diff --git a/crates/chain/src/local_chain.rs b/crates/chain/src/local_chain.rs
index 100a9662c5..a86f1a77dc 100644
--- a/crates/chain/src/local_chain.rs
+++ b/crates/chain/src/local_chain.rs
@@ -187,6 +187,43 @@ impl CheckPoint {
                 core::ops::Bound::Unbounded => true,
             })
     }
+
+    /// Inserts `block_id` at its height within the chain.
+    ///
+    /// The effect of `insert` depends on whether a height already exists. If it doesn't the
+    /// `block_id` we inserted and all pre-existing blocks higher than it will be re-inserted after
+    /// it. If the height already existed and has a conflicting block hash then it will be purged
+    /// along with all block followin it. The returned chain will have a tip of the `block_id`
+    /// passed in. Of course, if the `block_id` was already present then this just returns `self`.
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn insert(self, block_id: BlockId) -> Self {
+        assert_ne!(block_id.height, 0, "cannot insert the genesis block");
+
+        let mut cp = self.clone();
+        let mut tail = vec![];
+        let base = loop {
+            if cp.height() == block_id.height {
+                if cp.hash() == block_id.hash {
+                    return self;
+                }
+                // if we have a conflict we just return the inserted block because the tail is by
+                // implication invalid.
+                tail = vec![];
+                break cp.prev().expect("can't be called on genesis block");
+            }
+
+            if cp.height() < block_id.height {
+                break cp;
+            }
+
+            tail.push(cp.block_id());
+            cp = cp.prev().expect("will break before genesis block");
+        };
+
+        base
+            .extend(core::iter::once(block_id).chain(tail.into_iter().rev()))
+            .expect("tail is in order")
+    }
 }
 
 /// Iterates over checkpoints backwards.
diff --git a/crates/chain/tests/test_local_chain.rs b/crates/chain/tests/test_local_chain.rs
index 482792f501..636b7a4b7f 100644
--- a/crates/chain/tests/test_local_chain.rs
+++ b/crates/chain/tests/test_local_chain.rs
@@ -574,6 +574,77 @@ fn checkpoint_query() {
     }
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn checkpoint_insert() {
+    struct TestCase<'a> {
+        /// The name of the test.
+        name: &'a str,
+        /// The original checkpoint chain to call [`CheckPoint::insert`] on.
+        chain: &'a [(u32, BlockHash)],
+        /// The `block_id` to insert.
+        to_insert: (u32, BlockHash),
+        /// The expected final checkpoint chain after calling [`CheckPoint::insert`].
+        exp_final_chain: &'a [(u32, BlockHash)],
+    }
+
+    let test_cases = [
+        TestCase {
+            name: "insert_above_tip",
+            chain: &[(1, h!("a")), (2, h!("b"))],
+            to_insert: (4, h!("d")),
+            exp_final_chain: &[(1, h!("a")), (2, h!("b")), (4, h!("d"))],
+        },
+        TestCase {
+            name: "insert_already_exists_expect_no_change",
+            chain: &[(1, h!("a")), (2, h!("b")), (3, h!("c"))],
+            to_insert: (2, h!("b")),
+            exp_final_chain: &[(1, h!("a")), (2, h!("b")), (3, h!("c"))],
+        },
+        TestCase {
+            name: "insert_in_middle",
+            chain: &[(2, h!("b")), (4, h!("d")), (5, h!("e"))],
+            to_insert: (3, h!("c")),
+            exp_final_chain: &[(2, h!("b")), (3, h!("c")), (4, h!("d")), (5, h!("e"))],
+        },
+        TestCase {
+            name: "replace_one",
+            chain: &[(3, h!("c")), (4, h!("d")), (5, h!("e"))],
+            to_insert: (5, h!("E")),
+            exp_final_chain: &[(3, h!("c")), (4, h!("d")), (5, h!("E"))],
+        },
+        TestCase {
+            name: "insert_conflict_should_evict",
+            chain: &[(3, h!("c")), (4, h!("d")), (5, h!("e")), (6, h!("f"))],
+            to_insert: (4, h!("D")),
+            exp_final_chain: &[(3, h!("c")), (4, h!("D"))],
+        },
+    ];
+
+    fn genesis_block() -> impl Iterator<Item = BlockId> {
+        core::iter::once((0, h!("_"))).map(BlockId::from)
+    }
+
+    for (i, t) in test_cases.into_iter().enumerate() {
+        println!("Running [{}] '{}'", i, t.name);
+
+        let chain = CheckPoint::from_block_ids(
+            genesis_block().chain(t.chain.iter().copied().map(BlockId::from)),
+        )
+        .expect("test formed incorrectly, must construct checkpoint chain");
+
+        let exp_final_chain = CheckPoint::from_block_ids(
+            genesis_block().chain(t.exp_final_chain.iter().copied().map(BlockId::from)),
+        )
+        .expect("test formed incorrectly, must construct checkpoint chain");
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            chain.insert(t.to_insert.into()),
+            exp_final_chain,
+            "unexpected final chain"
+        );
+    }
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn local_chain_apply_header_connected_to() {
     fn header_from_prev_blockhash(prev_blockhash: BlockHash) -> Header {