diff --git a/chain/events/events.go b/chain/events/events.go
index dcdf6c16245..1dcf634231c 100644
--- a/chain/events/events.go
+++ b/chain/events/events.go
@@ -20,8 +20,10 @@ import (
 var log = logging.Logger("events")
 
 // HeightHandler `curH`-`ts.Height` = `confidence`
-type HeightHandler func(ctx context.Context, ts *types.TipSet, curH abi.ChainEpoch) error
-type RevertHandler func(ctx context.Context, ts *types.TipSet) error
+type (
+	HeightHandler func(ctx context.Context, ts *types.TipSet, curH abi.ChainEpoch) error
+	RevertHandler func(ctx context.Context, ts *types.TipSet) error
+)
 
 type heightHandler struct {
 	confidence int
@@ -48,7 +50,7 @@ type Events struct {
 	tsc *tipSetCache
 	lk  sync.Mutex
 
-	ready     sync.WaitGroup
+	ready     chan struct{}
 	readyOnce sync.Once
 
 	heightEvents
@@ -76,15 +78,16 @@ func NewEvents(ctx context.Context, api eventAPI) *Events {
 		},
 
 		hcEvents: newHCEvents(ctx, api, tsc, uint64(gcConfidence)),
+		ready:    make(chan struct{}),
 	}
 
-	e.ready.Add(1)
-
 	go e.listenHeadChanges(ctx)
 
-	e.ready.Wait()
-
-	// TODO: cleanup/gc goroutine
+	// Wait for the first tipset to be seen or bail if shutting down
+	select {
+	case <-e.ready:
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+	}
 
 	return e
 }
@@ -111,13 +114,21 @@ func (e *Events) listenHeadChangesOnce(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 	notifs, err := e.api.ChainNotify(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		// TODO: retry
+		// Retry is handled by caller
 		return xerrors.Errorf("listenHeadChanges ChainNotify call failed: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	cur, ok := <-notifs // TODO: timeout?
-	if !ok {
-		return xerrors.Errorf("notification channel closed")
+	var cur []*api.HeadChange
+	var ok bool
+
+	// Wait for first tipset or bail
+	select {
+	case cur, ok = <-notifs:
+		if !ok {
+			return xerrors.Errorf("notification channel closed")
+		}
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return ctx.Err()
 	}
 
 	if len(cur) != 1 {
@@ -134,8 +145,8 @@ func (e *Events) listenHeadChangesOnce(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 	e.readyOnce.Do(func() {
 		e.lastTs = cur[0].Val
-
-		e.ready.Done()
+		// Signal that we have seen first tipset
+		close(e.ready)
 	})
 
 	for notif := range notifs {