diff --git a/src/rpc/blockchain.cpp b/src/rpc/blockchain.cpp
index c33dc4b42b38..0ce6950f11b6 100644
--- a/src/rpc/blockchain.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/blockchain.cpp
@@ -1367,7 +1367,7 @@ static RPCHelpMan verifychain()
     };
 }
 
-static void SoftForkDescPushBack(const CBlockIndex* active_chain_tip, UniValue& softforks, const Consensus::Params& params, Consensus::BuriedDeployment dep)
+static void SoftForkDescPushBack(const CBlockIndex* blockindex, UniValue& softforks, const Consensus::Params& params, Consensus::BuriedDeployment dep)
 {
     // For buried deployments.
 
@@ -1377,66 +1377,88 @@ static void SoftForkDescPushBack(const CBlockIndex* active_chain_tip, UniValue&
     rv.pushKV("type", "buried");
     // getblockchaininfo reports the softfork as active from when the chain height is
     // one below the activation height
-    rv.pushKV("active", DeploymentActiveAfter(active_chain_tip, params, dep));
+    rv.pushKV("active", DeploymentActiveAfter(blockindex, params, dep));
     rv.pushKV("height", params.DeploymentHeight(dep));
     softforks.pushKV(DeploymentName(dep), rv);
 }
 
-static void SoftForkDescPushBack(const CBlockIndex* active_chain_tip, const std::unordered_map<uint8_t, int>& signals, UniValue& softforks, const Consensus::Params& consensusParams, Consensus::DeploymentPos id)
+static void SoftForkDescPushBack(const CBlockIndex* blockindex, const std::unordered_map<uint8_t, int>& signals, UniValue& softforks, const Consensus::Params& consensusParams, Consensus::DeploymentPos id)
 {
     // For BIP9 deployments.
 
     if (!DeploymentEnabled(consensusParams, id)) return;
+    if (blockindex == nullptr) return;
+
+    auto get_state_name = [](const ThresholdState state) -> std::string {
+        switch (state) {
+        case ThresholdState::DEFINED: return "defined";
+        case ThresholdState::STARTED: return "started";
+        case ThresholdState::LOCKED_IN: return "locked_in";
+        case ThresholdState::ACTIVE: return "active";
+        case ThresholdState::FAILED: return "failed";
+        }
+        return "invalid";
+    };
 
     UniValue bip9(UniValue::VOBJ);
-    const ThresholdState thresholdState = g_versionbitscache.State(active_chain_tip, consensusParams, id);
-    switch (thresholdState) {
-    case ThresholdState::DEFINED: bip9.pushKV("status", "defined"); break;
-    case ThresholdState::STARTED: bip9.pushKV("status", "started"); break;
-    case ThresholdState::LOCKED_IN: bip9.pushKV("status", "locked_in"); break;
-    case ThresholdState::ACTIVE: bip9.pushKV("status", "active"); break;
-    case ThresholdState::FAILED: bip9.pushKV("status", "failed"); break;
-    }
-    const bool has_signal = (ThresholdState::STARTED == thresholdState || ThresholdState::LOCKED_IN == thresholdState);
+
+    const ThresholdState next_state = g_versionbitscache.State(blockindex, consensusParams, id);
+    const ThresholdState current_state = g_versionbitscache.State(blockindex->pprev, consensusParams, id);
+
+    const bool has_signal = (ThresholdState::STARTED == current_state || ThresholdState::LOCKED_IN == current_state);
+
+    // BIP9 parameters
     if (has_signal) {
         bip9.pushKV("bit", consensusParams.vDeployments[id].bit);
     }
     bip9.pushKV("start_time", consensusParams.vDeployments[id].nStartTime);
     bip9.pushKV("timeout", consensusParams.vDeployments[id].nTimeout);
+    bip9.pushKV("min_activation_height", consensusParams.vDeployments[id].min_activation_height);
     bip9.pushKV("ehf", consensusParams.vDeployments[id].useEHF);
     if (auto it = signals.find(consensusParams.vDeployments[id].bit); it != signals.end()) {
         bip9.pushKV("ehf_height", it->second);
     }
-    int64_t since_height = g_versionbitscache.StateSinceHeight(active_chain_tip, consensusParams, id);
-    bip9.pushKV("since", since_height);
+
+    // BIP9 status
+    bip9.pushKV("status", get_state_name(current_state));
+    bip9.pushKV("since", g_versionbitscache.StateSinceHeight(blockindex->pprev, consensusParams, id));
+    bip9.pushKV("status-next", get_state_name(next_state));
+
+    // BIP9 signalling status, if applicable
     if (has_signal) {
         UniValue statsUV(UniValue::VOBJ);
-        BIP9Stats statsStruct = g_versionbitscache.Statistics(active_chain_tip, consensusParams, id);
+        BIP9Stats statsStruct = g_versionbitscache.Statistics(blockindex, consensusParams, id);
         statsUV.pushKV("period", statsStruct.period);
         statsUV.pushKV("elapsed", statsStruct.elapsed);
         statsUV.pushKV("count", statsStruct.count);
-        if (ThresholdState::LOCKED_IN != thresholdState) {
+        if (ThresholdState::LOCKED_IN != current_state) {
             statsUV.pushKV("threshold", statsStruct.threshold);
             statsUV.pushKV("possible", statsStruct.possible);
         }
         bip9.pushKV("statistics", statsUV);
     }
-    if (ThresholdState::LOCKED_IN == thresholdState) {
-        bip9.pushKV("activation_height", since_height + static_cast<int>(consensusParams.vDeployments[id].nWindowSize));
+    if (ThresholdState::LOCKED_IN == current_state) {
+        bip9.pushKV("activation_height", g_versionbitscache.StateSinceHeight(blockindex->pprev, consensusParams, id) + static_cast<int>(consensusParams.vDeployments[id].nWindowSize));
     }
     bip9.pushKV("min_activation_height", consensusParams.vDeployments[id].min_activation_height);
 
