diff --git a/beacon-chain/core/state/BUILD.bazel b/beacon-chain/core/state/BUILD.bazel
index 50c69c903..96d4bbbae 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/core/state/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/beacon-chain/core/state/BUILD.bazel
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@ go_library(
         "//beacon-chain/core/helpers:go_default_library",
         "//beacon-chain/core/state/interop:go_default_library",
         "//proto/beacon/p2p/v1:go_default_library",
+        "//shared/bytesutil:go_default_library",
         "//shared/featureconfig:go_default_library",
+        "//shared/hashutil:go_default_library",
         "//shared/mathutil:go_default_library",
         "//shared/params:go_default_library",
         "//shared/stateutil:go_default_library",
diff --git a/beacon-chain/core/state/skip_slot_cache.go b/beacon-chain/core/state/skip_slot_cache.go
index 4382d7275..69d9fe6e9 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/core/state/skip_slot_cache.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/core/state/skip_slot_cache.go
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ import (
 	lru "github.com/hashicorp/golang-lru"
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus/promauto"
+	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/go-ssz"
+	pb "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/proto/beacon/p2p/v1"
+	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/shared/bytesutil"
+	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/shared/hashutil"
 )
 
 // skipSlotCache exists for the unlikely scenario that is a large gap between the head state and
@@ -22,3 +26,14 @@ var (
 		Help: "The total number of cache misses on the skip slot cache.",
 	})
 )
+
+func cacheKey(bState *pb.BeaconState) ([32]byte, error) {
+	// the latest header has a zeroed 32 byte hash as the state root,
+	// which isnt necessary for the purposes of making the cache key. As
+	// the parent root and body root are sufficient to prevent any collisions.
+	blockRoot, err := ssz.HashTreeRoot(bState.LatestBlockHeader)
+	if err != nil {
+		return [32]byte{}, err
+	}
+	return hashutil.FastSum256(append(bytesutil.Bytes8(bState.Slot), blockRoot[:]...)), nil
+}
diff --git a/beacon-chain/core/state/transition.go b/beacon-chain/core/state/transition.go
index 1b97c7f00..bb375535a 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/core/state/transition.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/core/state/transition.go
@@ -268,24 +268,17 @@ func ProcessSlots(ctx context.Context, state *pb.BeaconState, slot uint64) (*pb.
 	}
 
 	highestSlot := state.Slot
-	var root [32]byte
+	var key [32]byte
 	var writeToCache bool
 	var err error
 
 	if featureconfig.Get().EnableSkipSlotsCache {
 		// Restart from cached value, if one exists.
-		if featureconfig.Get().EnableCustomStateSSZ {
-			root, err = stateutil.HashTreeRootState(state)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not HashTreeRoot(state)")
-			}
-		} else {
-			root, err = ssz.HashTreeRoot(state)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not HashTreeRoot(state)")
-			}
+		key, err = cacheKey(state)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not create cache key")
 		}
-		cached, ok := skipSlotCache.Get(root)
+		cached, ok := skipSlotCache.Get(key)
 		// if cache key does not exist, we write it to the cache.
 		writeToCache = !ok
 		if ok {
@@ -307,7 +300,7 @@ func ProcessSlots(ctx context.Context, state *pb.BeaconState, slot uint64) (*pb.
 			if featureconfig.Get().EnableSkipSlotsCache {
 				// Cache last best value.
 				if highestSlot < state.Slot && writeToCache {
-					skipSlotCache.Add(root, proto.Clone(state).(*pb.BeaconState))
+					skipSlotCache.Add(key, proto.Clone(state).(*pb.BeaconState))
 				}
 			}
 			return nil, ctx.Err()
@@ -330,7 +323,7 @@ func ProcessSlots(ctx context.Context, state *pb.BeaconState, slot uint64) (*pb.
 	if featureconfig.Get().EnableSkipSlotsCache {
 		// Clone result state so that caches are not mutated.
 		if highestSlot < state.Slot && writeToCache {
-			skipSlotCache.Add(root, proto.Clone(state).(*pb.BeaconState))
+			skipSlotCache.Add(key, proto.Clone(state).(*pb.BeaconState))
 		}
 	}