diff --git a/src/node/blockstorage.h b/src/node/blockstorage.h
index b33941dfa60..e4b96573726 100644
--- a/src/node/blockstorage.h
+++ b/src/node/blockstorage.h
@@ -83,6 +83,13 @@ class BlockManager
     friend ChainstateManager;
 
 private:
+    /**
+     * Load the blocktree off disk and into memory. Populate certain metadata
+     * per index entry (nStatus, nChainWork, nTimeMax, etc.) as well as peripheral
+     * collections like m_dirty_blockindex.
+     */
+    bool LoadBlockIndex(const Consensus::Params& consensus_params)
+        EXCLUSIVE_LOCKS_REQUIRED(cs_main);
     void FlushBlockFile(bool fFinalize = false, bool finalize_undo = false);
     void FlushUndoFile(int block_file, bool finalize = false);
     bool FindBlockPos(FlatFilePos& pos, unsigned int nAddSize, unsigned int nHeight, CChain& active_chain, uint64_t nTime, bool fKnown);
@@ -147,14 +154,6 @@ public:
     bool WriteBlockIndexDB() EXCLUSIVE_LOCKS_REQUIRED(::cs_main);
     bool LoadBlockIndexDB() EXCLUSIVE_LOCKS_REQUIRED(::cs_main);
 
-    /**
-     * Load the blocktree off disk and into memory. Populate certain metadata
-     * per index entry (nStatus, nChainWork, nTimeMax, etc.) as well as peripheral
-     * collections like m_dirty_blockindex.
-     */
-    bool LoadBlockIndex(const Consensus::Params& consensus_params)
-        EXCLUSIVE_LOCKS_REQUIRED(cs_main);
-
     /** Clear all data members. */
     void Unload() EXCLUSIVE_LOCKS_REQUIRED(cs_main);
 
diff --git a/src/validation.h b/src/validation.h
index 2e7ab42f888..38d3d984657 100644
--- a/src/validation.h
+++ b/src/validation.h
@@ -834,7 +834,6 @@ private:
     bool m_snapshot_validated{false};
 
     CBlockIndex* m_best_invalid;
-    friend bool node::BlockManager::LoadBlockIndex(const Consensus::Params&);
 
     //! Internal helper for ActivateSnapshot().
     [[nodiscard]] bool PopulateAndValidateSnapshot(