diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
index c72188d5810..471bedfe62b 100644
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -5,10 +5,6 @@
 
 #include <validation.h>
 
-#include <kernel/chain.h>
-#include <kernel/coinstats.h>
-#include <kernel/mempool_persist.h>
-
 #include <arith_uint256.h>
 #include <chain.h>
 #include <checkqueue.h>
@@ -22,7 +18,9 @@
 #include <cuckoocache.h>
 #include <flatfile.h>
 #include <hash.h>
+#include <kernel/chain.h>
 #include <kernel/chainparams.h>
+#include <kernel/coinstats.h>
 #include <kernel/disconnected_transactions.h>
 #include <kernel/mempool_entry.h>
 #include <kernel/messagestartchars.h>
diff --git a/test/lint/lint-circular-dependencies.py b/test/lint/lint-circular-dependencies.py
index e366a08bd28..6f9a633807a 100755
--- a/test/lint/lint-circular-dependencies.py
+++ b/test/lint/lint-circular-dependencies.py
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ EXPECTED_CIRCULAR_DEPENDENCIES = (
     "qt/transactiontablemodel -> qt/walletmodel -> qt/transactiontablemodel",
     "wallet/wallet -> wallet/walletdb -> wallet/wallet",
     "kernel/coinstats -> validation -> kernel/coinstats",
-    "kernel/mempool_persist -> validation -> kernel/mempool_persist",
 
     # Temporary, removed in followup https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/24230
     "index/base -> node/context -> net_processing -> index/blockfilterindex -> index/base",