diff --git a/stackslib/src/net/mod.rs b/stackslib/src/net/mod.rs
index 695574769c..18451cd7c4 100644
--- a/stackslib/src/net/mod.rs
+++ b/stackslib/src/net/mod.rs
@@ -3384,6 +3384,10 @@ pub mod test {
 
             let old_tip = self.network.stacks_tip.clone();
 
+            // make sure the right state machines run
+            let epoch2_passes = self.network.epoch2_state_machine_passes;
+            let nakamoto_passes = self.network.nakamoto_state_machine_passes;
+
             let ret = self.network.run(
                 &indexer,
                 &sortdb,
@@ -3396,6 +3400,30 @@ pub mod test {
                 &rpc_handler_args,
             );
 
+            if self.network.get_current_epoch().epoch_id >= StacksEpochId::Epoch30 {
+                assert_eq!(
+                    self.network.nakamoto_state_machine_passes,
+                    nakamoto_passes + 1
+                );
+                let epoch2_expected_passes = if self.network.stacks_tip.is_nakamoto
+                    && !self.network.connection_opts.force_nakamoto_epoch_transition
+                {
+                    epoch2_passes
+                } else {
+                    epoch2_passes + 1
+                };
+                assert_eq!(
+                    self.network.epoch2_state_machine_passes,
+                    epoch2_expected_passes
+                );
+            }
+            if self
+                .network
+                .need_epoch2_state_machines(self.network.get_current_epoch().epoch_id)
+            {
+                assert_eq!(self.network.epoch2_state_machine_passes, epoch2_passes + 1);
+            }
+
             self.sortdb = Some(sortdb);
             self.stacks_node = Some(stacks_node);
             self.mempool = Some(mempool);
@@ -3467,6 +3495,10 @@ pub mod test {
                 .unwrap_or(RPCHandlerArgsType::make_default());
             let old_tip = self.network.stacks_tip.clone();
 
+            // make sure the right state machines run
+            let epoch2_passes = self.network.epoch2_state_machine_passes;
+            let nakamoto_passes = self.network.nakamoto_state_machine_passes;
+
             let ret = self.network.run(
                 &indexer,
                 &sortdb,
@@ -3479,6 +3511,30 @@ pub mod test {
                 &rpc_handler_args,
             );
 
+            if self.network.get_current_epoch().epoch_id >= StacksEpochId::Epoch30 {
+                assert_eq!(
+                    self.network.nakamoto_state_machine_passes,
+                    nakamoto_passes + 1
+                );
+                let epoch2_expected_passes = if self.network.stacks_tip.is_nakamoto
+                    && !self.network.connection_opts.force_nakamoto_epoch_transition
+                {
+                    epoch2_passes
+                } else {
+                    epoch2_passes + 1
+                };
+                assert_eq!(
+                    self.network.epoch2_state_machine_passes,
+                    epoch2_expected_passes
+                );
+            }
+            if self
+                .network
+                .need_epoch2_state_machines(self.network.get_current_epoch().epoch_id)
+            {
+                assert_eq!(self.network.epoch2_state_machine_passes, epoch2_passes + 1);
+            }
+
             self.sortdb = Some(sortdb);
             self.stacks_node = Some(stacks_node);
             self.mempool = Some(mempool);
diff --git a/stackslib/src/net/p2p.rs b/stackslib/src/net/p2p.rs
index fd8561326a..6e2e8ce461 100644
--- a/stackslib/src/net/p2p.rs
+++ b/stackslib/src/net/p2p.rs
@@ -423,6 +423,12 @@ pub struct PeerNetwork {
     // how many downloader passes have we done?
     pub num_downloader_passes: u64,
 
+    // number of epoch2 state machine passes
+    pub(crate) epoch2_state_machine_passes: u128,
+
+    // number of nakamoto state machine passes
+    pub(crate) nakamoto_state_machine_passes: u128,
+
     // to whom did we send a block or microblock stream as part of our anti-entropy protocol, and
     // when did we send it?
     antientropy_blocks: HashMap<NeighborKey, HashMap<StacksBlockId, u64>>,
@@ -593,6 +599,8 @@ impl PeerNetwork {
             num_state_machine_passes: 0,
             num_inv_sync_passes: 0,
             num_downloader_passes: 0,
+            epoch2_state_machine_passes: 0,
+            nakamoto_state_machine_passes: 0,
 
             antientropy_blocks: HashMap::new(),
             antientropy_microblocks: HashMap::new(),
@@ -3554,6 +3562,15 @@ impl PeerNetwork {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Check to see if we need to run the epoch 2.x state machines.
+    /// This will be true if we're either in epoch 2.5 or lower, OR, if we're in epoch 3.0 or
+    /// higher AND the Stacks tip is not yet a Nakamoto block.  This latter condition indicates
+    /// that the epoch 2.x state machines are still needed to download the final epoch 2.x blocks.
+    pub(crate) fn need_epoch2_state_machines(&self, epoch_id: StacksEpochId) -> bool {
+        epoch_id < StacksEpochId::Epoch30
+            || (epoch_id >= StacksEpochId::Epoch30 && !self.stacks_tip.is_nakamoto)
+    }
+
     /// Do the actual work in the state machine.
     /// Return true if we need to prune connections.
     /// This will call the epoch-appropriate network worker
@@ -3582,11 +3599,8 @@ impl PeerNetwork {
 
             // in Nakamoto epoch, but we might still be doing epoch 2.x things since Nakamoto does
             // not begin on a reward cycle boundary.
-            if cur_epoch.epoch_id == StacksEpochId::Epoch30
-                && (self.burnchain_tip.block_height
-                    <= cur_epoch.start_height
-                        + u64::from(self.burnchain.pox_constants.reward_cycle_length)
-                    || self.connection_opts.force_nakamoto_epoch_transition)
+            if self.need_epoch2_state_machines(cur_epoch.epoch_id)
+                || self.connection_opts.force_nakamoto_epoch_transition
             {
                 debug!(
                     "{:?}: run Epoch 2.x work loop in Nakamoto epoch",
@@ -3636,6 +3650,8 @@ impl PeerNetwork {
         ibd: bool,
         network_result: &mut NetworkResult,
     ) {
+        self.nakamoto_state_machine_passes += 1;
+
         // always do an inv sync
         let learned = self.do_network_inv_sync_nakamoto(sortdb, ibd);
         debug!(
@@ -3683,6 +3699,8 @@ impl PeerNetwork {
         ibd: bool,
         network_result: &mut NetworkResult,
     ) -> bool {
+        self.epoch2_state_machine_passes += 1;
+
         // do some Actual Work(tm)
         let mut do_prune = false;
         let mut did_cycle = false;