diff --git a/internal/consensus/peer_state.go b/internal/consensus/peer_state.go
index f0130f0e1..77769937d 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/peer_state.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/peer_state.go
@@ -43,8 +43,6 @@ type PeerState struct {
 	running bool
 	PRS     cstypes.PeerRoundState `json:"round_state"`
 	Stats   *peerStateStats        `json:"stats"`
-
-	broadcastWG sync.WaitGroup
 }
 
 // NewPeerState returns a new PeerState for the given node ID.
diff --git a/internal/consensus/reactor.go b/internal/consensus/reactor.go
index 873326aa5..53b026113 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/reactor.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/reactor.go
@@ -116,9 +116,10 @@ type Reactor struct {
 	eventBus *eventbus.EventBus
 	Metrics  *Metrics
 
-	mtx      sync.RWMutex
-	peers    map[types.NodeID]*PeerState
-	waitSync bool
+	mtx         sync.RWMutex
+	peers       map[types.NodeID]*PeerState
+	waitSync    bool
+	readySignal chan struct{} // closed when the node is ready to start consensus
 
 	stateCh       *p2p.Channel
 	dataCh        *p2p.Channel
@@ -171,9 +172,14 @@ func NewReactor(
 		voteCh:        voteCh,
 		voteSetBitsCh: voteSetBitsCh,
 		peerUpdates:   peerUpdates,
+		readySignal:   make(chan struct{}),
 	}
 	r.BaseService = *service.NewBaseService(logger, "Consensus", r)
 
+	if !r.waitSync {
+		close(r.readySignal)
+	}
+
 	return r, nil
 }
 
@@ -222,15 +228,6 @@ func (r *Reactor) OnStop() {
 	if !r.WaitSync() {
 		r.state.Wait()
 	}
-
-	r.mtx.Lock()
-	// Close and wait for each of the peers to shutdown.
-	// This is safe to perform with the lock since none of the peers require the
-	// lock to complete any of the methods that the waitgroup is waiting on.
-	for _, state := range r.peers {
-		state.broadcastWG.Wait()
-	}
-	r.mtx.Unlock()
 }
 
 // SetEventBus sets the reactor's event bus.
@@ -263,6 +260,7 @@ func (r *Reactor) SwitchToConsensus(ctx context.Context, state sm.State, skipWAL
 
 	r.mtx.Lock()
 	r.waitSync = false
+	close(r.readySignal)
 	r.mtx.Unlock()
 
 	r.Metrics.BlockSyncing.Set(0)
@@ -492,8 +490,6 @@ func (r *Reactor) gossipDataForCatchup(ctx context.Context, rs *cstypes.RoundSta
 func (r *Reactor) gossipDataRoutine(ctx context.Context, ps *PeerState) {
 	logger := r.logger.With("peer", ps.peerID)
 
-	defer ps.broadcastWG.Done()
-
 	timer := time.NewTimer(0)
 	defer timer.Stop()
 
@@ -747,8 +743,6 @@ func (r *Reactor) gossipVotesForHeight(
 func (r *Reactor) gossipVotesRoutine(ctx context.Context, ps *PeerState) {
 	logger := r.logger.With("peer", ps.peerID)
 
-	defer ps.broadcastWG.Done()
-
 	// XXX: simple hack to throttle logs upon sleep
 	logThrottle := 0
 
@@ -838,8 +832,6 @@ OUTER_LOOP:
 // NOTE: `queryMaj23Routine` has a simple crude design since it only comes
 // into play for liveness when there's a signature DDoS attack happening.
 func (r *Reactor) queryMaj23Routine(ctx context.Context, ps *PeerState) {
-	defer ps.broadcastWG.Done()
-
 	timer := time.NewTimer(0)
 	defer timer.Stop()
 
@@ -1005,12 +997,7 @@ func (r *Reactor) processPeerUpdate(ctx context.Context, peerUpdate p2p.PeerUpda
 			return
 		}
 
-		var (
-			ps *PeerState
-			ok bool
-		)
-
-		ps, ok = r.peers[peerUpdate.NodeID]
+		ps, ok := r.peers[peerUpdate.NodeID]
 		if !ok {
 			ps = NewPeerState(r.logger, peerUpdate.NodeID)
 			r.peers[peerUpdate.NodeID] = ps
@@ -1021,19 +1008,31 @@ func (r *Reactor) processPeerUpdate(ctx context.Context, peerUpdate p2p.PeerUpda
 			// when the peer is removed. We also set the running state to ensure we
 			// do not spawn multiple instances of the same goroutines and finally we
 			// set the waitgroup counter so we know when all goroutines have exited.
-			ps.broadcastWG.Add(3)
 			ps.SetRunning(true)
 
-			// start goroutines for this peer
-			go r.gossipDataRoutine(ctx, ps)
-			go r.gossipVotesRoutine(ctx, ps)
-			go r.queryMaj23Routine(ctx, ps)
+			go func() {
+				select {
+				case <-ctx.Done():
+					return
+				case <-r.readySignal:
+				}
+				// do nothing if the peer has
+				// stopped while we've been waiting.
+				if !ps.IsRunning() {
+					return
+				}
+				// start goroutines for this peer
+				go r.gossipDataRoutine(ctx, ps)
+				go r.gossipVotesRoutine(ctx, ps)
+				go r.queryMaj23Routine(ctx, ps)
+
+				// Send our state to the peer. If we're block-syncing, broadcast a
+				// RoundStepMessage later upon SwitchToConsensus().
+				if !r.WaitSync() {
+					go func() { _ = r.sendNewRoundStepMessage(ctx, ps.peerID) }()
+				}
 
-			// Send our state to the peer. If we're block-syncing, broadcast a
-			// RoundStepMessage later upon SwitchToConsensus().
-			if !r.waitSync {
-				go func() { _ = r.sendNewRoundStepMessage(ctx, ps.peerID) }()
-			}
+			}()
 		}
 
 	case p2p.PeerStatusDown:
@@ -1041,10 +1040,6 @@ func (r *Reactor) processPeerUpdate(ctx context.Context, peerUpdate p2p.PeerUpda
 		if ok && ps.IsRunning() {
 			// signal to all spawned goroutines for the peer to gracefully exit
 			go func() {
-				// Wait for all spawned broadcast goroutines to exit before marking the
-				// peer state as no longer running and removal from the peers map.
-				ps.broadcastWG.Wait()
-
 				r.mtx.Lock()
 				delete(r.peers, peerUpdate.NodeID)
 				r.mtx.Unlock()