diff --git a/internal/statesync/dispatcher.go b/internal/statesync/dispatcher.go
index 2e476c25d..3f3e2a117 100644
--- a/internal/statesync/dispatcher.go
+++ b/internal/statesync/dispatcher.go
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func (d *Dispatcher) dispatch(ctx context.Context, peer types.NodeID, height int
 // Respond allows the underlying process which receives requests on the
 // requestCh to respond with the respective light block. A nil response is used to
 // represent that the receiver of the request does not have a light block at that height.
-func (d *Dispatcher) Respond(lb *tmproto.LightBlock, peer types.NodeID) error {
+func (d *Dispatcher) Respond(ctx context.Context, lb *tmproto.LightBlock, peer types.NodeID) error {
 	d.mtx.Lock()
 	defer d.mtx.Unlock()
 
@@ -121,8 +121,12 @@ func (d *Dispatcher) Respond(lb *tmproto.LightBlock, peer types.NodeID) error {
 	// If lb is nil we take that to mean that the peer didn't have the requested light
 	// block and thus pass on the nil to the caller.
 	if lb == nil {
-		answerCh <- nil
-		return nil
+		select {
+		case answerCh <- nil:
+			return nil
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return ctx.Err()
+		}
 	}
 
 	block, err := types.LightBlockFromProto(lb)
@@ -130,8 +134,12 @@ func (d *Dispatcher) Respond(lb *tmproto.LightBlock, peer types.NodeID) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	answerCh <- block
-	return nil
+	select {
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return ctx.Err()
+	case answerCh <- block:
+		return nil
+	}
 }
 
 // Close shuts down the dispatcher and cancels any pending calls awaiting responses.
@@ -139,9 +147,11 @@ func (d *Dispatcher) Respond(lb *tmproto.LightBlock, peer types.NodeID) error {
 func (d *Dispatcher) Close() {
 	d.mtx.Lock()
 	defer d.mtx.Unlock()
-	for peer, call := range d.calls {
+	for peer := range d.calls {
 		delete(d.calls, peer)
-		close(call)
+		// don't close the channel here as it's closed in
+		// other handlers, and would otherwise get garbage
+		// collected.
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/statesync/dispatcher_test.go b/internal/statesync/dispatcher_test.go
index 918c6ec9e..65c517be4 100644
--- a/internal/statesync/dispatcher_test.go
+++ b/internal/statesync/dispatcher_test.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func TestDispatcherReturnsNoBlock(t *testing.T) {
 
 	go func() {
 		<-chans.Out
-		require.NoError(t, d.Respond(nil, peer))
+		require.NoError(t, d.Respond(ctx, nil, peer))
 		cancel()
 	}()
 
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ func handleRequests(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, d *Dispatcher, ch chan p2
 			peer := request.To
 			resp := mockLBResp(ctx, t, peer, int64(height), time.Now())
 			block, _ := resp.block.ToProto()
-			require.NoError(t, d.Respond(block, resp.peer))
+			require.NoError(t, d.Respond(ctx, block, resp.peer))
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			return
 		}
diff --git a/internal/statesync/reactor.go b/internal/statesync/reactor.go
index 78c9d8360..6ca0cb6b7 100644
--- a/internal/statesync/reactor.go
+++ b/internal/statesync/reactor.go
@@ -740,7 +740,10 @@ func (r *Reactor) handleLightBlockMessage(ctx context.Context, envelope *p2p.Env
 			height = msg.LightBlock.SignedHeader.Header.Height
 		}
 		r.logger.Info("received light block response", "peer", envelope.From, "height", height)
-		if err := r.dispatcher.Respond(msg.LightBlock, envelope.From); err != nil {
+		if err := r.dispatcher.Respond(ctx, msg.LightBlock, envelope.From); err != nil {
+			if errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
+				return err
+			}
 			r.logger.Error("error processing light block response", "err", err, "height", height)
 		}
 
diff --git a/internal/statesync/reactor_test.go b/internal/statesync/reactor_test.go
index 92209b0be..cc3c843e6 100644
--- a/internal/statesync/reactor_test.go
+++ b/internal/statesync/reactor_test.go
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ func setup(
 		}
 	}
 
-	logger := log.NewTestingLogger(t)
+	logger := log.NewNopLogger()
 
 	var err error
 	rts.reactor, err = NewReactor(