diff --git a/internal/consensus/reactor.go b/internal/consensus/reactor.go
index 822e8c627..52e547bf6 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/reactor.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/reactor.go
@@ -348,6 +348,8 @@ func (r *Reactor) broadcastHasVoteMessage(ctx context.Context, vote *types.Vote)
 // internal pubsub defined in the consensus state to broadcast them to peers
 // upon receiving.
 func (r *Reactor) subscribeToBroadcastEvents() {
+	onStopCh := r.state.getOnStopCh()
+
 	err := r.state.evsw.AddListenerForEvent(
 		listenerIDConsensus,
 		types.EventNewRoundStepValue,
@@ -356,7 +358,7 @@ func (r *Reactor) subscribeToBroadcastEvents() {
 				return err
 			}
 			select {
-			case r.state.onStopCh <- data.(*cstypes.RoundState):
+			case onStopCh <- data.(*cstypes.RoundState):
 				return nil
 			case <-ctx.Done():
 				return ctx.Err()
diff --git a/internal/consensus/state.go b/internal/consensus/state.go
index 7b48aa3bc..109e90683 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/state.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/state.go
@@ -493,12 +493,19 @@ func (cs *State) loadWalFile(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (cs *State) getOnStopCh() chan *cstypes.RoundState {
+	cs.mtx.RLock()
+	defer cs.mtx.RUnlock()
+
+	return cs.onStopCh
+}
+
 // OnStop implements service.Service.
 func (cs *State) OnStop() {
 	// If the node is committing a new block, wait until it is finished!
 	if cs.GetRoundState().Step == cstypes.RoundStepCommit {
 		select {
-		case <-cs.onStopCh:
+		case <-cs.getOnStopCh():
 		case <-time.After(cs.config.TimeoutCommit):
 			cs.logger.Error("OnStop: timeout waiting for commit to finish", "time", cs.config.TimeoutCommit)
 		}
diff --git a/internal/libs/autofile/group.go b/internal/libs/autofile/group.go
index 0d1806f22..81e16feea 100644
--- a/internal/libs/autofile/group.go
+++ b/internal/libs/autofile/group.go
@@ -69,11 +69,6 @@ type Group struct {
 	minIndex           int // Includes head
 	maxIndex           int // Includes head, where Head will move to
 
-	// close this when the processTicks routine is done.
-	// this ensures we can cleanup the dir after calling Stop
-	// and the routine won't be trying to access it anymore
-	doneProcessTicks chan struct{}
-
 	// TODO: When we start deleting files, we need to start tracking GroupReaders
 	// and their dependencies.
 }
@@ -101,7 +96,6 @@ func OpenGroup(ctx context.Context, logger log.Logger, headPath string, groupOpt
 		groupCheckDuration: defaultGroupCheckDuration,
 		minIndex:           0,
 		maxIndex:           0,
-		doneProcessTicks:   make(chan struct{}),
 	}
 
 	for _, option := range groupOptions {
@@ -154,13 +148,6 @@ func (g *Group) OnStop() {
 	}
 }
 
-// Wait blocks until all internal goroutines are finished. Supposed to be
-// called after Stop.
-func (g *Group) Wait() {
-	// wait for processTicks routine to finish
-	<-g.doneProcessTicks
-}
-
 // Close closes the head file. The group must be stopped by this moment.
 func (g *Group) Close() {
 	if err := g.FlushAndSync(); err != nil {
@@ -241,8 +228,6 @@ func (g *Group) FlushAndSync() error {
 }
 
 func (g *Group) processTicks(ctx context.Context) {
-	defer close(g.doneProcessTicks)
-
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():