diff --git a/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.cpp b/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.cpp
index 541e838f7..5982b9d9a 100644
--- a/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.cpp
+++ b/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.cpp
@@ -2450,8 +2450,14 @@ void BlockchainLMDB::check_hard_fork_info()
     throw0(DB_ERROR("Failed to query m_hf_starting_heights"));
   if (db_stat1.ms_entries != db_stat2.ms_entries)
   {
-    mdb_drop(*txn_ptr, m_hf_starting_heights, 1);
-    mdb_drop(*txn_ptr, m_hf_versions, 1);
+    // Empty, but don't delete. This allows this function to be called after
+    // startup, after the subdbs have already been created, and rest of startup
+    // can proceed. If these don't exist, hard fork's init() will fail.
+    //
+    // If these are empty, hard fork's init() will repopulate the hard fork
+    // data.
+    mdb_drop(*txn_ptr, m_hf_starting_heights, 0);
+    mdb_drop(*txn_ptr, m_hf_versions, 0);
   }
 
   TXN_POSTFIX_SUCCESS();
diff --git a/src/blockchain_utilities/fake_core.h b/src/blockchain_utilities/fake_core.h
index 245d535fc..4b8c28902 100644
--- a/src/blockchain_utilities/fake_core.h
+++ b/src/blockchain_utilities/fake_core.h
@@ -75,7 +75,10 @@ struct fake_core_lmdb
       throw;
     }
 
+    db->check_hard_fork_info();
+
     m_storage.init(db, use_testnet);
+
     if (do_batch)
       m_storage.get_db().set_batch_transactions(do_batch);
     support_batch = true;