diff --git a/rpc/core/status.go b/rpc/core/status.go
index 137aaf422..4cb7667b7 100644
--- a/rpc/core/status.go
+++ b/rpc/core/status.go
@@ -104,20 +104,11 @@ func Status() (*ctypes.ResultStatus, error) {
 	return result, nil
 }
 
-const consensusTimeout = time.Second
-
 func validatorAtHeight(h int64) *types.Validator {
-	lastBlockHeight, vals := getValidatorsWithTimeout(
-		consensusState,
-		consensusTimeout,
-	)
-
-	if lastBlockHeight == -1 {
-		return nil
-	}
-
 	privValAddress := pubKey.Address()
 
+	lastBlockHeight, vals := consensusState.GetValidators()
+
 	// if we're still at height h, search in the current validator set
 	if lastBlockHeight == h {
 		for _, val := range vals {
@@ -140,35 +131,3 @@ func validatorAtHeight(h int64) *types.Validator {
 
 	return nil
 }
-
-type validatorRetriever interface {
-	GetValidators() (int64, []*types.Validator)
-}
-
-// NOTE: Consensus might halt, but we still need to process RPC requests (at
-// least for endpoints whole output does not depend on consensus state).
-func getValidatorsWithTimeout(
-	vr validatorRetriever,
-	t time.Duration,
-) (int64, []*types.Validator) {
-	resultCh := make(chan struct {
-		lastBlockHeight int64
-		vals            []*types.Validator
-	})
-	go func() {
-		h, v := vr.GetValidators()
-		resultCh <- struct {
-			lastBlockHeight int64
-			vals            []*types.Validator
-		}{h, v}
-	}()
-	select {
-	case res := <-resultCh:
-		return res.lastBlockHeight, res.vals
-	case <-time.After(t):
-		if logger != nil {
-			logger.Error("Timed out querying validators from consensus", "timeout", t)
-		}
-		return -1, []*types.Validator{}
-	}
-}
diff --git a/rpc/core/status_test.go b/rpc/core/status_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index e44ffed0f..000000000
--- a/rpc/core/status_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,39 +0,0 @@
-package core
-
-import (
-	"testing"
-	"time"
-
-	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
-)
-
-func TestGetValidatorsWithTimeout(t *testing.T) {
-	height, vs := getValidatorsWithTimeout(
-		testValidatorReceiver{},
-		time.Millisecond,
-	)
-
-	if height != -1 {
-		t.Errorf("expected negative height")
-	}
-
-	if len(vs) != 0 {
-		t.Errorf("expected no validators")
-	}
-}
-
-type testValidatorReceiver struct{}
-
-func (tr testValidatorReceiver) GetValidators() (int64, []*types.Validator) {
-	vs := []*types.Validator{}
-
-	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
-		v, _ := types.RandValidator(true, 10)
-
-		vs = append(vs, v)
-	}
-
-	time.Sleep(time.Millisecond)
-
-	return 10, vs
-}