     UniValue rv(UniValue::VOBJ);
     rv.pushKV("type", "bip9");
-    rv.pushKV("bip9", bip9);
-    if (ThresholdState::ACTIVE == thresholdState) {
-        rv.pushKV("height", since_height);
+    if (ThresholdState::ACTIVE == next_state) {
+        rv.pushKV("height", g_versionbitscache.StateSinceHeight(blockindex, consensusParams, id));
     }
-    rv.pushKV("active", ThresholdState::ACTIVE == thresholdState);
+    rv.pushKV("active", ThresholdState::ACTIVE == next_state);
+    rv.pushKV("bip9", bip9);
 
     softforks.pushKV(DeploymentName(id), rv);
 }
 
+namespace {
+/* TODO: when -deprecatedrpc=softforks is removed, drop these */
+extern const std::vector<RPCResult> RPCHelpForDeployment;
+}
+
+// used by rest.cpp:rest_chaininfo, so cannot be static
 RPCHelpMan getblockchaininfo()
 {
     return RPCHelpMan{"getblockchaininfo",
@@ -1570,6 +1592,35 @@ RPCHelpMan getblockchaininfo()
     };
 }
 
+namespace {
+const std::vector<RPCResult> RPCHelpForDeployment{
+    {RPCResult::Type::STR, "type", "one of \"buried\", \"bip9\""},
+    {RPCResult::Type::NUM, "height", /*optional=*/true, "height of the first block which the rules are or will be enforced (only for \"buried\" type, or \"bip9\" type with \"active\" status)"},
+    {RPCResult::Type::BOOL, "active", "true if the rules are enforced for the mempool and the next block"},
+    {RPCResult::Type::OBJ, "bip9", /*optional=*/true, "status of bip9 softforks (only for \"bip9\" type)",
+    {
+        {RPCResult::Type::NUM, "bit", /*optional=*/true, "the bit (0-28) in the block version field used to signal this softfork (only for \"started\" and \"locked_in\" status)"},
+        {RPCResult::Type::NUM_TIME, "start_time", "the minimum median time past of a block at which the bit gains its meaning"},
+        {RPCResult::Type::NUM_TIME, "timeout", "the median time past of a block at which the deployment is considered failed if not yet locked in"},
+        {RPCResult::Type::NUM, "min_activation_height", "minimum height of blocks for which the rules may be enforced"},
+        {RPCResult::Type::STR, "status", "status of deployment at specified block (one of \"defined\", \"started\", \"locked_in\", \"active\", \"failed\")"},
+        {RPCResult::Type::NUM, "since", "height of the first block to which the status applies"},
+        {RPCResult::Type::STR, "status-next", "status of deployment at the next block"},
+        {RPCResult::Type::OBJ, "statistics", /*optional=*/true, "numeric statistics about signalling for a softfork (only for \"started\" and \"locked_in\" status)",
+        {
+            {RPCResult::Type::NUM, "period", "the length in blocks of the signalling period"},
+            {RPCResult::Type::NUM, "threshold", /*optional=*/true, "the number of blocks with the version bit set required to activate the feature (only for \"started\" status)"},
+            {RPCResult::Type::NUM, "elapsed", "the number of blocks elapsed since the beginning of the current period"},
+            {RPCResult::Type::NUM, "count", "the number of blocks with the version bit set in the current period"},
+            {RPCResult::Type::BOOL, "possible", /*optional=*/true, "returns false if there are not enough blocks left in this period to pass activation threshold (only for \"started\" status)"},
+        }},
+        {RPCResult::Type::STR, "signalling", "indicates blocks that signalled with a # and blocks that did not with a -"},
+    }},
+};
+
+} // anon namespace
+
+
 /** Comparison function for sorting the getchaintips heads.  */
 struct CompareBlocksByHeight
 {
diff --git a/src/versionbits.cpp b/src/versionbits.cpp
index 3f0c7fd779fb..8ccfa6352c8c 100644
--- a/src/versionbits.cpp
+++ b/src/versionbits.cpp
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ BIP9Stats AbstractThresholdConditionChecker::GetStateStatisticsFor(const CBlockI
     if (pindex == nullptr)
         return stats;
 
-    // Find beginning of period
+    // Find how many blocks are in the current period
     const CBlockIndex* pindexEndOfPrevPeriod = pindex->GetAncestor(pindex->nHeight - ((pindex->nHeight + 1) % stats.period));
     stats.elapsed = pindex->nHeight - pindexEndOfPrevPeriod->nHeight;