diff --git a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/add_block_to_virtual.go b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/add_block_to_virtual.go
index 5b8478974..4546c1c8f 100644
--- a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/add_block_to_virtual.go
+++ b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/add_block_to_virtual.go
@@ -3,14 +3,14 @@ package consensusstatemanager
 import (
 	"github.com/kaspanet/kaspad/domain/consensus/model"
 	"github.com/kaspanet/kaspad/domain/consensus/model/externalapi"
+	"github.com/kaspanet/kaspad/infrastructure/logger"
 )
 
 // AddBlock submits the given block to be added to the
 // current virtual. This process may result in a new virtual block
 // getting created
 func (csm *consensusStateManager) AddBlock(blockHash *externalapi.DomainHash) (*externalapi.SelectedParentChainChanges, error) {
-	log.Debugf("AddBlock start for block %s", blockHash)
-	defer log.Debugf("AddBlock end for block %s", blockHash)
+	logger.LogAndMeasureExecutionTime(log, "csm.AddBlock")
 
 	log.Debugf("Resolving whether the block %s is the next virtual selected parent", blockHash)
 	isCandidateToBeNextVirtualSelectedParent, err := csm.isCandidateToBeNextVirtualSelectedParent(blockHash)
diff --git a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/check_finality_violation.go b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/check_finality_violation.go
index 0ecea0242..7f3684894 100644
--- a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/check_finality_violation.go
+++ b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/check_finality_violation.go
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ func (csm *consensusStateManager) isViolatingFinality(blockHash *externalapi.Dom
 		// On IBD it's pretty normal to get blocks in the anticone of the pruning
 		// point, so we don't notify on cases when the pruning point is in the future
 		// of the finality point.
+		log.Debugf("Block %s violates finality, but kaspad is currently doing IBD, so this is normal", blockHash)
 		return true, false, nil
 	}
 	log.Debugf("Block %s does not violate finality", blockHash)
diff --git a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/pick_virtual_parents.go b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/pick_virtual_parents.go
index dbb947dad..85e9ba96f 100644
--- a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/pick_virtual_parents.go
+++ b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/pick_virtual_parents.go
@@ -114,23 +114,33 @@ func (csm *consensusStateManager) selectVirtualSelectedParent(
 		}
 		log.Debugf("The parents of block %s are: %s", selectedParentCandidate, candidateParents)
 		for _, parent := range candidateParents {
-			parentChildren, err := csm.dagTopologyManager.Children(parent)
+			allParentChildren, err := csm.dagTopologyManager.Children(parent)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
+			log.Debugf("The children of block %s are: %s", parent, allParentChildren)
 
-			// remove virtual from parentChildren if it's there
-			for i, parentChild := range parentChildren {
+			// remove virtual and any headers-only blocks from parentChildren if such are there
+			nonHeadersOnlyParentChildren := make([]*externalapi.DomainHash, 0, len(allParentChildren))
+			for _, parentChild := range allParentChildren {
 				if parentChild.Equal(model.VirtualBlockHash) {
-					parentChildren = append(parentChildren[:i], parentChildren[i+1:]...)
-					break
+					continue
 				}
-			}
-			log.Debugf("The children of block %s are: %s", parent, parentChildren)
 
-			if disqualifiedCandidates.ContainsAllInSlice(parentChildren) {
+				parentChildStatus, err := csm.blockStatusStore.Get(csm.databaseContext, parentChild)
+				if err != nil {
+					return nil, err
+				}
+				if parentChildStatus == externalapi.StatusHeaderOnly {
+					continue
+				}
+				nonHeadersOnlyParentChildren = append(nonHeadersOnlyParentChildren, parentChild)
+			}
+			log.Debugf("The non-virtual, non-headers-only children of block %s are: %s", parent, nonHeadersOnlyParentChildren)
+
+			if disqualifiedCandidates.ContainsAllInSlice(nonHeadersOnlyParentChildren) {
 				log.Debugf("The disqualified set contains all the "+
-					"children of %s. Adding it to the candidate heap", parentChildren)
+					"children of %s. Adding it to the candidate heap", nonHeadersOnlyParentChildren)
 				err := candidatesHeap.Push(parent)
 				if err != nil {
 					return nil, err