diff --git a/internal/consensus/byzantine_test.go b/internal/consensus/byzantine_test.go
index 4032ddacd..005c730ea 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/byzantine_test.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/byzantine_test.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package consensus
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
 	"path"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
@@ -63,8 +62,6 @@ func TestByzantinePrevoteEquivocation(t *testing.T) {
 			thisConfig, err := ResetConfig(t.TempDir(), fmt.Sprintf("%s_%d", testName, i))
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 
-			defer os.RemoveAll(thisConfig.RootDir)
-
 			ensureDir(t, path.Dir(thisConfig.Consensus.WalFile()), 0700) // dir for wal
 			app := kvstore.NewApplication()
 			vals := types.TM2PB.ValidatorUpdates(state.Validators)
@@ -98,12 +95,15 @@ func TestByzantinePrevoteEquivocation(t *testing.T) {
 			blockExec := sm.NewBlockExecutor(stateStore, log.TestingLogger(), proxyAppConnCon, mempool, evpool, blockStore, eventBus)
 			cs, err := NewState(ctx, logger, thisConfig.Consensus, stateStore, blockExec, blockStore, mempool, evpool, eventBus)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
+
 			// set private validator
 			pv := privVals[i]
 			cs.SetPrivValidator(ctx, pv)
 
 			cs.SetTimeoutTicker(tickerFunc())
 
+			require.NoError(t, cs.Start(ctx))
+
 			states[i] = cs
 		}()
 	}
@@ -233,8 +233,8 @@ func TestByzantinePrevoteEquivocation(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	for _, reactor := range rts.reactors {
-		reactor.SwitchToConsensus(ctx, reactor.state.GetState(), false)
+	for id, reactor := range rts.reactors {
+		reactor.SwitchToConsensus(ctx, rts.states[id].state, false)
 	}
 
 	// Evidence should be submitted and committed at the third height but
diff --git a/internal/consensus/common_test.go b/internal/consensus/common_test.go
index 053e464a9..dc2f8fa23 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/common_test.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/common_test.go
@@ -460,15 +460,14 @@ func newStateWithConfigAndBlockStore(
 	t.Helper()
 
 	// one for mempool, one for consensus
-	proxyAppConnMem := abciclient.NewLocalClient(logger, app)
-	proxyAppConnCon := abciclient.NewLocalClient(logger, app)
+	appConn := abciclient.NewLocalClient(logger, app)
 
 	// Make Mempool
 
 	mempool := mempool.NewTxMempool(
 		logger.With("module", "mempool"),
 		thisConfig.Mempool,
-		proxyAppConnMem,
+		appConn,
 	)
 
 	if thisConfig.Consensus.WaitForTxs() {
@@ -485,7 +484,7 @@ func newStateWithConfigAndBlockStore(
 	eventBus := eventbus.NewDefault(logger.With("module", "events"))
 	require.NoError(t, eventBus.Start(ctx))
 
-	blockExec := sm.NewBlockExecutor(stateStore, logger, proxyAppConnCon, mempool, evpool, blockStore, eventBus)
+	blockExec := sm.NewBlockExecutor(stateStore, logger, appConn, mempool, evpool, blockStore, eventBus)
 	cs, err := NewState(ctx,
 		logger.With("module", "consensus"),
 		thisConfig.Consensus,
diff --git a/internal/consensus/invalid_test.go b/internal/consensus/invalid_test.go
index 033b096ba..0b4fdf830 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/invalid_test.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/invalid_test.go
@@ -35,13 +35,13 @@ func TestReactorInvalidPrecommit(t *testing.T) {
 	for i := 0; i < 4; i++ {
 		ticker := NewTimeoutTicker(states[i].logger)
 		states[i].SetTimeoutTicker(ticker)
+		require.NoError(t, states[i].Start(ctx))
 	}
 
 	rts := setup(ctx, t, n, states, 100) // buffer must be large enough to not deadlock
 
-	for _, reactor := range rts.reactors {
-		state := reactor.state.GetState()
-		reactor.SwitchToConsensus(ctx, state, false)
+	for id, reactor := range rts.reactors {
+		reactor.SwitchToConsensus(ctx, rts.states[id].state, false)
 	}
 
 	// this val sends a random precommit at each height
diff --git a/internal/consensus/mempool_test.go b/internal/consensus/mempool_test.go
index 41e981003..07ae328a4 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/mempool_test.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/mempool_test.go
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ func checkTxsRange(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, cs *State, start, end int)
 }
 
 func TestMempoolTxConcurrentWithCommit(t *testing.T) {
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
 	defer cancel()
 
 	config := configSetup(t)
@@ -148,27 +148,28 @@ func TestMempoolTxConcurrentWithCommit(t *testing.T) {
 		Power:      10})
 	stateStore := sm.NewStore(dbm.NewMemDB())
 	blockStore := store.NewBlockStore(dbm.NewMemDB())
+	require.NoError(t, stateStore.Save(state))
 
 	cs := newStateWithConfigAndBlockStore(
 		ctx,
 		t,
 		logger, config, state, privVals[0], NewCounterApplication(), blockStore)
+	require.NoError(t, cs.Start(ctx))
 
