diff --git a/consensus/reactor.go b/consensus/reactor.go
index 818f8a6e..6190fc52 100644
--- a/consensus/reactor.go
+++ b/consensus/reactor.go
@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@ func (conR *ConsensusReactor) GetChannels() []*p2p.ChannelDescriptor {
 
 // Implements Reactor
 func (conR *ConsensusReactor) AddPeer(peer *p2p.Peer) {
-	log.Info("ADDING PEER")
 	if !conR.IsRunning() {
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/consensus/state.go b/consensus/state.go
index 73192944..bef286e1 100644
--- a/consensus/state.go
+++ b/consensus/state.go
@@ -226,8 +226,7 @@ type ConsensusState struct {
 	blockStore   *bc.BlockStore
 	mempool      *mempl.Mempool
 
-	privValidator      PrivValidator // for signing votes
-	privValidatorIndex int           // cached index; updated if validators added/removed to validator set
+	privValidator PrivValidator // for signing votes
 
 	mtx sync.Mutex
 	RoundState
@@ -320,7 +319,6 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) SetPrivValidator(priv PrivValidator) {
 	cs.mtx.Lock()
 	defer cs.mtx.Unlock()
 	cs.privValidator = priv
-	cs.setPrivValidatorIndex()
 }
 
 func (cs *ConsensusState) LoadCommit(height int) *types.Commit {
@@ -579,26 +577,10 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) updateToState(state *sm.State) {
 
 	cs.state = state
 
-	if cs.state.ValidatorAddedOrRemoved() {
-		cs.setPrivValidatorIndex()
-	}
-
 	// Finally, broadcast RoundState
 	cs.newStep()
 }
 
-func (cs *ConsensusState) setPrivValidatorIndex() {
-	if cs.privValidator != nil {
-		// TODO: just return -1 for not found
-		valIdx, val := cs.state.Validators.GetByAddress(cs.privValidator.GetAddress())
-		if val == nil {
-			cs.privValidatorIndex = -1
-		} else {
-			cs.privValidatorIndex = valIdx
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func (cs *ConsensusState) newStep() {
 	rs := cs.RoundStateEvent()
 	cs.wal.Save(rs)
@@ -1520,9 +1502,11 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) addVote(vote *types.Vote, peerKey string) (added bool,
 }
 
 func (cs *ConsensusState) signVote(type_ byte, hash []byte, header types.PartSetHeader) (*types.Vote, error) {
+	addr := cs.privValidator.GetAddress()
+	valIndex, _ := cs.Validators.GetByAddress(addr)
 	vote := &types.Vote{
-		ValidatorAddress: cs.privValidator.GetAddress(),
-		ValidatorIndex:   cs.privValidatorIndex,
+		ValidatorAddress: addr,
+		ValidatorIndex:   valIndex,
 		Height:           cs.Height,
 		Round:            cs.Round,
 		Type:             type_,
@@ -1535,7 +1519,7 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) signVote(type_ byte, hash []byte, header types.PartSet
 // sign the vote and publish on internalMsgQueue
 func (cs *ConsensusState) signAddVote(type_ byte, hash []byte, header types.PartSetHeader) *types.Vote {
 	// if we don't have a key or we're not in the validator set, do nothing
-	if cs.privValidator == nil || cs.privValidatorIndex < 0 {
+	if cs.privValidator == nil || !cs.Validators.HasAddress(cs.privValidator.GetAddress()) {
 		return nil
 	}
 	vote, err := cs.signVote(type_, hash, header)
diff --git a/state/execution.go b/state/execution.go
index 268a87d4..07466c77 100644
--- a/state/execution.go
+++ b/state/execution.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func (s *State) ExecBlock(eventCache types.Fireable, proxyAppConn proxy.AppConnC
 	}
 
 	// update the validator set
-	s.valAddedOrRemoved, err = updateValidators(nextValSet, changedValidators)
+	err = updateValidators(nextValSet, changedValidators)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Warn("Error changing validator set", "error", err)
 		// TODO: err or carry on?
@@ -135,22 +135,20 @@ func execBlockOnProxyApp(eventCache types.Fireable, proxyAppConn proxy.AppConnCo
 	return changedValidators, nil
 }
 
-func updateValidators(validators *types.ValidatorSet, changedValidators []*tmsp.Validator) (bool, error) {
+func updateValidators(validators *types.ValidatorSet, changedValidators []*tmsp.Validator) error {
 	// TODO: prevent change of 1/3+ at once
 
