diff --git a/beacon_node/rpc/src/attestation.rs b/beacon_node/rpc/src/attestation.rs
index 6048e42b1..e764e1b1d 100644
--- a/beacon_node/rpc/src/attestation.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/rpc/src/attestation.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use crate::beacon_chain::{BeaconChain, BeaconChainTypes};
+use beacon_chain::{BeaconChain, BeaconChainTypes};
 use futures::Future;
 use grpcio::{RpcContext, RpcStatus, RpcStatusCode, UnarySink};
 use protos::services::{
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ impl<T: BeaconChainTypes> AttestationService for AttestationServiceInstance<T> {
         // verify the slot, drop lock on state afterwards
         {
             let slot_requested = req.get_slot();
-            let state = self.chain.get_state();
+            let state = &self.chain.head().beacon_state;
 
             // Start by performing some checks
             // Check that the AttestionData is for the current slot (otherwise it will not be valid)
diff --git a/beacon_node/rpc/src/beacon_block.rs b/beacon_node/rpc/src/beacon_block.rs
index e553b79e7..c28c4f111 100644
--- a/beacon_node/rpc/src/beacon_block.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/rpc/src/beacon_block.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use crate::beacon_chain::{BeaconChain, BeaconChainTypes};
+use beacon_chain::{BeaconChain, BeaconChainTypes};
 use crossbeam_channel;
 use eth2_libp2p::PubsubMessage;
 use futures::Future;
diff --git a/beacon_node/rpc/src/beacon_chain.rs b/beacon_node/rpc/src/beacon_chain.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index a37c219f6..000000000
--- a/beacon_node/rpc/src/beacon_chain.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,71 +0,0 @@
-use beacon_chain::BeaconChain as RawBeaconChain;
-use beacon_chain::{
-    parking_lot::{RwLockReadGuard, RwLockWriteGuard},
-    types::{BeaconState, ChainSpec, Signature},
-    AttestationValidationError, BlockProductionError,
-};
-pub use beacon_chain::{BeaconChainError, BeaconChainTypes, BlockProcessingOutcome};
-use types::{Attestation, AttestationData, BeaconBlock};
-
-/// The RPC's API to the beacon chain.
-pub trait BeaconChain<T: BeaconChainTypes>: Send + Sync {
-    fn get_spec(&self) -> &ChainSpec;
-
-    fn get_state(&self) -> RwLockReadGuard<BeaconState<T::EthSpec>>;
-
-    fn get_mut_state(&self) -> RwLockWriteGuard<BeaconState<T::EthSpec>>;
-
-    fn process_block(&self, block: BeaconBlock)
-        -> Result<BlockProcessingOutcome, BeaconChainError>;
-
-    fn produce_block(
-        &self,
-        randao_reveal: Signature,
-    ) -> Result<(BeaconBlock, BeaconState<T::EthSpec>), BlockProductionError>;
-
-    fn produce_attestation_data(&self, shard: u64) -> Result<AttestationData, BeaconChainError>;
-
-    fn process_attestation(
-        &self,
-        attestation: Attestation,
-    ) -> Result<(), AttestationValidationError>;
-}
-
-impl<T: BeaconChainTypes> BeaconChain<T> for RawBeaconChain<T> {
-    fn get_spec(&self) -> &ChainSpec {
-        &self.spec
-    }
-
-    fn get_state(&self) -> RwLockReadGuard<BeaconState<T::EthSpec>> {
-        self.state.read()
-    }
-
-    fn get_mut_state(&self) -> RwLockWriteGuard<BeaconState<T::EthSpec>> {
-        self.state.write()
-    }
-
-    fn process_block(
-        &self,
-        block: BeaconBlock,
-    ) -> Result<BlockProcessingOutcome, BeaconChainError> {
-        self.process_block(block)
-    }
-
-    fn produce_block(
-        &self,
-        randao_reveal: Signature,
-    ) -> Result<(BeaconBlock, BeaconState<T::EthSpec>), BlockProductionError> {
-        self.produce_block(randao_reveal)
-    }
-
-    fn produce_attestation_data(&self, shard: u64) -> Result<AttestationData, BeaconChainError> {
-        self.produce_attestation_data(shard)
-    }
-
-    fn process_attestation(
-        &self,
-        attestation: Attestation,
-    ) -> Result<(), AttestationValidationError> {
-        self.process_attestation(attestation)
-    }
-}
diff --git a/beacon_node/rpc/src/beacon_node.rs b/beacon_node/rpc/src/beacon_node.rs
index a923bbb35..8b49b193e 100644
--- a/beacon_node/rpc/src/beacon_node.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/rpc/src/beacon_node.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
-use crate::beacon_chain::{BeaconChain, BeaconChainTypes};
+use beacon_chain::{BeaconChain, BeaconChainTypes};
 use futures::Future;
 use grpcio::{RpcContext, UnarySink};
 use protos::services::{Empty, Fork, NodeInfoResponse};
 use protos::services_grpc::BeaconNodeService;
 use slog::{trace, warn};
 use std::sync::Arc;
+use types::EthSpec;
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct BeaconNodeServiceInstance<T: BeaconChainTypes> {
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ impl<T: BeaconChainTypes> BeaconNodeService for BeaconNodeServiceInstance<T> {
         node_info.set_version(version::version());
 
