diff --git a/src/ripple/app/misc/impl/ValidatorList.cpp b/src/ripple/app/misc/impl/ValidatorList.cpp
index 09f774f8af9..f8c5c4f6bba 100644
--- a/src/ripple/app/misc/impl/ValidatorList.cpp
+++ b/src/ripple/app/misc/impl/ValidatorList.cpp
@@ -1710,6 +1710,15 @@ ValidatorList::calculateQuorum(
     std::size_t effectiveUnlSize,
     std::size_t seenSize)
 {
+    // Use quorum if specified via command line.
+    if (minimumQuorum_ && *minimumQuorum_)
+    {
+        JLOG(j_.warn()) << "Using potentially unsafe quorum of " <<
+            *minimumQuorum_
+                        << " as specified in the command line";
+        return *minimumQuorum_;
+    }
+
     // Do not use achievable quorum until lists from all configured
     // publishers are available
     for (auto const& list : publisherLists_)
@@ -1752,21 +1761,8 @@ ValidatorList::calculateQuorum(
     // Note that the negative UNL protocol introduced the
     // AbsoluteMinimumQuorum which is 60% of the original UNL size. The
     // effective quorum should not be lower than it.
-    auto quorum = static_cast<std::size_t>(std::max(
+    return static_cast<std::size_t>(std::max(
         std::ceil(effectiveUnlSize * 0.8f), std::ceil(unlSize * 0.6f)));
-
-    // Use lower quorum specified via command line if the normal quorum
-    // appears unreachable based on the number of recently received
-    // validations.
-    if (minimumQuorum_ && *minimumQuorum_ < quorum && seenSize < quorum)
-    {
-        quorum = *minimumQuorum_;
-
-        JLOG(j_.warn()) << "Using unsafe quorum of " << quorum
-                        << " as specified in the command line";
-    }
-
-    return quorum;
 }
 
 TrustChanges
diff --git a/src/test/app/ValidatorList_test.cpp b/src/test/app/ValidatorList_test.cpp
index fead5563f21..8ab54964224 100644
--- a/src/test/app/ValidatorList_test.cpp
+++ b/src/test/app/ValidatorList_test.cpp
@@ -1318,7 +1318,7 @@ class ValidatorList_test : public beast::unit_test::suite
             BEAST_EXPECT(changes.added == expectedTrusted);
             BEAST_EXPECT(trustedKeys->quorum() == minQuorum);
 
-            // Use normal quorum when seen validators >= quorum
+            // Use configured quorum even when seen validators >= quorum
             activeValidators.emplace(toBeSeen);
             changes = trustedKeys->updateTrusted(
                 activeValidators,
@@ -1328,7 +1328,7 @@ class ValidatorList_test : public beast::unit_test::suite
                 env.app().getHashRouter());
             BEAST_EXPECT(changes.removed.empty());
             BEAST_EXPECT(changes.added.empty());
-            BEAST_EXPECT(trustedKeys->quorum() == std::ceil(n * 0.8f));
+            BEAST_EXPECT(trustedKeys->quorum() == minQuorum);
         }
         {
             // Remove expired published list
@@ -1828,7 +1828,8 @@ class ValidatorList_test : public beast::unit_test::suite
                     env.app().getOPs(),
                     env.app().overlay(),
                     env.app().getHashRouter());
-                if (trustedKeys->quorum() == std::ceil(cfgKeys.size() * 0.8f))
+                if ((minimumQuorum.has_value() && trustedKeys->quorum() == *minimumQuorum) ||
+                    (trustedKeys->quorum() == std::ceil(cfgKeys.size() * 0.8f)))
                     return trustedKeys;
             }
             return nullptr;
@@ -1980,7 +1981,7 @@ class ValidatorList_test : public beast::unit_test::suite
                     env.app().getOPs(),
                     env.app().overlay(),
                     env.app().getHashRouter());
-                BEAST_EXPECT(validators->quorum() == 48);
+                BEAST_EXPECT(validators->quorum() == 30);
                 hash_set<PublicKey> nUnl;
                 it = unl.begin();
                 for (std::uint32_t i = 0; i < 20; ++i)