diff --git a/eth/stagedsync/stage_headers.go b/eth/stagedsync/stage_headers.go
index 66c0243fd..b21fd32ad 100644
--- a/eth/stagedsync/stage_headers.go
+++ b/eth/stagedsync/stage_headers.go
@@ -264,14 +264,14 @@ func HeadersUnwind(u *UnwindState, s *StageState, tx ethdb.RwTx, cfg HeadersCfg)
 			if hash, err = rawdb.ReadCanonicalHash(tx, blockHeight); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			cfg.hd.BadHeaders[hash] = struct{}{}
+			cfg.hd.ReportBadHeader(hash)
 		}
 		if err = rawdb.DeleteCanonicalHash(tx, blockHeight); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
 	if u.BadBlock != (common.Hash{}) {
-		cfg.hd.BadHeaders[u.BadBlock] = struct{}{}
+		cfg.hd.ReportBadHeader(u.BadBlock)
 		// Find header with biggest TD
 		tdCursor, cErr := tx.Cursor(dbutils.HeaderTDBucket)
 		if cErr != nil {
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ func HeadersUnwind(u *UnwindState, s *StageState, tx ethdb.RwTx, cfg HeadersCfg)
 			}
 			var hash common.Hash
 			copy(hash[:], k[8:])
-			if _, bad := cfg.hd.BadHeaders[hash]; bad {
+			if cfg.hd.IsBadHeader(hash) {
 				continue
 			}
 			var td big.Int
diff --git a/turbo/stages/headerdownload/header_algos.go b/turbo/stages/headerdownload/header_algos.go
index a0852ac2e..03d6fa23e 100644
--- a/turbo/stages/headerdownload/header_algos.go
+++ b/turbo/stages/headerdownload/header_algos.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func (hd *HeaderDownload) SplitIntoSegments(headersRaw [][]byte, msg []*types.He
 	dedupMap := make(map[common.Hash]struct{})           // Map used for detecting duplicate headers
 	for i, header := range msg {
 		headerHash := header.Hash()
-		if _, bad := hd.BadHeaders[headerHash]; bad {
+		if _, bad := hd.badHeaders[headerHash]; bad {
 			return nil, BadBlockPenalty, nil
 		}
 		if _, duplicate := dedupMap[headerHash]; duplicate {
@@ -100,12 +100,26 @@ func (hd *HeaderDownload) SingleHeaderAsSegment(headerRaw []byte, header *types.
 	hd.lock.RLock()
 	defer hd.lock.RUnlock()
 	headerHash := header.Hash()
-	if _, bad := hd.BadHeaders[headerHash]; bad {
+	if _, bad := hd.badHeaders[headerHash]; bad {
 		return nil, BadBlockPenalty, nil
 	}
 	return []*ChainSegment{{HeadersRaw: [][]byte{headerRaw}, Headers: []*types.Header{header}}}, NoPenalty, nil
 }
 
+// ReportBadHeader -
+func (hd *HeaderDownload) ReportBadHeader(headerHash common.Hash) {
+	hd.lock.Lock()
+	defer hd.lock.Unlock()
+	hd.badHeaders[headerHash] = struct{}{}
+}
+
+func (hd *HeaderDownload) IsBadHeader(headerHash common.Hash) bool {
+	hd.lock.RLock()
+	defer hd.lock.RUnlock()
+	_, ok := hd.badHeaders[headerHash]
+	return ok
+}
+
 // FindAnchors attempts to find anchors to which given chain segment can be attached to
 func (hd *HeaderDownload) findAnchors(segment *ChainSegment) (found bool, start int) {
 	// Walk the segment from children towards parents
@@ -561,7 +575,7 @@ func (hd *HeaderDownload) InsertHeaders(hf func(header *types.Header, blockHeigh
 		hd.insertList = hd.insertList[:len(hd.insertList)-1]
 		skip := false
 		if !link.preverified {
-			if _, bad := hd.BadHeaders[link.hash]; bad {
+			if _, bad := hd.badHeaders[link.hash]; bad {
 				skip = true
 			} else if err := hd.engine.VerifyHeader(hd.headerReader, link.header, true /* seal */); err != nil {
 				log.Warn("Verification failed for header", "hash", link.header.Hash(), "height", link.blockHeight, "error", err)
diff --git a/turbo/stages/headerdownload/header_data_struct.go b/turbo/stages/headerdownload/header_data_struct.go
index 8b88b01c9..aa2d900af 100644
--- a/turbo/stages/headerdownload/header_data_struct.go
+++ b/turbo/stages/headerdownload/header_data_struct.go
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ type CalcDifficultyFunc func(childTimestamp uint64, parentTime uint64, parentDif
 
 type HeaderDownload struct {
 	lock               sync.RWMutex
-	BadHeaders         map[common.Hash]struct{}
+	badHeaders         map[common.Hash]struct{}
 	anchors            map[common.Hash]*Anchor  // Mapping from parentHash to collection of anchors
 	preverifiedHashes  map[common.Hash]struct{} // Set of hashes that are known to belong to canonical chain
 	preverifiedHeight  uint64                   // Block height corresponding to the last preverified hash
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ func NewHeaderDownload(
 ) *HeaderDownload {
 	persistentLinkLimit := linkLimit / 16
 	hd := &HeaderDownload{
-		BadHeaders:         make(map[common.Hash]struct{}),
+		badHeaders:         make(map[common.Hash]struct{}),
 		anchors:            make(map[common.Hash]*Anchor),
 		persistedLinkLimit: persistentLinkLimit,
 		linkLimit:          linkLimit - persistentLinkLimit,
diff --git a/turbo/stages/headerdownload/header_test.go b/turbo/stages/headerdownload/header_test.go
index fbeaed2ec..f78070c6f 100644
--- a/turbo/stages/headerdownload/header_test.go
+++ b/turbo/stages/headerdownload/header_test.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func TestSplitIntoSegments(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Single header with a bad hash
-	hd.BadHeaders[h.Hash()] = struct{}{}
+	hd.ReportBadHeader(h.Hash())
 	if chainSegments, penalty, err := hd.SplitIntoSegments([][]byte{{}}, []*types.Header{&h}); err == nil {
 		if penalty != BadBlockPenalty {
 			t.Errorf("expected BadBlock penalty, got %s", penalty)
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ func TestSingleHeaderAsSegment(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Same header with a bad hash
-	hd.BadHeaders[h.Hash()] = struct{}{}
+	hd.ReportBadHeader(h.Hash())
 	if chainSegments, penalty, err := hd.SingleHeaderAsSegment([]byte{}, &h); err == nil {
 		if penalty != BadBlockPenalty {
 			t.Errorf("expected BadBlock penalty, got %s", penalty)
diff --git a/turbo/stages/mock_sentry.go b/turbo/stages/mock_sentry.go
index 2f53b6a43..c3a43f9d3 100644
--- a/turbo/stages/mock_sentry.go
+++ b/turbo/stages/mock_sentry.go
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ func (ms *MockSentry) InsertChain(chain *core.ChainPack) error {
 	}); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if _, bad := ms.downloader.Hd.BadHeaders[chain.TopBlock.Hash()]; bad {
+	if ms.downloader.Hd.IsBadHeader(chain.TopBlock.Hash()) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("block %d %x was invalid", chain.TopBlock.NumberU64(), chain.TopBlock.Hash())
 	}
 	return nil