diff --git a/snow/consensus/avalanche/topological.go b/snow/consensus/avalanche/topological.go
index 25456b4f61c..6c7d3bfb31c 100644
--- a/snow/consensus/avalanche/topological.go
+++ b/snow/consensus/avalanche/topological.go
@@ -498,8 +498,7 @@ func (ta *Topological) update(ctx context.Context, vtx Vertex) error {
 	// reissued.
 	ta.orphans.Remove(vtxID)
 
-	switch vtx.Status() {
-	case choices.Accepted:
+	if vtx.Status() == choices.Accepted {
 		ta.preferred.Add(vtxID) // I'm preferred
 		ta.virtuous.Add(vtxID)  // Accepted is defined as virtuous
 
@@ -508,11 +507,6 @@ func (ta *Topological) update(ctx context.Context, vtx Vertex) error {
 		ta.preferenceCache[vtxID] = true
 		ta.virtuousCache[vtxID] = true
 		return nil
-	case choices.Rejected:
-		// I'm rejected
-		ta.preferenceCache[vtxID] = false
-		ta.virtuousCache[vtxID] = false
-		return nil
 	}
 
 	txs, err := vtx.Txs(ctx)
@@ -614,11 +608,12 @@ func (ta *Topological) update(ctx context.Context, vtx Vertex) error {
 	// Also, this will only happen from a byzantine node issuing the vertex.
 	// Therefore, this is very unlikely to actually be triggered in practice.
 
-	// Remove all my parents from the frontier
-	for _, dep := range deps {
-		delete(ta.frontier, dep.ID())
+	if !rejectable {
+		for _, dep := range deps {
+			delete(ta.frontier, dep.ID())
+		}
+		ta.frontier[vtxID] = vtx // I have no descendents yet
 	}
-	ta.frontier[vtxID] = vtx // I have no descendents yet
 
 	ta.preferenceCache[vtxID] = preferred
 	ta.virtuousCache[vtxID] = virtuous