diff --git a/applications/tari_indexer/src/lib.rs b/applications/tari_indexer/src/lib.rs
index 8bec9cb34..290994c01 100644
--- a/applications/tari_indexer/src/lib.rs
+++ b/applications/tari_indexer/src/lib.rs
@@ -224,13 +224,12 @@ pub async fn run_indexer(config: ApplicationConfig, mut shutdown_signal: Shutdow
 }
 
 async fn handle_epoch_manager_event(services: &Services, event: EpochManagerEvent) -> Result<(), anyhow::Error> {
-    if let EpochManagerEvent::EpochChanged(epoch) = event {
-        let all_vns = services.epoch_manager.get_all_validator_nodes(epoch).await?;
-        services
-            .networking
-            .set_want_peers(all_vns.into_iter().map(|vn| vn.address.as_peer_id()))
-            .await?;
-    }
+    let EpochManagerEvent::EpochChanged { epoch, .. } = event;
+    let all_vns = services.epoch_manager.get_all_validator_nodes(epoch).await?;
+    services
+        .networking
+        .set_want_peers(all_vns.into_iter().map(|vn| vn.address.as_peer_id()))
+        .await?;
 
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/applications/tari_validator_node/src/dan_node.rs b/applications/tari_validator_node/src/dan_node.rs
index e57d7206c..f9b498945 100644
--- a/applications/tari_validator_node/src/dan_node.rs
+++ b/applications/tari_validator_node/src/dan_node.rs
@@ -75,13 +75,12 @@ impl DanNode {
     }
 
     async fn handle_epoch_manager_event(&mut self, event: EpochManagerEvent) -> Result<(), anyhow::Error> {
-        if let EpochManagerEvent::EpochChanged(epoch) = event {
-            let all_vns = self.services.epoch_manager.get_all_validator_nodes(epoch).await?;
-            self.services
-                .networking
-                .set_want_peers(all_vns.into_iter().map(|vn| vn.address.as_peer_id()))
-                .await?;
-        }
+        let EpochManagerEvent::EpochChanged { epoch, .. } = event;
+        let all_vns = self.services.epoch_manager.get_all_validator_nodes(epoch).await?;
+        self.services
+            .networking
+            .set_want_peers(all_vns.into_iter().map(|vn| vn.address.as_peer_id()))
+            .await?;
 
         Ok(())
     }
diff --git a/applications/tari_validator_node/src/p2p/services/consensus_gossip/service.rs b/applications/tari_validator_node/src/p2p/services/consensus_gossip/service.rs
index fa492738a..874717cfe 100644
--- a/applications/tari_validator_node/src/p2p/services/consensus_gossip/service.rs
+++ b/applications/tari_validator_node/src/p2p/services/consensus_gossip/service.rs
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ impl ConsensusGossipService {
                     }
                 },
                 Ok(event) = self.epoch_manager_events.recv() => {
-                    if let EpochManagerEvent::ThisValidatorIsRegistered{shard_group, ..} = event {
+                    let EpochManagerEvent::EpochChanged{ registered_shard_group, ..} = event ;
+                    if let Some(shard_group) = registered_shard_group{
                         self.subscribe(shard_group).await?;
                     }
                 },
diff --git a/applications/tari_validator_node/src/p2p/services/mempool/gossip.rs b/applications/tari_validator_node/src/p2p/services/mempool/gossip.rs
index 1d3c2a1ba..d106611b0 100644
--- a/applications/tari_validator_node/src/p2p/services/mempool/gossip.rs
+++ b/applications/tari_validator_node/src/p2p/services/mempool/gossip.rs
@@ -87,10 +87,9 @@ impl MempoolGossip<PeerAddress> {
         }
     }
 
-    pub async fn subscribe(&mut self, epoch: Epoch) -> Result<(), MempoolError> {
-        let committee_shard = self.epoch_manager.get_local_committee_info(epoch).await?;
+    pub async fn subscribe(&mut self, shard_group: ShardGroup) -> Result<(), MempoolError> {
         match self.is_subscribed {
-            Some(b) if b == committee_shard.shard_group() => {
+            Some(b) if b == shard_group => {
                 return Ok(());
             },
             Some(_) => {
@@ -100,9 +99,9 @@ impl MempoolGossip<PeerAddress> {
         }
 
         self.networking
-            .subscribe_topic(shard_group_to_topic(committee_shard.shard_group()))
+            .subscribe_topic(shard_group_to_topic(shard_group))
             .await?;
-        self.is_subscribed = Some(committee_shard.shard_group());
+        self.is_subscribed = Some(shard_group);
         Ok(())
     }
 