-	var addedOrRemoved bool
-
 	for _, v := range changedValidators {
 		pubkey, err := crypto.PubKeyFromBytes(v.PubKey) // NOTE: expects go-wire encoded pubkey
 		if err != nil {
-			return false, err
+			return err
 		}
 
 		address := pubkey.Address()
 		power := int64(v.Power)
 		// mind the overflow from uint64
 		if power < 0 {
-			return false, errors.New(Fmt("Power (%d) overflows int64", v.Power))
+			return errors.New(Fmt("Power (%d) overflows int64", v.Power))
 		}
 
 		_, val := validators.GetByAddress(address)
@@ -158,26 +156,24 @@ func updateValidators(validators *types.ValidatorSet, changedValidators []*tmsp.
 			// add val
 			added := validators.Add(types.NewValidator(pubkey, power))
 			if !added {
-				return false, errors.New(Fmt("Failed to add new validator %X with voting power %d", address, power))
+				return errors.New(Fmt("Failed to add new validator %X with voting power %d", address, power))
 			}
-			addedOrRemoved = true
 		} else if v.Power == 0 {
 			// remove val
 			_, removed := validators.Remove(address)
 			if !removed {
-				return false, errors.New(Fmt("Failed to remove validator %X)"))
+				return errors.New(Fmt("Failed to remove validator %X)"))
 			}
-			addedOrRemoved = true
 		} else {
 			// update val
 			val.VotingPower = power
 			updated := validators.Update(val)
 			if !updated {
-				return false, errors.New(Fmt("Failed to update validator %X with voting power %d", address, power))
+				return errors.New(Fmt("Failed to update validator %X with voting power %d", address, power))
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	return addedOrRemoved, nil
+	return nil
 }
 
 // return a bit array of validators that signed the last commit
@@ -363,8 +359,8 @@ func (h *Handshaker) ReplayBlocks(appHash []byte, appBlockHeight int, appConnCon
 		// if we crashed between Commit and SaveState,
 		// the state's app hash is stale
 		// otherwise we're synced
-		if h.state.Stale {
-			h.state.Stale = false
+		if h.state.AppHashIsStale {
+			h.state.AppHashIsStale = false
 			h.state.AppHash = appHash
 		}
 		return nil
diff --git a/state/state.go b/state/state.go
index 980f2798..f8b5dfc2 100644
--- a/state/state.go
+++ b/state/state.go
@@ -38,10 +38,8 @@ type State struct {
 
 	// AppHash is updated after Commit;
 	// it's stale after ExecBlock and before Commit
-	Stale   bool
-	AppHash []byte
-
-	valAddedOrRemoved bool // true if a validator was added or removed
+	AppHashIsStale bool
+	AppHash        []byte
 }
 
 func LoadState(db dbm.DB) *State {
@@ -62,6 +60,9 @@ func LoadState(db dbm.DB) *State {
 }
 
 func (s *State) Copy() *State {
+	if s.AppHashIsStale {
+		PanicSanity(Fmt("App hash is stale: %v", s))
+	}
 	return &State{
 		db:              s.db,
 		GenesisDoc:      s.GenesisDoc,
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ func (s *State) Copy() *State {
 		LastBlockTime:   s.LastBlockTime,
 		Validators:      s.Validators.Copy(),
 		LastValidators:  s.LastValidators.Copy(),
-		Stale:           s.Stale, // XXX: but really state shouldnt be copied while its stale
+		AppHashIsStale:  false,
 		AppHash:         s.AppHash,
 	}
 }
@@ -96,7 +97,7 @@ func (s *State) Bytes() []byte {
 }
 
 // Mutate state variables to match block and validators
-// Since we don't have the new AppHash yet, we set s.Stale=true
+// Since we don't have the new AppHash yet, we set s.AppHashIsStale=true
 func (s *State) SetBlockAndValidators(header *types.Header, blockPartsHeader types.PartSetHeader, prevValSet, nextValSet *types.ValidatorSet) {
 	s.LastBlockHeight = header.Height
 	s.LastBlockID = types.BlockID{header.Hash(), blockPartsHeader}
@@ -104,11 +105,7 @@ func (s *State) SetBlockAndValidators(header *types.Header, blockPartsHeader typ
 	s.Validators = nextValSet
 	s.LastValidators = prevValSet
 
-	s.Stale = true
-}
-
-func (s *State) ValidatorAddedOrRemoved() bool {
-	return s.valAddedOrRemoved
+	s.AppHashIsStale = true
 }
 
 func (s *State) GetValidators() (*types.ValidatorSet, *types.ValidatorSet) {