diff --git a/beacon-chain/powchain/options.go b/beacon-chain/powchain/options.go
index a73adf1be..0179bdf73 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/powchain/options.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/powchain/options.go
@@ -32,14 +32,6 @@ func WithHttpEndpoints(endpointStrings []string) Option {
 	}
 }
 
-// WithExecutionEndpoint for the execution node JSON-RPC endpoint.
-func WithExecutionEndpoint(endpoint string) Option {
-	return func(s *Service) error {
-		s.cfg.executionEndpoint = endpoint
-		return nil
-	}
-}
-
 // WithExecutionClientJWTSecret for authenticating the execution node JSON-RPC endpoint.
 func WithExecutionClientJWTSecret(jwtSecret []byte) Option {
 	return func(s *Service) error {
diff --git a/beacon-chain/powchain/service.go b/beacon-chain/powchain/service.go
index a61e3468f..116dca0b3 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/powchain/service.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/powchain/service.go
@@ -135,7 +135,6 @@ type config struct {
 	eth1HeaderReqLimit         uint64
 	beaconNodeStatsUpdater     BeaconNodeStatsUpdater
 	httpEndpoints              []network.Endpoint
-	executionEndpoint          string
 	executionEndpointJWTSecret []byte
 	currHttpEndpoint           network.Endpoint
 	finalizedStateAtStartup    state.BeaconState
@@ -213,13 +212,6 @@ func NewService(ctx context.Context, opts ...Option) (*Service, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if err := s.initializeEngineAPIClient(ctx); err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "unable to initialize engine API client")
-	}
-
-	// Check transition configuration for the engine API client in the background.
-	go s.checkTransitionConfiguration(ctx)
-
 	if err := s.ensureValidPowchainData(ctx); err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "unable to validate powchain data")
 	}
@@ -254,6 +246,14 @@ func (s *Service) Start() {
 	if s.cfg.currHttpEndpoint.Url == "" {
 		return
 	}
+
+	if err := s.initializeEngineAPIClient(s.ctx); err != nil {
+		log.WithError(err).Fatal("unable to initialize engine API client")
+	}
+
+	// Check transition configuration for the engine API client in the background.
+	go s.checkTransitionConfiguration(s.ctx)
+
 	go func() {
 		s.isRunning = true
 		s.waitForConnection()
@@ -1058,13 +1058,10 @@ func (s *Service) ensureValidPowchainData(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 // Initializes a connection to the engine API if an execution provider endpoint is set.
 func (s *Service) initializeEngineAPIClient(ctx context.Context) error {
-	if s.cfg.executionEndpoint == "" {
-		return nil
-	}
 	opts := []engine.Option{
 		engine.WithJWTSecret(s.cfg.executionEndpointJWTSecret),
 	}
-	client, err := engine.New(ctx, s.cfg.executionEndpoint, opts...)
+	client, err := engine.New(ctx, s.cfg.currHttpEndpoint.Url, opts...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/beacon-chain/flags/base.go b/cmd/beacon-chain/flags/base.go
index 94d984d33..bae11f76e 100644
--- a/cmd/beacon-chain/flags/base.go
+++ b/cmd/beacon-chain/flags/base.go
@@ -17,12 +17,6 @@ var (
 		Usage: "A mainchain web3 provider string http endpoint. Can contain auth header as well in the format --http-web3provider=\"https://goerli.infura.io/v3/xxxx,Basic xxx\" for project secret (base64 encoded) and --http-web3provider=\"https://goerli.infura.io/v3/xxxx,Bearer xxx\" for jwt use",
 		Value: "",
 	}
-	// ExecutionProvider provides an HTTP or IPC access endpoint to an ETH execution node.
-	ExecutionProviderFlag = &cli.StringFlag{
-		Name:  "execution-provider",
-		Usage: "An http endpoint for an Ethereum execution node",
-		Value: "",
-	}
 	// ExecutionJWTSecretFlag provides a path to a file containing a hex-encoded string representing a 32 byte secret
 	// used to authenticate with an execution node via HTTP. This is required if using an HTTP connection, otherwise all requests
 	// to execution nodes for consensus-related calls will fail. This is not required if using an IPC connection.
diff --git a/cmd/beacon-chain/main.go b/cmd/beacon-chain/main.go
index b5152f407..f85c018fd 100644
--- a/cmd/beacon-chain/main.go
+++ b/cmd/beacon-chain/main.go
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ import (
 var appFlags = []cli.Flag{
 	flags.DepositContractFlag,
 	flags.HTTPWeb3ProviderFlag,
-	flags.ExecutionProviderFlag,
 	flags.ExecutionJWTSecretFlag,
 	flags.FallbackWeb3ProviderFlag,
 	flags.RPCHost,
diff --git a/cmd/beacon-chain/powchain/options.go b/cmd/beacon-chain/powchain/options.go
index 26db9e295..cbc29caf6 100644
--- a/cmd/beacon-chain/powchain/options.go
+++ b/cmd/beacon-chain/powchain/options.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ var log = logrus.WithField("prefix", "cmd-powchain")
 // FlagOptions for powchain service flag configurations.
 func FlagOptions(c *cli.Context) ([]powchain.Option, error) {
 	endpoints := parsePowchainEndpoints(c)
-	executionEndpoint := parseExecutionEndpoint(c)
 	jwtSecret, err := parseJWTSecretFromFile(c)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not read JWT secret file for authenticating execution API")
@@ -27,9 +26,6 @@ func FlagOptions(c *cli.Context) ([]powchain.Option, error) {
 		powchain.WithHttpEndpoints(endpoints),
 		powchain.WithEth1HeaderRequestLimit(c.Uint64(flags.Eth1HeaderReqLimit.Name)),
 	}
-	if executionEndpoint != "" {
-		opts = append(opts, powchain.WithExecutionEndpoint(executionEndpoint))
-	}
 	if len(jwtSecret) > 0 {
 		opts = append(opts, powchain.WithExecutionClientJWTSecret(jwtSecret))
 	}
@@ -85,7 +81,3 @@ func parsePowchainEndpoints(c *cli.Context) []string {
 	endpoints = append(endpoints, c.StringSlice(flags.FallbackWeb3ProviderFlag.Name)...)
 	return endpoints
 }
-
-func parseExecutionEndpoint(c *cli.Context) string {
-	return c.String(flags.ExecutionProviderFlag.Name)
-}
diff --git a/cmd/beacon-chain/usage.go b/cmd/beacon-chain/usage.go
index 69bc1578f..c3e94aca9 100644
--- a/cmd/beacon-chain/usage.go
+++ b/cmd/beacon-chain/usage.go
@@ -107,7 +107,6 @@ var appHelpFlagGroups = []flagGroup{
 			flags.GRPCGatewayPort,
 			flags.GPRCGatewayCorsDomain,
 			flags.HTTPWeb3ProviderFlag,
-			flags.ExecutionProviderFlag,
 			flags.ExecutionJWTSecretFlag,
 			flags.FallbackWeb3ProviderFlag,
 			flags.SetGCPercent,