diff --git a/lib/blockchain/chain.js b/lib/blockchain/chain.js
index 85ab2259..1267b760 100644
--- a/lib/blockchain/chain.js
+++ b/lib/blockchain/chain.js
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ function Chain(options) {
   this.invalid = new LRU(100);
   this.state = new DeploymentState();
 
-  this.tip = null;
+  this.tip = new ChainEntry(this);
   this.height = -1;
   this.synced = false;
 
@@ -1827,7 +1827,7 @@ Chain.prototype.maybeSync = function maybeSync() {
  */
 
 Chain.prototype.hasChainwork = function hasChainwork() {
-  return this.tip.chainwork.cmp(this.network.pow.chainwork) >= 0;
+  return this.tip.chainwork.gte(this.network.pow.chainwork);
 };
 
 /**
@@ -1838,7 +1838,7 @@ Chain.prototype.hasChainwork = function hasChainwork() {
  */
 
 Chain.prototype.hasCheckpoints = function hasCheckpoints() {
-  return this.tip.chainwork.cmp(this.network.lastChainwork) >= 0;
+  return this.tip.chainwork.gte(this.network.lastChainwork);
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/blockchain/chainentry.js b/lib/blockchain/chainentry.js
index 3425e866..c67b3bfc 100644
--- a/lib/blockchain/chainentry.js
+++ b/lib/blockchain/chainentry.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ const BufferReader = require('../utils/reader');
 const StaticWriter = require('../utils/staticwriter');
 const Headers = require('../primitives/headers');
 const InvItem = require('../primitives/invitem');
+const ZERO = new BN(0);
 
 /**
  * Represents an entry in the chain. Unlike
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ function ChainEntry(chain, options, prev) {
   this.bits = 0;
   this.nonce = 0;
   this.height = -1;
-  this.chainwork = null;
+  this.chainwork = ZERO;
 
   if (options)
     this.fromOptions(options, prev);