diff --git a/BUILD.bazel b/BUILD.bazel
index f2ab814e7..0d2bc3fc1 100644
--- a/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/BUILD.bazel
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ load("@io_kubernetes_build//defs:run_in_workspace.bzl", "workspace_binary")
 
 prefix = "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm"
 
+exports_files(["genesis.json"])
+
 # gazelle:prefix github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm
 gazelle(
     name = "gazelle",
diff --git a/beacon-chain/utils/BUILD.bazel b/beacon-chain/utils/BUILD.bazel
index d82f04c69..fe213fea2 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/utils/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/beacon-chain/utils/BUILD.bazel
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ go_test(
         "genesis_json_test.go",
         "shuffle_test.go",
     ],
+    data = ["//:genesis.json"],
     embed = [":go_default_library"],
     deps = [
         "//proto/beacon/p2p/v1:go_default_library",
         "//shared/params:go_default_library",
         "@com_github_ethereum_go_ethereum//common:go_default_library",
-        "@com_github_gogo_protobuf//jsonpb:go_default_library",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/beacon-chain/utils/genesis_json.go b/beacon-chain/utils/genesis_json.go
index 6c517a044..8b5d296a2 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/utils/genesis_json.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/utils/genesis_json.go
@@ -11,10 +11,9 @@ import (
 // InitialValidatorRegistryFromJSON retrieves the validator set that is stored in
 // genesis.json.
 func InitialValidatorRegistryFromJSON(genesisJSONPath string) ([]*pb.ValidatorRecord, error) {
-	// #nosec G304
 	// genesisJSONPath is a user input for the path of genesis.json.
 	// Ex: /path/to/my/genesis.json.
-	f, err := os.Open(genesisJSONPath)
+	f, err := os.Open(genesisJSONPath) // #nosec
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/beacon-chain/utils/genesis_json_test.go b/beacon-chain/utils/genesis_json_test.go
index 7c0dfb077..1674f2c5c 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/utils/genesis_json_test.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/utils/genesis_json_test.go
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 package utils
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 
-	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/jsonpb"
 	pb "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/proto/beacon/p2p/v1"
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/shared/params"
 )
@@ -21,39 +22,31 @@ func TestInitGenesisJsonFailure(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestInitGenesisJson(t *testing.T) {
-	fname := "/genesis.json"
-	pwd, _ := os.Getwd()
-	fnamePath := pwd + fname
-	os.Remove(fnamePath)
+	// Support running this test via bazel or go test.
+	var fNamePath string
+	if os.Getenv("RUNFILES_DIR") != "" {
+		fNamePath = fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s",
+			os.Getenv("RUNFILES_DIR"),
+			os.Getenv("TEST_WORKSPACE"),
+			"/genesis.json",
+		)
+	} else {
+		fNamePath = "../../genesis.json"
+	}
 
 	params.UseDemoBeaconConfig()
-	stateJSON := &pb.BeaconState{
-		LastStateRecalculationSlot: 0,
-		JustifiedStreak:            1,
-		LastFinalizedSlot:          99,
+	state := &pb.BeaconState{
 		ValidatorRegistry: []*pb.ValidatorRecord{
-			{Pubkey: []byte{}, Balance: 32, Status: uint64(params.Active)},
+			{Pubkey: []byte("AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"), Balance: 32000000000, Status: uint64(params.Active)},
 		},
 	}
-	os.Create(fnamePath)
-	f, err := os.OpenFile(fnamePath, os.O_APPEND|os.O_WRONLY, os.ModeAppend)
+
+	validators, err := InitialValidatorRegistryFromJSON(fNamePath)
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("can't open file %v", err)
+		t.Fatalf("Reading validatory registry from genesis.json failed %v", err)
 	}
 
-	ma := jsonpb.Marshaler{}
-	err = ma.Marshal(f, stateJSON)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("can't marshal file %v", err)
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(state.ValidatorRegistry[0], validators[0]) {
+		t.Error("Validator registry mismatched")
 	}
-
-	validators, err := InitialValidatorRegistryFromJSON(fnamePath)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("genesis.json failed %v", err)
-	}
-
-	if validators[0].Status != 1 {
-		t.Errorf("Failed to load of genesis json")
-	}
-	os.Remove(fnamePath)
 }
diff --git a/genesis.json b/genesis.json
index a7c3f12a3..d239e038c 100644
--- a/genesis.json
+++ b/genesis.json
@@ -1,51 +1,43 @@
 {
-  "validators": [
+  "validatorRegistry": [
     {
       "pubkey": "QUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFB",
       "balance": "32000000000",
-      "exitSlot": "999999999999999999",
       "status": "1"
     },
     {
       "pubkey": "QkJCQkJCQkJCQkJCQkJCQkJCQkJCQkJCQkJCQkJCQkJCQkJCQkJCQkJCQkJCQkJC",
       "balance": "32000000000",
-      "exitSlot": "999999999999999999",
       "status": "1"
     },
     {
       "pubkey": "Q0NDQ0NDQ0NDQ0NDQ0NDQ0NDQ0NDQ0NDQ0NDQ0NDQ0NDQ0NDQ0NDQ0NDQ0NDQ0ND",
       "balance": "32000000000",
-      "exitSlot": "999999999999999999",
       "status": "1"
     },
     {
       "pubkey": "RERERERERERERERERERERERERERERERERERERERERERERERERERERERERERERERE",
       "balance": "32000000000",
-      "exitSlot": "999999999999999999",
       "status": "1"
     },
     {
       "pubkey": "RUVFRUVFRUVFRUVFRUVFRUVFRUVFRUVFRUVFRUVFRUVFRUVFRUVFRUVFRUVFRUVF",
       "balance": "32000000000",
-      "exitSlot": "999999999999999999",
       "status": "1"
     },
     {
       "pubkey": "RkZGRkZGRkZGRkZGRkZGRkZGRkZGRkZGRkZGRkZGRkZGRkZGRkZGRkZGRkZGRkZG",
       "balance": "32000000000",
-      "exitSlot": "999999999999999999",
       "status": "1"
     },
     {
       "pubkey": "R0dHR0dHR0dHR0dHR0dHR0dHR0dHR0dHR0dHR0dHR0dHR0dHR0dHR0dHR0dHR0dH",
       "balance": "32000000000",
-      "exitSlot": "999999999999999999",
       "status": "1"
     },
     {
       "pubkey": "SEhISEhISEhISEhISEhISEhISEhISEhISEhISEhISEhISEhISEhISEhISEhISEhI",
       "balance": "32000000000",
-      "exitSlot": "999999999999999999",
       "status": "1"
     }
   ]