diff --git a/nano/node/json_handler.cpp b/nano/node/json_handler.cpp
index 4b89e6666b..9a481c3397 100644
--- a/nano/node/json_handler.cpp
+++ b/nano/node/json_handler.cpp
@@ -5082,8 +5082,21 @@ void nano::json_handler::work_validate ()
 	multiplier_optional_impl (work_version, difficulty);
 	if (!ec)
 	{
+		/* Transition to epoch_2 difficulty levels breaks previous behavior.
+		 * When difficulty is not given, the default difficulty to validate changes when the first epoch_2 block is seen, breaking previous behavior.
+		 * For this reason, when difficulty is not given, the "valid" field is no longer included in the response to break loudly any client expecting it.
+		 * Instead, use the new fields:
+		 * * valid_all: the work is valid at the current highest difficulty threshold
+		 * * valid_receive: the work is valid for a receive block in an epoch_2 upgraded account
+		 */
+
 		auto result_difficulty (nano::work_difficulty (work_version, hash, work));
-		response_l.put ("valid", (result_difficulty >= difficulty) ? "1" : "0");
+		if (request.count ("difficulty"))
+		{
+			response_l.put ("valid", (result_difficulty >= difficulty) ? "1" : "0");
+		}
+		response_l.put ("valid_all", (result_difficulty >= node.default_difficulty (work_version)) ? "1" : "0");
+		response_l.put ("valid_receive", (result_difficulty >= nano::work_threshold (work_version, nano::block_details (nano::epoch::epoch_2, false, true, false))) ? "1" : "0");
 		response_l.put ("difficulty", nano::to_string_hex (result_difficulty));
 		auto result_multiplier = nano::difficulty::to_multiplier (result_difficulty, node.default_difficulty (work_version));
 		response_l.put ("multiplier", nano::to_string (result_multiplier));
diff --git a/nano/rpc_test/rpc.cpp b/nano/rpc_test/rpc.cpp
index 7e92190ec8..513eb3cd52 100644
--- a/nano/rpc_test/rpc.cpp
+++ b/nano/rpc_test/rpc.cpp
@@ -4028,8 +4028,9 @@ TEST (rpc, work_validate)
 			ASSERT_NO_ERROR (system.poll ());
 		}
 		ASSERT_EQ (200, response.status);
-		std::string validate_text (response.json.get<std::string> ("valid"));
-		ASSERT_EQ ("1", validate_text);
+		ASSERT_EQ (0, response.json.count ("valid"));
+		ASSERT_TRUE (response.json.get<bool> ("valid_all"));
+		ASSERT_TRUE (response.json.get<bool> ("valid_receive"));
 		std::string difficulty_text (response.json.get<std::string> ("difficulty"));
 		uint64_t difficulty;
 		ASSERT_FALSE (nano::from_string_hex (difficulty_text, difficulty));
@@ -4047,8 +4048,9 @@ TEST (rpc, work_validate)
 			ASSERT_NO_ERROR (system.poll ());
 		}
 		ASSERT_EQ (200, response.status);
-		std::string validate_text (response.json.get<std::string> ("valid"));
-		ASSERT_EQ ("0", validate_text);
+		ASSERT_EQ (0, response.json.count ("valid"));
+		ASSERT_FALSE (response.json.get<bool> ("valid_all"));
+		ASSERT_FALSE (response.json.get<bool> ("valid_receive"));
 		std::string difficulty_text (response.json.get<std::string> ("difficulty"));
 		uint64_t difficulty;
 		ASSERT_FALSE (nano::from_string_hex (difficulty_text, difficulty));
@@ -4068,8 +4070,9 @@ TEST (rpc, work_validate)
 			ASSERT_NO_ERROR (system.poll ());
 		}
 		ASSERT_EQ (200, response.status);
-		bool validate (response.json.get<bool> ("valid"));
-		ASSERT_TRUE (validate);
+		ASSERT_TRUE (response.json.get<bool> ("valid"));
+		ASSERT_TRUE (response.json.get<bool> ("valid_all"));
+		ASSERT_TRUE (response.json.get<bool> ("valid_receive"));
 	}
 	uint64_t difficulty4 (0xfff0000000000000);
 	request.put ("work", nano::to_string_hex (work1));
@@ -4082,8 +4085,9 @@ TEST (rpc, work_validate)
 			ASSERT_NO_ERROR (system.poll ());
 		}
 		ASSERT_EQ (200, response.status);
-		bool validate (response.json.get<bool> ("valid"));
-		ASSERT_EQ (result_difficulty >= difficulty4, validate);
+		ASSERT_EQ (result_difficulty >= difficulty4, response.json.get<bool> ("valid"));
+		ASSERT_EQ (result_difficulty >= node1.default_difficulty (nano::work_version::work_1), response.json.get<bool> ("valid_all"));
+		ASSERT_EQ (result_difficulty >= node1.network_params.network.publish_thresholds.epoch_2_receive, response.json.get<bool> ("valid_all"));
 	}
 	uint64_t work3 (*node1.work_generate_blocking (hash, difficulty4));
 	request.put ("work", nano::to_string_hex (work3));
@@ -4095,8 +4099,9 @@ TEST (rpc, work_validate)
 			ASSERT_NO_ERROR (system.poll ());
 		}
 		ASSERT_EQ (200, response.status);
-		bool validate (response.json.get<bool> ("valid"));
-		ASSERT_TRUE (validate);
+		ASSERT_TRUE (response.json.get<bool> ("valid"));
+		ASSERT_TRUE (response.json.get<bool> ("valid_all"));
+		ASSERT_TRUE (response.json.get<bool> ("valid_receive"));
 	}
 }
 
@@ -4128,7 +4133,9 @@ TEST (rpc, work_validate_epoch_2)
 			ASSERT_NO_ERROR (system.poll ());
 		}
 		ASSERT_EQ (200, response.status);
-		ASSERT_TRUE (response.json.get<bool> ("valid"));
+		ASSERT_EQ (0, response.json.count ("valid"));
+		ASSERT_TRUE (response.json.get<bool> ("valid_all"));
+		ASSERT_TRUE (response.json.get<bool> ("valid_receive"));
 		std::string difficulty_text (response.json.get<std::string> ("difficulty"));
 		uint64_t difficulty{ 0 };
 		ASSERT_FALSE (nano::from_string_hex (difficulty_text, difficulty));
@@ -4147,7 +4154,9 @@ TEST (rpc, work_validate_epoch_2)
 			ASSERT_NO_ERROR (system.poll ());
 		}
 		ASSERT_EQ (200, response.status);
-		ASSERT_FALSE (response.json.get<bool> ("valid"));
+		ASSERT_EQ (0, response.json.count ("valid"));
+		ASSERT_FALSE (response.json.get<bool> ("valid_all"));
+		ASSERT_TRUE (response.json.get<bool> ("valid_receive"));
 		std::string difficulty_text (response.json.get<std::string> ("difficulty"));
 		uint64_t difficulty{ 0 };
 		ASSERT_FALSE (nano::from_string_hex (difficulty_text, difficulty));