diff --git a/lbry/wallet/header.py b/lbry/wallet/header.py
index fc9018562..6094aa017 100644
--- a/lbry/wallet/header.py
+++ b/lbry/wallet/header.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import asyncio
 import logging
 import zlib
 from datetime import date
-from concurrent.futures.thread import ThreadPoolExecutor
 
 from io import BytesIO
 from typing import Optional, Iterator, Tuple, Callable
@@ -42,7 +41,7 @@ class Headers:
     validate_difficulty: bool = True
 
     def __init__(self, path) -> None:
-        self.io = BytesIO()
+        self.io = None
         self.path = path
         self._size: Optional[int] = None
         self.chunk_getter: Optional[Callable] = None
@@ -50,6 +49,7 @@ class Headers:
         self.check_chunk_lock = asyncio.Lock()
 
     async def open(self):
+        self.io = BytesIO()
         if self.path != ':memory:':
             if os.path.exists(self.path):
                 with open(self.path, 'r+b') as header_file:
@@ -133,16 +133,16 @@ class Headers:
         except struct.error:
             raise IndexError(f"failed to get {height}, at {len(self)}")
 
-    def estimated_timestamp(self, height):
+    def estimated_timestamp(self, height, try_real_headers=True):
         if height <= 0:
             return
-        if self.has_header(height):
+        if try_real_headers and self.has_header(height):
             offset = height * self.header_size
             return struct.unpack('<I', self.io.getbuffer()[offset + 100: offset + 104])[0]
         return int(self.first_block_timestamp + (height * self.timestamp_average_offset))
 
     def estimated_julian_day(self, height):
-        return date_to_julian_day(date.fromtimestamp(self.estimated_timestamp(height)))
+        return date_to_julian_day(date.fromtimestamp(self.estimated_timestamp(height, False)))
 
     async def get_raw_header(self, height) -> bytes:
         if self.chunk_getter:
diff --git a/tests/unit/wallet/test_database.py b/tests/unit/wallet/test_database.py
index 7ceed23d7..b796a9c1a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/wallet/test_database.py
+++ b/tests/unit/wallet/test_database.py
@@ -211,6 +211,7 @@ class TestQueries(AsyncioTestCase):
             'db': Database(':memory:'),
             'headers': Headers(':memory:')
         })
+        await self.ledger.headers.open()
         self.wallet = Wallet()
         await self.ledger.db.open()
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/wallet/test_headers.py b/tests/unit/wallet/test_headers.py
index 578b85512..da433724d 100644
--- a/tests/unit/wallet/test_headers.py
+++ b/tests/unit/wallet/test_headers.py
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ class TestHeaders(AsyncioTestCase):
     async def test_deserialize(self):
         self.maxDiff = None
         h = Headers(':memory:')
-        h.io.write(HEADERS)
         await h.open()
+        await h.connect(0, HEADERS)
         self.assertEqual(await h.get(0), {
             'bits': 520159231,
             'block_height': 0,
@@ -52,8 +52,11 @@ class TestHeaders(AsyncioTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(headers.height, 19)
 
     async def test_connect_from_middle(self):
-        h = Headers(':memory:')
-        h.io.write(HEADERS[:block_bytes(10)])
+        headers_temporary_file = tempfile.mktemp()
+        self.addCleanup(os.remove, headers_temporary_file)
+        with open(headers_temporary_file, 'w+b') as headers_file:
+            headers_file.write(HEADERS[:block_bytes(10)])
+        h = Headers(headers_temporary_file)
         await h.open()
         self.assertEqual(h.height, 9)
         await h.connect(len(h), HEADERS[block_bytes(10):block_bytes(20)])
@@ -115,6 +118,7 @@ class TestHeaders(AsyncioTestCase):
 
     async def test_bounds(self):
         headers = Headers(':memory:')
+        await headers.open()
         await headers.connect(0, HEADERS)
         self.assertEqual(19, headers.height)
         with self.assertRaises(IndexError):
@@ -126,6 +130,7 @@ class TestHeaders(AsyncioTestCase):
 
     async def test_repair(self):
         headers = Headers(':memory:')
+        await headers.open()
         await headers.connect(0, HEADERS[:block_bytes(11)])
         self.assertEqual(10, headers.height)
         await headers.repair()
@@ -147,8 +152,9 @@ class TestHeaders(AsyncioTestCase):
         await headers.repair(start_height=10)
         self.assertEqual(19, headers.height)
 
-    def test_do_not_estimate_unconfirmed(self):
+    async def test_do_not_estimate_unconfirmed(self):
         headers = Headers(':memory:')
+        await headers.open()
         self.assertIsNone(headers.estimated_timestamp(-1))
         self.assertIsNone(headers.estimated_timestamp(0))
         self.assertIsNotNone(headers.estimated_timestamp(1))
@@ -164,17 +170,21 @@ class TestHeaders(AsyncioTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(after_downloading_header_estimated, real_time)
 
     async def test_misalignment_triggers_repair_on_open(self):
-        headers = Headers(':memory:')
-        headers.io.seek(0)
-        headers.io.write(HEADERS)
+        headers_temporary_file = tempfile.mktemp()
+        self.addCleanup(os.remove, headers_temporary_file)
+        with open(headers_temporary_file, 'w+b') as headers_file:
+            headers_file.write(HEADERS)
+        headers = Headers(headers_temporary_file)
         with self.assertLogs(level='WARN') as cm:
             await headers.open()
+            await headers.close()
             self.assertEqual(cm.output, [])
-            headers.io.seek(0)
-            headers.io.truncate()
-            headers.io.write(HEADERS[:block_bytes(10)])
-            headers.io.write(b'ops')
-            headers.io.write(HEADERS[block_bytes(10):])
+            with open(headers_temporary_file, 'w+b') as headers_file:
+                headers_file.seek(0)
+                headers_file.truncate()
+                headers_file.write(HEADERS[:block_bytes(10)])
+                headers_file.write(b'ops')
+                headers_file.write(HEADERS[block_bytes(10):])
             await headers.open()
             self.assertEqual(
                 cm.output, [
diff --git a/tests/unit/wallet/test_ledger.py b/tests/unit/wallet/test_ledger.py
index 0244de987..bfe5cc71b 100644
--- a/tests/unit/wallet/test_ledger.py
+++ b/tests/unit/wallet/test_ledger.py
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ class LedgerTestCase(AsyncioTestCase):
             'db': Database(':memory:'),
             'headers': Headers(':memory:')
         })
+        self.ledger.headers.checkpoints = {}
+        await self.ledger.headers.open()
         self.account = Account.generate(self.ledger, Wallet(), "lbryum")
         await self.ledger.db.open()