diff --git a/applications/tari_validator_node/src/p2p/services/mempool/service.rs b/applications/tari_validator_node/src/p2p/services/mempool/service.rs
index a8d5b821f..45a026c22 100644
--- a/applications/tari_validator_node/src/p2p/services/mempool/service.rs
+++ b/applications/tari_validator_node/src/p2p/services/mempool/service.rs
@@ -101,11 +101,10 @@ where TValidator: Validator<Transaction, Context = (), Error = TransactionValida
                     }
                 }
                 Ok(event) = events.recv() => {
-                    if let EpochManagerEvent::EpochChanged(epoch) = event {
-                        if self.epoch_manager.is_this_validator_registered_for_epoch(epoch).await?{
-                            info!(target: LOG_TARGET, "Mempool service subscribing transaction messages for epoch {}", epoch);
-                            self.gossip.subscribe(epoch).await?;
-                        }
+                    let EpochManagerEvent::EpochChanged { epoch, registered_shard_group} = event;
+                    if let Some(shard_group) = registered_shard_group {
+                        info!(target: LOG_TARGET, "Mempool service subscribing transaction messages for {shard_group} in {epoch}");
+                        self.gossip.subscribe(shard_group).await?;
                     }
                 },
 
diff --git a/dan_layer/consensus/src/hotstuff/state_machine/idle.rs b/dan_layer/consensus/src/hotstuff/state_machine/idle.rs
index 633e17666..c5577aab3 100644
--- a/dan_layer/consensus/src/hotstuff/state_machine/idle.rs
+++ b/dan_layer/consensus/src/hotstuff/state_machine/idle.rs
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ where TSpec: ConsensusSpec
                 event = epoch_events.recv() => {
                     match event {
                         Ok(event) => {
-                            if let Some(event) = self.on_epoch_event(context, event).await? {
+                            if let Some(event) = self.on_epoch_event( event).await? {
                                 return Ok(event);
                             }
                         },
@@ -78,20 +78,18 @@ where TSpec: ConsensusSpec
         Ok(is_registered)
     }
 
-    async fn on_epoch_event(
-        &self,
-        context: &mut ConsensusWorkerContext<TSpec>,
-        event: EpochManagerEvent,
-    ) -> Result<Option<ConsensusStateEvent>, HotStuffError> {
+    async fn on_epoch_event(&self, event: EpochManagerEvent) -> Result<Option<ConsensusStateEvent>, HotStuffError> {
         match event {
-            EpochManagerEvent::EpochChanged(epoch) => {
-                if self.is_registered_for_epoch(context, epoch).await? {
+            EpochManagerEvent::EpochChanged {
+                epoch,
+                registered_shard_group,
+            } => {
+                if registered_shard_group.is_some() {
                     Ok(Some(ConsensusStateEvent::RegisteredForEpoch { epoch }))
                 } else {
                     Ok(None)
                 }
             },
-            EpochManagerEvent::ThisValidatorIsRegistered { .. } => Ok(None),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/dan_layer/consensus/src/hotstuff/worker.rs b/dan_layer/consensus/src/hotstuff/worker.rs
index cd25d2a7d..e1ff6fa29 100644
--- a/dan_layer/consensus/src/hotstuff/worker.rs
+++ b/dan_layer/consensus/src/hotstuff/worker.rs
@@ -534,8 +534,11 @@ impl<TConsensusSpec: ConsensusSpec> HotstuffWorker<TConsensusSpec> {
 
     async fn on_epoch_manager_event(&mut self, event: EpochManagerEvent) -> Result<(), HotStuffError> {
         match event {
-            EpochManagerEvent::EpochChanged(epoch) => {
-                if !self.epoch_manager.is_this_validator_registered_for_epoch(epoch).await? {
+            EpochManagerEvent::EpochChanged {
+                epoch,
+                registered_shard_group,
+            } => {
+                if registered_shard_group.is_none() {
                     info!(
                         target: LOG_TARGET,
                         "💤 This validator is not registered for epoch {}. Going to sleep.", epoch
@@ -554,7 +557,6 @@ impl<TConsensusSpec: ConsensusSpec> HotstuffWorker<TConsensusSpec> {
                 // If we can propose a block end, let's not wait for the block time to do it
                 // self.pacemaker.beat();
             },
-            EpochManagerEvent::ThisValidatorIsRegistered { .. } => {},
         }
 
         Ok(())
diff --git a/dan_layer/consensus_tests/src/support/epoch_manager.rs b/dan_layer/consensus_tests/src/support/epoch_manager.rs
index c4a5d133b..863853a02 100644
--- a/dan_layer/consensus_tests/src/support/epoch_manager.rs
+++ b/dan_layer/consensus_tests/src/support/epoch_manager.rs
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ impl TestEpochManager {
         }
     }
 
