diff --git a/beacon-chain/sync/initial-sync/service.go b/beacon-chain/sync/initial-sync/service.go
index d25ef8400..d659639f5 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/sync/initial-sync/service.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/sync/initial-sync/service.go
@@ -80,7 +80,17 @@ func (s *Service) Start() {
 		// Wait for state to be initialized.
 		stateChannel := make(chan *feed.Event, 1)
 		stateSub := s.stateNotifier.StateFeed().Subscribe(stateChannel)
-		for genesisSet := false; !genesisSet; {
+		// We have two instances in which we call unsubscribe. The first
+		// instance below is to account for the fact that we exit
+		// the for-select loop through a return when we receive a closed
+		// context or error from our subscription. The only way to correctly
+		// close the subscription would be through a defer. The second instance we
+		// call unsubscribe when we have already received the state
+		// initialized event and are proceeding with the main synchronization
+		// routine.
+		defer stateSub.Unsubscribe()
+		genesisSet := false
+		for !genesisSet {
 			select {
 			case event := <-stateChannel:
 				if event.Type == statefeed.Initialized {
@@ -95,10 +105,10 @@ func (s *Service) Start() {
 				}
 			case <-s.ctx.Done():
 				log.Debug("Context closed, exiting goroutine")
-				break
+				return
 			case err := <-stateSub.Err():
 				log.WithError(err).Error("Subscription to state notifier failed")
-				break
+				return
 			}
 		}
 		stateSub.Unsubscribe()