diff --git a/domain/consensus/model/testapi/test_consensus_state_manager.go b/domain/consensus/model/testapi/test_consensus_state_manager.go
index b119ee01e..ff44e9d90 100644
--- a/domain/consensus/model/testapi/test_consensus_state_manager.go
+++ b/domain/consensus/model/testapi/test_consensus_state_manager.go
@@ -10,5 +10,6 @@ type TestConsensusStateManager interface {
 	model.ConsensusStateManager
 	AddUTXOToMultiset(multiset model.Multiset, entry externalapi.UTXOEntry,
 		outpoint *externalapi.DomainOutpoint) error
-	ResolveBlockStatus(stagingArea *model.StagingArea, blockHash *externalapi.DomainHash) (externalapi.BlockStatus, error)
+	ResolveBlockStatus(stagingArea *model.StagingArea, blockHash *externalapi.DomainHash,
+		useSeparateStagingAreasPerBlock bool) (externalapi.BlockStatus, error)
 }
diff --git a/domain/consensus/processes/blockbuilder/test_block_builder.go b/domain/consensus/processes/blockbuilder/test_block_builder.go
index 461b9dc2b..54ec4118e 100644
--- a/domain/consensus/processes/blockbuilder/test_block_builder.go
+++ b/domain/consensus/processes/blockbuilder/test_block_builder.go
@@ -143,7 +143,8 @@ func (bb *testBlockBuilder) buildBlockWithParents(stagingArea *model.StagingArea
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 
-	selectedParentStatus, err := bb.testConsensus.ConsensusStateManager().ResolveBlockStatus(stagingArea, ghostdagData.SelectedParent())
+	selectedParentStatus, err := bb.testConsensus.ConsensusStateManager().ResolveBlockStatus(
+		stagingArea, ghostdagData.SelectedParent(), false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/add_block_to_virtual.go b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/add_block_to_virtual.go
index 513f0c010..5e607864f 100644
--- a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/add_block_to_virtual.go
+++ b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/add_block_to_virtual.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func (csm *consensusStateManager) AddBlock(stagingArea *model.StagingArea, block
 
 		if !isViolatingFinality {
 			log.Debugf("Block %s doesn't violate finality. Resolving its block status", blockHash)
-			blockStatus, err := csm.resolveBlockStatus(stagingArea, blockHash)
+			blockStatus, err := csm.resolveBlockStatus(stagingArea, blockHash, true)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, nil, err
 			}
diff --git a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/calculate_past_utxo.go b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/calculate_past_utxo.go
index 39b36f61d..c004a3e7b 100644
--- a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/calculate_past_utxo.go
+++ b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/calculate_past_utxo.go
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ func (csm *consensusStateManager) RestorePastUTXOSetIterator(stagingArea *model.
 	onEnd := logger.LogAndMeasureExecutionTime(log, "RestorePastUTXOSetIterator")
 	defer onEnd()
 
-	blockStatus, err := csm.resolveBlockStatus(stagingArea, blockHash)
+	blockStatus, err := csm.resolveBlockStatus(stagingArea, blockHash, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/resolve_block_status.go b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/resolve_block_status.go
index adbf56172..bc2a5e647 100644
--- a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/resolve_block_status.go
+++ b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/resolve_block_status.go
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
-func (csm *consensusStateManager) resolveBlockStatus(
-	stagingArea *model.StagingArea, blockHash *externalapi.DomainHash) (externalapi.BlockStatus, error) {
+func (csm *consensusStateManager) resolveBlockStatus(stagingArea *model.StagingArea, blockHash *externalapi.DomainHash,
+	useSeparateStagingAreasPerBlock bool) (externalapi.BlockStatus, error) {
 
 	onEnd := logger.LogAndMeasureExecutionTime(log, fmt.Sprintf("resolveBlockStatus for %s", blockHash))
 	defer onEnd()
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ func (csm *consensusStateManager) resolveBlockStatus(
 		unverifiedBlockHash := unverifiedBlocks[i]
 
 		stagingAreaForCurrentBlock := stagingArea
-		isCurrentBlockTopBlock := i == 0
-		if !isCurrentBlockTopBlock {
+		useSeparateStagingArea := useSeparateStagingAreasPerBlock && (i != 0)
+		if useSeparateStagingArea {
 			stagingAreaForCurrentBlock = model.NewStagingArea()
 		}
 
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func (csm *consensusStateManager) resolveBlockStatus(
 		log.Debugf("Block %s status resolved to `%s`, finished %d/%d of unverified blocks",
 			unverifiedBlockHash, blockStatus, len(unverifiedBlocks)-i, len(unverifiedBlocks))
 
-		if !isCurrentBlockTopBlock {
+		if useSeparateStagingArea {
 			err := staging.CommitAllChanges(csm.databaseContext, stagingAreaForCurrentBlock)
 			if err != nil {
 				return 0, err
diff --git a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/resolve_block_status_test.go b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/resolve_block_status_test.go
index c3b95834a..ab17e0c8e 100644
--- a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/resolve_block_status_test.go
+++ b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/resolve_block_status_test.go
@@ -147,7 +147,8 @@ func TestDoubleSpends(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatalf("Error adding goodBlock: %+v", err)
 		}
 		//use ResolveBlockStatus, since goodBlock2 might not be the selectedTip
-		goodBlock2Status, err := consensus.ConsensusStateManager().ResolveBlockStatus(stagingArea, goodBlock2Hash)
+		goodBlock2Status, err := consensus.ConsensusStateManager().ResolveBlockStatus(
+			stagingArea, goodBlock2Hash, true)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Error getting status of goodBlock: %+v", err)
 		}
diff --git a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/test_consensus_state_manager.go b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/test_consensus_state_manager.go
index de1b70dff..0eb9c2d54 100644
--- a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/test_consensus_state_manager.go
+++ b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/test_consensus_state_manager.go
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ func (csm *testConsensusStateManager) AddUTXOToMultiset(
 	return addUTXOToMultiset(multiset, entry, outpoint)
 }
 
-func (csm *testConsensusStateManager) ResolveBlockStatus(stagingArea *model.StagingArea,
-	blockHash *externalapi.DomainHash) (externalapi.BlockStatus, error) {
+func (csm *testConsensusStateManager) ResolveBlockStatus(stagingArea *model.StagingArea, blockHash *externalapi.DomainHash,
+	useSeparateStagingAreasPerBlock bool) (externalapi.BlockStatus, error) {
 
-	return csm.resolveBlockStatus(stagingArea, blockHash)
+	return csm.resolveBlockStatus(stagingArea, blockHash, useSeparateStagingAreasPerBlock)
 }
diff --git a/domain/consensus/test_consensus.go b/domain/consensus/test_consensus.go
index 4730bda31..f4c998896 100644
--- a/domain/consensus/test_consensus.go
+++ b/domain/consensus/test_consensus.go
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ type testConsensus struct {
 	testReachabilityManager   testapi.TestReachabilityManager
 	testConsensusStateManager testapi.TestConsensusStateManager
 	testTransactionValidator  testapi.TestTransactionValidator
+
+	buildBlockConsensus *consensus
 }
 
 func (tc *testConsensus) DAGParams() *dagconfig.Params {