diff --git a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/add_block_to_virtual.go b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/add_block_to_virtual.go
index 629a4bd4b..e4ea5ccbb 100644
--- a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/add_block_to_virtual.go
+++ b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/add_block_to_virtual.go
@@ -129,7 +129,8 @@ func (csm *consensusStateManager) calculateNewTips(
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	log.Debugf("The current tips are: %s", currentTips)
+	log.Debugf("The number of tips is: %d", len(currentTips))
+	log.Tracef("The current tips are: %s", currentTips)
 
 	newTipParents, err := csm.dagTopologyManager.Parents(stagingArea, newTipHash)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -151,7 +152,8 @@ func (csm *consensusStateManager) calculateNewTips(
 			newTips = append(newTips, currentTip)
 		}
 	}
-	log.Debugf("The calculated new tips are: %s", newTips)
+	log.Debugf("The new number of tips is: %d", len(newTips))
+	log.Tracef("The new tips are: %s", newTips)
 
 	return newTips, nil
 }
diff --git a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/pick_virtual_parents.go b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/pick_virtual_parents.go
index c49ddfd83..40be9ed06 100644
--- a/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/pick_virtual_parents.go
+++ b/domain/consensus/processes/consensusstatemanager/pick_virtual_parents.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package consensusstatemanager
 
 import (
 	"github.com/kaspanet/kaspad/infrastructure/logger"
+	"github.com/kaspanet/kaspad/util/math"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 
 	"github.com/kaspanet/kaspad/domain/consensus/model"
@@ -34,7 +35,16 @@ func (csm *consensusStateManager) pickVirtualParents(stagingArea *model.StagingA
 	}
 	log.Debugf("The selected parent of the virtual is: %s", virtualSelectedParent)
 
-	candidates := candidatesHeap.ToSlice()
+	// Limit to maxBlockParents*3 candidates, that way we don't go over thousands of tips when the network isn't healthy.
+	// There's no specific reason for a factor of 3, and its not a consensus rule, just an estimation saying we probably
+	// don't want to consider and calculate 3 times the amount of candidates for the set of parents.
+	maxCandidates := int(csm.maxBlockParents) * 3
+	candidateAllocationSize := math.MinInt(maxCandidates, candidatesHeap.Len())
+	candidates := make([]*externalapi.DomainHash, 0, candidateAllocationSize)
+	for len(candidates) < maxCandidates && candidatesHeap.Len() > 0 {
+		candidates = append(candidates, candidatesHeap.Pop())
+	}
+
 	// prioritize half the blocks with highest blueWork and half with lowest, so the network will merge splits faster.
 	if len(candidates) >= int(csm.maxBlockParents) {
 		// We already have the selectedParent, so we're left with csm.maxBlockParents-1.
@@ -45,12 +55,6 @@ func (csm *consensusStateManager) pickVirtualParents(stagingArea *model.StagingA
 			end--
 		}
 	}
-	// Limit to maxBlockParents*3 candidates, that way we don't go over thousands of tips when the network isn't healthy.
-	// There's no specific reason for a factor of 3, and its not a consensus rule, just an estimation saying we probably
-	// don't want to consider and calculate 3 times the amount of candidates for the set of parents.
-	if len(candidates) > int(csm.maxBlockParents)*3 {
-		candidates = candidates[:int(csm.maxBlockParents)*3]
-	}
 
 	selectedVirtualParents := []*externalapi.DomainHash{virtualSelectedParent}
 	mergeSetSize := uint64(1) // starts counting from 1 because selectedParent is already in the mergeSet
diff --git a/stability-tests/run/run-fast.sh b/stability-tests/run/run-fast.sh
index 93c442958..d50cb4c2f 100755
--- a/stability-tests/run/run-fast.sh
+++ b/stability-tests/run/run-fast.sh
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ echo "Running reorg"
 cd "${PROJECT_ROOT}/reorg/run" && ./run.sh || failedTests+=("reorg")
 echo "Done running reorg"
 
+echo "Running many-tips"
+cd "${PROJECT_ROOT}/many-tips/run" && ./run.sh || failedTests+=("many-tips")
+echo "Done running many-tips"
+
 echo "Running netsync - fast"
 cd "${PROJECT_ROOT}/netsync/run" && ./run-fast.sh || failedTests+=("netsync")
 echo "Done running netsync - fast"
diff --git a/stability-tests/run/run-slow.sh b/stability-tests/run/run-slow.sh
index 509404eb5..94d4cc19d 100755
--- a/stability-tests/run/run-slow.sh
+++ b/stability-tests/run/run-slow.sh
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ echo "Running orphans"
 cd "${PROJECT_ROOT}/orphans/run" && ./run.sh || failedTests+=("orphans")
 echo "Done running orphans"
 
+echo "Running many-tips"
+cd "${PROJECT_ROOT}/many-tips/run" && ./run.sh || failedTests+=("many-tips")
+echo "Done running many-tips"
+
 echo "Running reorg"
 cd "${PROJECT_ROOT}/reorg/run" && ./run-full-finality-window-reorg.sh || failedTests+=("reorg")
 echo "Done running reorg"