diff --git a/src/consensus/dkg.rs b/src/consensus/dkg.rs
index 814527db42..fd8886c988 100644
--- a/src/consensus/dkg.rs
+++ b/src/consensus/dkg.rs
@@ -172,8 +172,9 @@ impl DkgVoter {
                 let _ = self.sessions.insert(dkg_key, session);
 
                 // Remove uneeded old sessions.
-                self.sessions
-                    .retain(|old_dkg_key, _| old_dkg_key.generation >= dkg_key.generation);
+                self.sessions.retain(|existing_dkg_key, _| {
+                    existing_dkg_key.generation >= dkg_key.generation
+                });
                 self.backlog.prune(&dkg_key);
 
                 commands
diff --git a/src/network/mod.rs b/src/network/mod.rs
index e88e75caf4..5047a6ca40 100644
--- a/src/network/mod.rs
+++ b/src/network/mod.rs
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ impl Network {
     /// key is not in our `section_chain`. To prove the key is valid, it must be accompanied by an
     /// additional `key_proof` which signs it using a key that is present in `section_chain`.
     ///
-    /// If this is for a non-sibling section, the currently we require the info to be signed by our
+    /// If this is for a non-sibling section, then currently we require the info to be signed by our
     /// section (so we need to accumulate the signature for it first) and so `key_proof` is not
     /// needed in that case.
     pub fn update_neighbour_info(
diff --git a/src/routing/approved.rs b/src/routing/approved.rs
index 3de693f03b..30df0cbd9e 100644
--- a/src/routing/approved.rs
+++ b/src/routing/approved.rs
@@ -1384,11 +1384,12 @@ impl Approved {
             .ok_or(Error::InvalidSrcLocation)?
             .peer;
 
+        let generation = self.section.chain().main_branch_len() as u64;
         let elders_info = self
             .section
             .promote_and_demote_elders(&self.node.name())
             .into_iter()
-            .find(|elders_info| proofs.verify(elders_info, self.section.chain().len() as u64));
+            .find(|elders_info| proofs.verify(elders_info, generation));
         let elders_info = if let Some(elders_info) = elders_info {
             elders_info
         } else {
@@ -1993,7 +1994,8 @@ impl Approved {
     ) -> Result<Vec<Command>> {
         trace!("Send DKGStart for {} to {:?}", elders_info, recipients);
 
-        let dkg_key = DkgKey::new(&elders_info, self.section.chain().len() as u64);
+        let generation = self.section.chain().main_branch_len() as u64;
+        let dkg_key = DkgKey::new(&elders_info, generation);
         let variant = Variant::DKGStart {
             dkg_key,
             elders_info,
diff --git a/src/section/section_chain.rs b/src/section/section_chain.rs
index a349e6f5df..cca3cf23e5 100644
--- a/src/section/section_chain.rs
+++ b/src/section/section_chain.rs
@@ -303,26 +303,7 @@ impl SectionChain {
         I: IntoIterator<Item = &'a bls::PublicKey>,
     {
         let trusted_keys: HashSet<_> = trusted_keys.into_iter().collect();
-        let mut index = self.tree.len();
-
-        loop {
-            let (key, parent_index) = if index > 0 {
-                let block = &self.tree[index - 1];
-                (&block.key, Some(block.parent_index))
-            } else {
-                (&self.root, None)
-            };
-
-            if trusted_keys.contains(key) {
-                return true;
-            }
-
-            if let Some(next_index) = parent_index {
-                index = next_index;
-            } else {
-                return false;
-            }
-        }
+        self.main_branch().any(|key| trusted_keys.contains(key))
     }
 
     /// Compare the two keys by their position in the chain. The key that is higher (closer to the
@@ -343,6 +324,14 @@ impl SectionChain {
         1 + self.tree.len()
     }
 
+    /// Returns the number of block on the main branch of the chain - that is - the ones reachable
+    /// from the last block.
+    ///
+    /// NOTE: this is a `O(n)` operation.
+    pub fn main_branch_len(&self) -> usize {
+        self.main_branch().count()
+    }
+
     fn insert_block(&mut self, new_block: Block) -> usize {
         // Find the index into `self.tree` to insert the new block at so that the block order as
         // described in the `SectionChain` doc comment is maintained.
@@ -429,6 +418,14 @@ impl SectionChain {
             max_index -= 1;
         }
     }
+
+    // Iterator over the key on the main branch of the chain in reverse order.
+    fn main_branch(&self) -> Branch {
+        Branch {
+            chain: self,
+            index: Some(self.tree.len()),
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl Debug for SectionChain {
@@ -479,6 +476,29 @@ impl PartialOrd for Block {
     }
 }
 
+// Iterator over the keys on a single branch of the chain in reverse order.
+struct Branch<'a> {
+    chain: &'a SectionChain,
+    index: Option<usize>,
+}
+
+impl<'a> Iterator for Branch<'a> {
+    type Item = &'a bls::PublicKey;
+
+    fn next(&mut self) -> Option<Self::Item> {
+        let index = self.index?;
+
+        if index == 0 {
+            self.index = None;
+            Some(&self.chain.root)
+        } else {
+            let block = self.chain.tree.get(index - 1)?;
+            self.index = Some(block.parent_index);
+            Some(&block.key)
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 // `SectionChain` is deserialized by first deserializing it into this intermediate structure and
 // then converting it into `SectionChain` using `try_from` which fails when the chain is invalid.
 // This makes it impossible to obtain invalid `SectionChain` from malformed serialized data, thus
@@ -1071,6 +1091,23 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(main_chain.cmp_by_position(&pk0, &pk1), Ordering::Less);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn main_branch_len() {
+        let (sk0, pk0) = gen_keypair();
+        let (_, pk1, sig1) = gen_signed_keypair(&sk0);
+        let (_, pk2, sig2) = gen_signed_keypair(&sk0);
+
+        // 0->1
+        let chain = make_chain(pk0, vec![(&pk0, pk1, sig1.clone())]);
+        assert_eq!(chain.main_branch_len(), 2);
+
+        // 0->1
+        // |
+        // +->2
+        let chain = make_chain(pk0, vec![(&pk0, pk1, sig1), (&pk0, pk2, sig2)]);
+        assert_eq!(chain.main_branch_len(), 2);
+    }
+
     fn gen_keypair() -> (bls::SecretKey, bls::PublicKey) {
         let sk = bls::SecretKey::random();
         let pk = sk.public_key();