diff --git a/src/lib_shell/chain_validator.ml b/src/lib_shell/chain_validator.ml
index 6f8ece6a9010df9d8b722993cc571eb968defbcf..8e58b6ae8c9b9d08ec25f2aaa4bf17cf1d332cac 100644
--- a/src/lib_shell/chain_validator.ml
+++ b/src/lib_shell/chain_validator.ml
@@ -351,19 +351,15 @@ let may_switch_test_chain w active_chains spawn_child block =
       Lwt.return_unit
 
 let broadcast_head w ~previous block =
-  let open Lwt_syntax in
   let nv = Worker.state w in
   if not (is_bootstrapped nv) then Lwt.return_unit
   else
-    let* successor =
-      let* o =
-        Store.Block.read_predecessor_opt nv.parameters.chain_store block
-      in
-      match o with
-      | None -> Lwt.return_true
-      | Some predecessor -> Lwt.return (Store.Block.equal predecessor previous)
+    let predecessor_hash = Store.Block.predecessor block in
+    let successor_or_sibling =
+      Block_hash.equal predecessor_hash (Store.Block.hash previous)
+      || Block_hash.equal predecessor_hash (Store.Block.predecessor previous)
     in
-    if successor then (
+    if successor_or_sibling then (
       Distributed_db.Advertise.current_head nv.chain_db block ;
       Lwt.return_unit)
     else Distributed_db.Advertise.current_branch nv.chain_db
diff --git a/src/lib_shell/distributed_db.ml b/src/lib_shell/distributed_db.ml
index 1b04504c30ff8cdd5fb6ad0831dda7269ee84540..907934442b9c8799e5d30affc2506b8fa28d6401 100644
--- a/src/lib_shell/distributed_db.ml
+++ b/src/lib_shell/distributed_db.ml
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ module Request = struct
   let current_branch chain_db peer =
     let chain_id = Store.Chain.chain_id chain_db.reader_chain_db.chain_store in
     let meta = P2p.get_peer_metadata chain_db.global_db.p2p peer in
-    Peer_metadata.incr meta (Sent_request Head) ;
+    Peer_metadata.incr meta (Sent_request Branch) ;
     try_send chain_db peer @@ Get_current_branch chain_id
 end
 
diff --git a/src/lib_shell/peer_validator.ml b/src/lib_shell/peer_validator.ml
index 1a20e287a39a20376ca8b8bfffba00e9f1d09242..b8c9a28972b1823232084d2fe1c955f91ddf4160 100644
--- a/src/lib_shell/peer_validator.ml
+++ b/src/lib_shell/peer_validator.ml
@@ -290,10 +290,11 @@ let may_validate_new_branch w locator =
           locator
       in
       match v with
-      | Known_valid, prefix_locator ->
-          if prefix_locator.Block_locator.history <> [] then
-            bootstrap_new_branch w prefix_locator
-          else return_unit
+      | Known_valid, {history = []; _} -> return_unit
+      | Known_valid, {history = [x]; head_header; head_hash}
+        when Block_hash.equal x head_header.shell.predecessor ->
+          validate_new_head w head_hash head_header
+      | Known_valid, prefix_locator -> bootstrap_new_branch w prefix_locator
       | Unknown, _ ->
           (* May happen when:
              - A locator from another chain is received;