diff --git a/cmd/utils/hierarchical_coordinator.go b/cmd/utils/hierarchical_coordinator.go
index d267693c3b..b71c20a5e8 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/hierarchical_coordinator.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/hierarchical_coordinator.go
@@ -133,11 +133,14 @@ func (hc *HierarchicalCoordinator) startNode(logPath string, quaiBackend quai.Co
 	stack, apiBackend := makeFullNode(hc.p2p, location, hc.slicesRunning, hc.currentExpansionNumber, genesisBlock, logger)
 	quaiBackend.SetApiBackend(&apiBackend, location)
 
+	// Only subscribe to block and transaction data if processing state
+	if quaiBackend.ProcessingState(location) {
+		hc.p2p.Subscribe(location, &types.WorkObjectBlockView{})
+		hc.p2p.Subscribe(location, &types.Transaction{})
+	}
+
 	// Subscribe to the new topics after setting the api backend
-	hc.p2p.Subscribe(location, &types.WorkObjectBlockView{})
 	hc.p2p.Subscribe(location, &types.WorkObjectHeaderView{})
-	hc.p2p.Subscribe(location, common.Hash{})
-	hc.p2p.Subscribe(location, &types.Transaction{})
 
 	StartNode(stack)
 
diff --git a/quai/interface.go b/quai/interface.go
index 4f6335860d..9217061643 100644
--- a/quai/interface.go
+++ b/quai/interface.go
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ type ConsensusAPI interface {
 
 	// WriteGenesisBlock adds the genesis block to the database and also writes the block to the disk
 	WriteGenesisBlock(*types.WorkObject, common.Location)
+
+	// Returns if the location is processing state
+	ProcessingState(common.Location) bool
 }
 
 // The networking backend will implement the following interface to enable consensus to communicate with other nodes.
diff --git a/quai/p2p_backend.go b/quai/p2p_backend.go
index a088481d1b..bc04428283 100644
--- a/quai/p2p_backend.go
+++ b/quai/p2p_backend.go
@@ -78,9 +78,8 @@ func (qbe *QuaiBackend) GetBackend(location common.Location) *quaiapi.Backend {
 
 // Handle consensus data propagated to us from our peers
 func (qbe *QuaiBackend) OnNewBroadcast(sourcePeer p2p.PeerID, data interface{}, nodeLocation common.Location) bool {
-	switch data.(type) {
+	switch data := data.(type) {
 	case types.WorkObject:
-		block := data.(types.WorkObject)
 		backend := *qbe.GetBackend(nodeLocation)
 		if backend == nil {
 			log.Global.Error("no backend found")
@@ -89,10 +88,9 @@ func (qbe *QuaiBackend) OnNewBroadcast(sourcePeer p2p.PeerID, data interface{},
 		// TODO: Verify the Block before writing it
 		// TODO: Determine if the block information was lively or stale and rate
 		// the peer accordingly
-		backend.WriteBlock(&block)
+		backend.WriteBlock(&data)
 	case types.Header:
 	case types.Transaction:
-		tx := data.(types.Transaction)
 		backend := *qbe.GetBackend(nodeLocation)
 		if backend == nil {
 			log.Global.Error("no backend found")
@@ -100,7 +98,7 @@ func (qbe *QuaiBackend) OnNewBroadcast(sourcePeer p2p.PeerID, data interface{},
 		}
 		// check if the backend is processing state before adding the tx
 		if backend.ProcessingState() {
-			backend.SendRemoteTx(&tx)
+			backend.SendRemoteTx(&data)
 		}
 		// TODO: Handle the error here and mark the peers accordingly
 	}
@@ -233,3 +231,12 @@ func (qbe *QuaiBackend) LookupBlockHashByNumber(number *big.Int, location common
 		return nil
 	}
 }
+
+func (qbe *QuaiBackend) ProcessingState(location common.Location) bool {
+	backend := *qbe.GetBackend(location)
+	if backend == nil {
+		log.Global.Error("no backend found")
+		return false
+	}
+	return backend.ProcessingState()
+}
\ No newline at end of file