diff --git a/src/net_processing.cpp b/src/net_processing.cpp
index 13ea3a29be..1d3a009525 100644
--- a/src/net_processing.cpp
+++ b/src/net_processing.cpp
@@ -4764,7 +4764,7 @@ void PeerManagerImpl::ProcessMessage(CNode& pfrom, const std::string& msg_type,
 
         const CBlockIndex *pindex = nullptr;
         BlockValidationState state;
-        if (!m_chainman.ProcessNewBlockHeaders({cmpctblock.header}, /*min_pow_checked=*/true, state, &pindex)) {
+        if (!m_chainman.ProcessNewBlockHeaders({{cmpctblock.header}}, /*min_pow_checked=*/true, state, &pindex)) {
             if (state.IsInvalid()) {
                 MaybePunishNodeForBlock(pfrom.GetId(), state, /*via_compact_block=*/true, "invalid header via cmpctblock");
                 return;
diff --git a/src/rpc/mining.cpp b/src/rpc/mining.cpp
index 3c41e136ec..1111c9aa13 100644
--- a/src/rpc/mining.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/mining.cpp
@@ -1095,7 +1095,7 @@ static RPCHelpMan submitheader()
     }
 
     BlockValidationState state;
-    chainman.ProcessNewBlockHeaders({h}, /*min_pow_checked=*/true, state);
+    chainman.ProcessNewBlockHeaders({{h}}, /*min_pow_checked=*/true, state);
     if (state.IsValid()) return UniValue::VNULL;
     if (state.IsError()) {
         throw JSONRPCError(RPC_VERIFY_ERROR, state.ToString());
diff --git a/src/test/blockfilter_index_tests.cpp b/src/test/blockfilter_index_tests.cpp
index 067a32d6a4..f6024f1ef3 100644
--- a/src/test/blockfilter_index_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/blockfilter_index_tests.cpp
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ bool BuildChainTestingSetup::BuildChain(const CBlockIndex* pindex,
         CBlockHeader header = block->GetBlockHeader();
 
         BlockValidationState state;
-        if (!Assert(m_node.chainman)->ProcessNewBlockHeaders({header}, true, state, &pindex)) {
+        if (!Assert(m_node.chainman)->ProcessNewBlockHeaders({{header}}, true, state, &pindex)) {
             return false;
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/test/fuzz/utxo_snapshot.cpp b/src/test/fuzz/utxo_snapshot.cpp
index 21c305e222..1241bba8be 100644
--- a/src/test/fuzz/utxo_snapshot.cpp
+++ b/src/test/fuzz/utxo_snapshot.cpp
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ void initialize_chain()
         auto& chainman{*setup->m_node.chainman};
         for (const auto& block : chain) {
             BlockValidationState dummy;
-            bool processed{chainman.ProcessNewBlockHeaders({*block}, true, dummy)};
+            bool processed{chainman.ProcessNewBlockHeaders({{block->GetBlockHeader()}}, true, dummy)};
             Assert(processed);
             const auto* index{WITH_LOCK(::cs_main, return chainman.m_blockman.LookupBlockIndex(block->GetHash()))};
             Assert(index);
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ void utxo_snapshot_fuzz(FuzzBufferType buffer)
         if constexpr (!INVALID) {
             for (const auto& block : *g_chain) {
                 BlockValidationState dummy;
-                bool processed{chainman.ProcessNewBlockHeaders({*block}, true, dummy)};
+                bool processed{chainman.ProcessNewBlockHeaders({{block->GetBlockHeader()}}, true, dummy)};
                 Assert(processed);
                 const auto* index{WITH_LOCK(::cs_main, return chainman.m_blockman.LookupBlockIndex(block->GetHash()))};
                 Assert(index);
diff --git a/src/test/validation_block_tests.cpp b/src/test/validation_block_tests.cpp
index 588ac60498..d9ce059a04 100644
--- a/src/test/validation_block_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/validation_block_tests.cpp
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ std::shared_ptr<CBlock> MinerTestingSetup::FinalizeBlock(std::shared_ptr<CBlock>
     // submit block header, so that miner can get the block height from the
     // global state and the node has the topology of the chain
     BlockValidationState ignored;
-    BOOST_CHECK(Assert(m_node.chainman)->ProcessNewBlockHeaders({pblock->GetBlockHeader()}, true, ignored));
+    BOOST_CHECK(Assert(m_node.chainman)->ProcessNewBlockHeaders({{pblock->GetBlockHeader()}}, true, ignored));
 
     return pblock;
 }
diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
index 8f75b2e30a..4868a776e4 100644
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@
 #include <numeric>
 #include <optional>
 #include <ranges>
+#include <span>
 #include <string>
 #include <tuple>
 #include <utility>
@@ -4384,7 +4385,7 @@ bool ChainstateManager::AcceptBlockHeader(const CBlockHeader& block, BlockValida
 }
 
 // Exposed wrapper for AcceptBlockHeader
-bool ChainstateManager::ProcessNewBlockHeaders(const std::vector<CBlockHeader>& headers, bool min_pow_checked, BlockValidationState& state, const CBlockIndex** ppindex)
+bool ChainstateManager::ProcessNewBlockHeaders(std::span<const CBlockHeader> headers, bool min_pow_checked, BlockValidationState& state, const CBlockIndex** ppindex)
 {
     AssertLockNotHeld(cs_main);
     {
diff --git a/src/validation.h b/src/validation.h
index f905d6e624..9ec592b03d 100644
--- a/src/validation.h
+++ b/src/validation.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include <memory>
 #include <optional>
 #include <set>
+#include <span>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <string>
 #include <thread>
@@ -1217,12 +1218,12 @@ public:
      * May not be called in a
      * validationinterface callback.
      *
-     * @param[in]  block The block headers themselves
+     * @param[in]  headers The block headers themselves
      * @param[in]  min_pow_checked  True if proof-of-work anti-DoS checks have been done by caller for headers chain
      * @param[out] state This may be set to an Error state if any error occurred processing them
      * @param[out] ppindex If set, the pointer will be set to point to the last new block index object for the given headers
      */
-    bool ProcessNewBlockHeaders(const std::vector<CBlockHeader>& block, bool min_pow_checked, BlockValidationState& state, const CBlockIndex** ppindex = nullptr) LOCKS_EXCLUDED(cs_main);
+    bool ProcessNewBlockHeaders(std::span<const CBlockHeader> headers, bool min_pow_checked, BlockValidationState& state, const CBlockIndex** ppindex = nullptr) LOCKS_EXCLUDED(cs_main);
 
     /**
      * Sufficiently validate a block for disk storage (and store on disk).