diff --git a/consensus/ibft/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/ibft/validation/MessageValidatorFactory.java b/consensus/ibft/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/ibft/validation/MessageValidatorFactory.java
index 8484ed5bb5b..b22677410d5 100644
--- a/consensus/ibft/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/ibft/validation/MessageValidatorFactory.java
+++ b/consensus/ibft/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/ibft/validation/MessageValidatorFactory.java
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ public MessageValidator createMessageValidator(
         protocolSchedule.getByBlockNumber(roundIdentifier.getSequenceNumber()).getBlockValidator();
     final Collection<Address> validators = getValidatorsAfterBlock(parentHeader);
 
+    final BftBlockInterface bftBlockInterface =
+        protocolContext.getConsensusState(BftContext.class).getBlockInterface();
+
     return new MessageValidator(
         createSignedDataValidator(roundIdentifier, parentHeader),
         new ProposalBlockConsistencyValidator(),
@@ -79,7 +82,7 @@ public MessageValidator createMessageValidator(
             (ri) -> createSignedDataValidator(ri, parentHeader),
             roundIdentifier.getSequenceNumber(),
             bftExtraDataCodec,
-            protocolContext));
+            bftBlockInterface));
   }
 
   public RoundChangeMessageValidator createRoundChangeMessageValidator(
diff --git a/consensus/ibft/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/ibft/validation/RoundChangeCertificateValidator.java b/consensus/ibft/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/ibft/validation/RoundChangeCertificateValidator.java
index 65ab52d06b3..b5beb7ff3ff 100644
--- a/consensus/ibft/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/ibft/validation/RoundChangeCertificateValidator.java
+++ b/consensus/ibft/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/ibft/validation/RoundChangeCertificateValidator.java
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 
 import org.hyperledger.besu.consensus.common.bft.BftBlockHeaderFunctions;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.consensus.common.bft.BftBlockInterface;
-import org.hyperledger.besu.consensus.common.bft.BftContext;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.consensus.common.bft.BftExtraDataCodec;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.consensus.common.bft.BftHelpers;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.consensus.common.bft.ConsensusRoundIdentifier;
@@ -25,7 +24,6 @@
 import org.hyperledger.besu.consensus.ibft.payload.RoundChangeCertificate;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.consensus.ibft.payload.RoundChangePayload;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.consensus.ibft.validation.RoundChangePayloadValidator.MessageValidatorForHeightFactory;
-import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.ProtocolContext;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.core.Address;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.core.Block;
 
@@ -42,7 +40,7 @@ public class RoundChangeCertificateValidator {
   private final Collection<Address> validators;
   private final MessageValidatorForHeightFactory messageValidatorFactory;
   private final BftExtraDataCodec bftExtraDataCodec;
-  private final ProtocolContext protocolContext;
+  private final BftBlockInterface bftBlockInterface;
   private final long quorum;
   private final long chainHeight;
 
@@ -51,13 +49,13 @@ public RoundChangeCertificateValidator(
       final MessageValidatorForHeightFactory messageValidatorFactory,
       final long chainHeight,
       final BftExtraDataCodec bftExtraDataCodec,
-      final ProtocolContext protocolContext) {
+      final BftBlockInterface bftBlockInterface) {
     this.validators = validators;
     this.messageValidatorFactory = messageValidatorFactory;
     this.quorum = BftHelpers.calculateRequiredValidatorQuorum(validators.size());
     this.chainHeight = chainHeight;
     this.bftExtraDataCodec = bftExtraDataCodec;
-    this.protocolContext = protocolContext;
+    this.bftBlockInterface = bftBlockInterface;
   }
 
   public boolean validateRoundChangeMessagesAndEnsureTargetRoundMatchesRoot(
@@ -128,8 +126,6 @@ public boolean validateProposalMessageMatchesLatestPrepareCertificate(
 
     // Need to check that if we substitute the LatestPrepareCert round number into the supplied
     // block that we get the SAME hash as PreparedCert.
-    final BftBlockInterface bftBlockInterface =
-        protocolContext.getConsensusState(BftContext.class).getBlockInterface();
     final Block currentBlockWithOldRound =
         bftBlockInterface.replaceRoundInBlock(
             proposedBlock,
diff --git a/consensus/ibft/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/ibft/validation/RoundChangeCertificateValidatorTest.java b/consensus/ibft/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/ibft/validation/RoundChangeCertificateValidatorTest.java
index e2adc9a889a..3c58b5044e7 100644
--- a/consensus/ibft/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/ibft/validation/RoundChangeCertificateValidatorTest.java
+++ b/consensus/ibft/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/ibft/validation/RoundChangeCertificateValidatorTest.java
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
 import org.hyperledger.besu.consensus.common.bft.BftBlockInterface;
-import org.hyperledger.besu.consensus.common.bft.BftContext;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.consensus.common.bft.ConsensusRoundHelpers;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.consensus.common.bft.ConsensusRoundIdentifier;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.consensus.common.bft.ProposedBlockHelpers;
@@ -35,13 +34,10 @@
 import org.hyperledger.besu.consensus.ibft.validation.RoundChangePayloadValidator.MessageValidatorForHeightFactory;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.crypto.NodeKey;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.crypto.NodeKeyUtils;
-import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.ProtocolContext;
-import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.chain.MutableBlockchain;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.core.Address;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.core.Block;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.core.Hash;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.core.Util;
-import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.worldstate.WorldStateArchive;
 
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -63,12 +59,12 @@ public class RoundChangeCertificateValidatorTest {
   private final ConsensusRoundIdentifier roundIdentifier =
       new ConsensusRoundIdentifier(chainHeight, 4);
   private RoundChangeCertificateValidator validator;
-  private ProtocolContext protocolContext;
 
   private final MessageValidatorForHeightFactory validatorFactory =
       mock(MessageValidatorForHeightFactory.class);
   private final SignedDataValidator signedDataValidator = mock(SignedDataValidator.class);
   final IbftExtraDataCodec bftExtraDataEncoder = new IbftExtraDataCodec();
+  final BftBlockInterface bftBlockInterface = new BftBlockInterface(bftExtraDataEncoder);
 
   private Block proposedBlock;
 
@@ -81,15 +77,9 @@ public void setup() {
     proposedBlock =
         ProposedBlockHelpers.createProposalBlock(validators, roundIdentifier, bftExtraDataEncoder);
 
-    final BftContext bftContext = mock(BftContext.class);
-    when(bftContext.getBlockInterface()).thenReturn(new BftBlockInterface(bftExtraDataEncoder));
-    protocolContext =
-        new ProtocolContext(
-            mock(MutableBlockchain.class), mock(WorldStateArchive.class), bftContext);
-
     validator =
         new RoundChangeCertificateValidator(
-            validators, validatorFactory, 5, bftExtraDataEncoder, protocolContext);
+            validators, validatorFactory, 5, bftExtraDataEncoder, bftBlockInterface);
   }
 
   @Test