-	err := stateStore.Save(state)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
 	newBlockHeaderCh := subscribe(ctx, t, cs.eventBus, types.EventQueryNewBlockHeader)
 
 	const numTxs int64 = 3000
-	go checkTxsRange(ctx, t, cs, 0, int(numTxs))
 
+	go checkTxsRange(ctx, t, cs, 0, int(numTxs))
 	startTestRound(ctx, cs, cs.Height, cs.Round)
+
 	for n := int64(0); n < numTxs; {
 		select {
 		case msg := <-newBlockHeaderCh:
 			headerEvent := msg.Data().(types.EventDataNewBlockHeader)
 			n += headerEvent.NumTxs
-		case <-time.After(30 * time.Second):
-			t.Fatal("Timed out waiting 30s to commit blocks with transactions")
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			t.Fatalf("Timed out waiting to commit blocks with transactions [%d of %d]", n, numTxs)
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/consensus/reactor_test.go b/internal/consensus/reactor_test.go
index 1fe395d69..922d62fb3 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/reactor_test.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/reactor_test.go
@@ -511,6 +511,7 @@ func TestReactorWithEvidence(t *testing.T) {
 		cs, err := NewState(ctx, logger.With("validator", i, "module", "consensus"),
 			thisConfig.Consensus, stateStore, blockExec, blockStore, mempool, evpool2, eventBus)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.NoError(t, cs.Start(ctx))
 		cs.SetPrivValidator(ctx, pv)
 
 		cs.SetTimeoutTicker(tickerFunc())
@@ -520,9 +521,8 @@ func TestReactorWithEvidence(t *testing.T) {
 
 	rts := setup(ctx, t, n, states, 100) // buffer must be large enough to not deadlock
 
-	for _, reactor := range rts.reactors {
-		state := reactor.state.GetState()
-		reactor.SwitchToConsensus(ctx, state, false)
+	for id, reactor := range rts.reactors {
+		reactor.SwitchToConsensus(ctx, rts.states[id].state, false)
 	}
 
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
diff --git a/internal/consensus/state.go b/internal/consensus/state.go
index a8bfe66b7..425f3e83b 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/state.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/state.go
@@ -1103,7 +1103,6 @@ func (cs *State) handleTxsAvailable(ctx context.Context) {
 // NOTE: cs.StartTime was already set for height.
 func (cs *State) enterNewRound(ctx context.Context, height int64, round int32) {
 	// TODO: remove panics in this function and return an error
-
 	logger := cs.logger.With("height", height, "round", round)
 
 	if cs.Height != height || round < cs.Round || (cs.Round == round && cs.Step != cstypes.RoundStepNewHeight) {
@@ -1325,6 +1324,8 @@ func (cs *State) defaultDecideProposal(ctx context.Context, height int64, round
 // Returns true if the proposal block is complete &&
 // (if POLRound was proposed, we have +2/3 prevotes from there).
 func (cs *State) isProposalComplete() bool {
+	cs.mtx.RLock()
+	defer cs.mtx.RUnlock()
 	if cs.Proposal == nil || cs.ProposalBlock == nil {
 		return false
 	}
@@ -2036,19 +2037,27 @@ func (cs *State) RecordMetrics(height int64, block *types.Block) {
 func (cs *State) defaultSetProposal(proposal *types.Proposal, recvTime time.Time) error {
 	// Already have one
 	// TODO: possibly catch double proposals
-	if cs.Proposal != nil || proposal == nil {
-		return nil
-	}
+	if shouldReturn, err := func() (bool, error) {
+		cs.mtx.RLock()
+		defer cs.mtx.RUnlock()
 
-	// Does not apply
-	if proposal.Height != cs.Height || proposal.Round != cs.Round {
-		return nil
-	}
+		if cs.Proposal != nil || proposal == nil {
+			return true, nil
+		}
+
+		// Does not apply
+		if proposal.Height != cs.Height || proposal.Round != cs.Round {
+			return true, nil
+		}
 
-	// Verify POLRound, which must be -1 or in range [0, proposal.Round).
-	if proposal.POLRound < -1 ||
-		(proposal.POLRound >= 0 && proposal.POLRound >= proposal.Round) {
-		return ErrInvalidProposalPOLRound
+		// Verify POLRound, which must be -1 or in range [0, proposal.Round).
+		if proposal.POLRound < -1 ||
+			(proposal.POLRound >= 0 && proposal.POLRound >= proposal.Round) {
+			return true, ErrInvalidProposalPOLRound
+		}
+		return false, nil
+	}(); shouldReturn {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	p := proposal.ToProto()
@@ -2060,8 +2069,12 @@ func (cs *State) defaultSetProposal(proposal *types.Proposal, recvTime time.Time
 	}
 
 	proposal.Signature = p.Signature
-	cs.Proposal = proposal
-	cs.ProposalReceiveTime = recvTime
+	func() {
+		cs.mtx.Lock()
+		defer cs.mtx.RUnlock()
+		cs.Proposal = proposal
+		cs.ProposalReceiveTime = recvTime
+	}()
 	cs.calculateProposalTimestampDifferenceMetric()
 	// We don't update cs.ProposalBlockParts if it is already set.
 	// This happens if we're already in cstypes.RoundStepCommit or if there is a valid block in the current round.