diff --git a/internal/consensus/state.go b/internal/consensus/state.go
index 46bacf5cc..42900a7d4 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/state.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/state.go
@@ -241,8 +241,12 @@ func (cs *State) GetLastHeight() int64 {
 // GetRoundState returns a shallow copy of the internal consensus state.
 func (cs *State) GetRoundState() *cstypes.RoundState {
 	cs.mtx.RLock()
+	defer cs.mtx.RUnlock()
+
+	// NOTE: this might be dodgy, as RoundState itself isn't thread
+	// safe as it contains a number of pointers and is explicitly
+	// not thread safe.
 	rs := cs.RoundState // copy
-	cs.mtx.RUnlock()
 	return &rs
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/consensus/state_test.go b/internal/consensus/state_test.go
index b3b7c81a3..9b8f68a5e 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/state_test.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/state_test.go
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ func TestStateFullRound1(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
-	voteCh := subscribeUnBuffered(cs.eventBus, types.EventQueryVote)
+	voteCh := subscribe(cs.eventBus, types.EventQueryVote)
 	propCh := subscribe(cs.eventBus, types.EventQueryCompleteProposal)
 	newRoundCh := subscribe(cs.eventBus, types.EventQueryNewRound)
 
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ func TestStateFullRoundNil(t *testing.T) {
 	cs, vss := randState(config, 1)
 	height, round := cs.Height, cs.Round
 
-	voteCh := subscribeUnBuffered(cs.eventBus, types.EventQueryVote)
+	voteCh := subscribe(cs.eventBus, types.EventQueryVote)
 
 	cs.enterPrevote(height, round)
 	cs.startRoutines(4)
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ func TestStateFullRound2(t *testing.T) {
 	vs2 := vss[1]
 	height, round := cs1.Height, cs1.Round
 
-	voteCh := subscribeUnBuffered(cs1.eventBus, types.EventQueryVote)
+	voteCh := subscribe(cs1.eventBus, types.EventQueryVote)
 	newBlockCh := subscribe(cs1.eventBus, types.EventQueryNewBlock)
 
 	// start round and wait for propose and prevote
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ func TestStateLockNoPOL(t *testing.T) {
 
 	timeoutProposeCh := subscribe(cs1.eventBus, types.EventQueryTimeoutPropose)
 	timeoutWaitCh := subscribe(cs1.eventBus, types.EventQueryTimeoutWait)
-	voteCh := subscribeUnBuffered(cs1.eventBus, types.EventQueryVote)
+	voteCh := subscribe(cs1.eventBus, types.EventQueryVote)
 	proposalCh := subscribe(cs1.eventBus, types.EventQueryCompleteProposal)
 	newRoundCh := subscribe(cs1.eventBus, types.EventQueryNewRound)
 
@@ -1971,12 +1971,3 @@ func subscribe(eventBus *types.EventBus, q tmpubsub.Query) <-chan tmpubsub.Messa
 	}
 	return sub.Out()
 }
-
-// subscribe subscribes test client to the given query and returns a channel with cap = 0.
-func subscribeUnBuffered(eventBus *types.EventBus, q tmpubsub.Query) <-chan tmpubsub.Message {
-	sub, err := eventBus.SubscribeUnbuffered(context.Background(), testSubscriber, q)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(fmt.Sprintf("failed to subscribe %s to %v", testSubscriber, q))
-	}
-	return sub.Out()
-}