diff --git a/eth2/types/src/beacon_state.rs b/eth2/types/src/beacon_state.rs
index f7df3b0ab..fad756708 100644
--- a/eth2/types/src/beacon_state.rs
+++ b/eth2/types/src/beacon_state.rs
@@ -117,19 +117,18 @@ pub struct BeaconState {
 
 impl BeaconState {
     /// Produce the first state of the Beacon Chain.
-    pub fn genesis(
+    pub fn genesis_without_validators(
         genesis_time: u64,
-        initial_validator_deposits: Vec<Deposit>,
         latest_eth1_data: Eth1Data,
         spec: &ChainSpec,
     ) -> Result<BeaconState, Error> {
-        debug!("Creating genesis state.");
+        debug!("Creating genesis state (without validator processing).");
         let initial_crosslink = Crosslink {
             epoch: spec.genesis_epoch,
             shard_block_root: spec.zero_hash,
         };
 
-        let mut genesis_state = BeaconState {
+        Ok(BeaconState {
             /*
              * Misc
              */
@@ -188,7 +187,19 @@ impl BeaconState {
              */
             cache_index_offset: 0,
             caches: vec![EpochCache::empty(); CACHED_EPOCHS],
-        };
+        })
+    }
+    /// Produce the first state of the Beacon Chain.
+    pub fn genesis(
+        genesis_time: u64,
+        initial_validator_deposits: Vec<Deposit>,
+        latest_eth1_data: Eth1Data,
+        spec: &ChainSpec,
+    ) -> Result<BeaconState, Error> {
+        let mut genesis_state =
+            BeaconState::genesis_without_validators(genesis_time, latest_eth1_data, spec)?;
+
+        trace!("Processing genesis deposits...");
 
         let deposit_data = initial_validator_deposits
             .iter()