<int>,
-                                   std::equal_to<int>,
-                                   PoolAllocator<std::pair<const int, int>,
-                                                 sizeof(std::pair<const int, int>) + sizeof(void*) * 4,
-                                                 alignof(void*)>>;
+    using Map = std::unordered_map<int64_t,
+                                   int64_t,
+                                   std::hash<int64_t>,
+                                   std::equal_to<int64_t>,
+                                   PoolAllocator<std::pair<const int64_t, int64_t>,
+                                                 sizeof(std::pair<const int64_t, int64_t>) + sizeof(void*) * 4>>;
     auto resource = Map::allocator_type::ResourceType(1024);
 
     PoolResourceTester::CheckAllDataAccountedFor(resource);
 
     {
-        auto resource_map = Map{0, std::hash<int>{}, std::equal_to<int>{}, &resource};
+        auto resource_map = Map{0, std::hash<int64_t>{}, std::equal_to<int64_t>{}, &resource};
 
         // can't have the same resource usage
         BOOST_TEST(memusage::DynamicUsage(std_map) != memusage::DynamicUsage(resource_map));
@@ -181,6 +180,11 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(memusage_test)
 
         // Eventually the resource_map should have a much lower memory usage because it has less malloc overhead
         BOOST_TEST(memusage::DynamicUsage(resource_map) <= memusage::DynamicUsage(std_map) * 90 / 100);
+
+        // Make sure the pool is actually used by the nodes
+        auto max_nodes_per_chunk = resource.ChunkSizeBytes() / sizeof(Map::value_type);
+        auto min_num_allocated_chunks = resource_map.size() / max_nodes_per_chunk + 1;
+        BOOST_TEST(resource.NumAllocatedChunks() >= min_num_allocated_chunks);
     }
 
     PoolResourceTester::CheckAllDataAccountedFor(resource);