         // get the chain state
-        let state = self.chain.get_state();
+        let state = &self.chain.head().beacon_state;
         let state_fork = state.fork.clone();
         let genesis_time = state.genesis_time;
 
@@ -32,10 +33,12 @@ impl<T: BeaconChainTypes> BeaconNodeService for BeaconNodeServiceInstance<T> {
         fork.set_current_version(state_fork.current_version.to_vec());
         fork.set_epoch(state_fork.epoch.into());
 
+        let spec = T::EthSpec::spec();
+
         node_info.set_fork(fork);
         node_info.set_genesis_time(genesis_time);
-        node_info.set_genesis_slot(self.chain.get_spec().genesis_slot.as_u64());
-        node_info.set_chain_id(u32::from(self.chain.get_spec().chain_id));
+        node_info.set_genesis_slot(spec.genesis_slot.as_u64());
+        node_info.set_chain_id(u32::from(spec.chain_id));
 
         // send the node_info the requester
         let error_log = self.log.clone();
diff --git a/beacon_node/rpc/src/lib.rs b/beacon_node/rpc/src/lib.rs
index 9646135b6..95c2e2916 100644
--- a/beacon_node/rpc/src/lib.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/rpc/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,15 +1,14 @@
 mod attestation;
 mod beacon_block;
-pub mod beacon_chain;
 mod beacon_node;
 pub mod config;
 mod validator;
 
 use self::attestation::AttestationServiceInstance;
 use self::beacon_block::BeaconBlockServiceInstance;
-use self::beacon_chain::{BeaconChain, BeaconChainTypes};
 use self::beacon_node::BeaconNodeServiceInstance;
 use self::validator::ValidatorServiceInstance;
+use beacon_chain::{BeaconChain, BeaconChainTypes};
 pub use config::Config as RPCConfig;
 use futures::Future;
 use grpcio::{Environment, ServerBuilder};
diff --git a/beacon_node/rpc/src/validator.rs b/beacon_node/rpc/src/validator.rs
index e58c202d6..4ab9588c4 100644
--- a/beacon_node/rpc/src/validator.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/rpc/src/validator.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use crate::beacon_chain::{BeaconChain, BeaconChainTypes};
+use beacon_chain::{BeaconChain, BeaconChainTypes};
 use bls::PublicKey;
 use futures::Future;
 use grpcio::{RpcContext, RpcStatus, RpcStatusCode, UnarySink};
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use protos::services_grpc::ValidatorService;
 use slog::{trace, warn};
 use ssz::Decode;
 use std::sync::Arc;
-use types::{Epoch, RelativeEpoch};
+use types::{Epoch, EthSpec, RelativeEpoch};
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct ValidatorServiceInstance<T: BeaconChainTypes> {
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ impl<T: BeaconChainTypes> ValidatorService for ValidatorServiceInstance<T> {
         let validators = req.get_validators();
         trace!(self.log, "RPC request"; "endpoint" => "GetValidatorDuties", "epoch" => req.get_epoch());
 
-        let spec = self.chain.get_spec();
-        let state = self.chain.get_state();
+        let spec = T::EthSpec::spec();
+        let state = &self.chain.head().beacon_state;
         let epoch = Epoch::from(req.get_epoch());
         let mut resp = GetDutiesResponse::new();
         let resp_validators = resp.mut_active_validators();