-    pub async fn set_current_epoch(&mut self, current_epoch: Epoch) -> &Self {
+    pub async fn set_current_epoch(&mut self, current_epoch: Epoch, shard_group: ShardGroup) -> &Self {
         self.current_epoch = current_epoch;
         {
             let mut lock = self.inner.lock().await;
@@ -45,9 +45,10 @@ impl TestEpochManager {
             lock.is_epoch_active = true;
         }
 
-        let _ = self
-            .tx_epoch_events
-            .send(EpochManagerEvent::EpochChanged(current_epoch));
+        let _ = self.tx_epoch_events.send(EpochManagerEvent::EpochChanged {
+            epoch: current_epoch,
+            registered_shard_group: Some(shard_group),
+        });
 
         self
     }
diff --git a/dan_layer/consensus_tests/src/support/harness.rs b/dan_layer/consensus_tests/src/support/harness.rs
index 712c53e8b..f4533cff5 100644
--- a/dan_layer/consensus_tests/src/support/harness.rs
+++ b/dan_layer/consensus_tests/src/support/harness.rs
@@ -289,7 +289,10 @@ impl Test {
         info!("🌟 Starting {epoch}");
         for validator in self.validators.values_mut() {
             // Fire off initial epoch change event so that the pacemaker starts
-            validator.epoch_manager.set_current_epoch(epoch).await;
+            validator
+                .epoch_manager
+                .set_current_epoch(epoch, validator.shard_group)
+                .await;
         }
 
         self.wait_for_all_validators_to_start_consensus().await;
diff --git a/dan_layer/epoch_manager/src/base_layer/base_layer_epoch_manager.rs b/dan_layer/epoch_manager/src/base_layer/base_layer_epoch_manager.rs
index 2c75d37d7..2f3bbc0dc 100644
--- a/dan_layer/epoch_manager/src/base_layer/base_layer_epoch_manager.rs
+++ b/dan_layer/epoch_manager/src/base_layer/base_layer_epoch_manager.rs
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ impl<TAddr: NodeAddressable + DerivableFromPublicKey>
         let vns = validator_nodes.get_all_within_epoch(epoch, self.config.validator_node_sidechain_id.as_ref())?;
 
         let num_committees = calculate_num_committees(vns.len() as u64, self.config.committee_size);
-        for vn in &vns {
+        for vn in vns {
             validator_nodes.set_committee_shard(
                 vn.shard_key,
                 vn.shard_key.to_shard_group(self.config.num_preshards, num_committees),
@@ -149,13 +149,6 @@ impl<TAddr: NodeAddressable + DerivableFromPublicKey>
         }
 
         tx.commit()?;
-        if let Some(vn) = vns.iter().find(|vn| vn.public_key == self.node_public_key) {
-            self.publish_event(EpochManagerEvent::ThisValidatorIsRegistered {
-                epoch,
-                shard_group: vn.shard_key.to_shard_group(self.config.num_preshards, num_committees),
-                shard_key: vn.shard_key,
-            });
-        }
 
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -550,7 +543,16 @@ impl<TAddr: NodeAddressable + DerivableFromPublicKey>
             }
         }
 
-        self.publish_event(EpochManagerEvent::EpochChanged(self.current_epoch));
+        let num_committees = self.get_number_of_committees(self.current_epoch)?;
+        let shard_group = self
+            .get_our_validator_node(self.current_epoch)
+            .optional()?
+            .map(|vn| vn.shard_key.to_shard_group(self.config.num_preshards, num_committees));
+
+        self.publish_event(EpochManagerEvent::EpochChanged {
+            epoch: self.current_epoch,
+            registered_shard_group: shard_group,
+        });
 
         Ok(())
     }
diff --git a/dan_layer/epoch_manager/src/event.rs b/dan_layer/epoch_manager/src/event.rs
index 66d61ec93..5ecc96f3e 100644
--- a/dan_layer/epoch_manager/src/event.rs
+++ b/dan_layer/epoch_manager/src/event.rs
@@ -1,14 +1,13 @@
 //    Copyright 2023 The Tari Project
 //    SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 
-use tari_dan_common_types::{Epoch, ShardGroup, SubstateAddress};
+use tari_dan_common_types::{Epoch, ShardGroup};
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub enum EpochManagerEvent {
-    EpochChanged(Epoch),
-    ThisValidatorIsRegistered {
+    EpochChanged {
         epoch: Epoch,
-        shard_group: ShardGroup,
-        shard_key: SubstateAddress,
+        /// Some if the local validator is registered for the epoch, otherwise None
+        registered_shard_group: Option<ShardGroup>,
     },
 }