diff --git a/beacon-chain/blockchain/chain_info.go b/beacon-chain/blockchain/chain_info.go
index 30dfeac9642b..f6a6e5dec924 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/blockchain/chain_info.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/blockchain/chain_info.go
@@ -509,13 +509,6 @@ func (s *Service) Ancestor(ctx context.Context, root []byte, slot primitives.Slo
 	return ar[:], nil
 }
 
-// SetOptimisticToInvalid wraps the corresponding method in forkchoice
-func (s *Service) SetOptimisticToInvalid(ctx context.Context, root, parent, lvh [32]byte) ([][32]byte, error) {
-	s.cfg.ForkChoiceStore.Lock()
-	defer s.cfg.ForkChoiceStore.Unlock()
-	return s.cfg.ForkChoiceStore.SetOptimisticToInvalid(ctx, root, parent, lvh)
-}
-
 // SetGenesisTime sets the genesis time of beacon chain.
 func (s *Service) SetGenesisTime(t time.Time) {
 	s.genesisTime = t
diff --git a/beacon-chain/blockchain/execution_engine.go b/beacon-chain/blockchain/execution_engine.go
index 6d6f85cdf78b..3d4e72442c03 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/blockchain/execution_engine.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/blockchain/execution_engine.go
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ func (s *Service) notifyNewPayload(ctx context.Context, preStateVersion int,
 // reportInvalidBlock deals with the event that an invalid block was detected by the execution layer
 func (s *Service) pruneInvalidBlock(ctx context.Context, root, parentRoot, lvh [32]byte) error {
 	newPayloadInvalidNodeCount.Inc()
-	invalidRoots, err := s.SetOptimisticToInvalid(ctx, root, parentRoot, lvh)
+	invalidRoots, err := s.cfg.ForkChoiceStore.SetOptimisticToInvalid(ctx, root, parentRoot, lvh)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/beacon-chain/blockchain/receive_block.go b/beacon-chain/blockchain/receive_block.go
index dd6cba229b0b..23a6f9de1e2a 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/blockchain/receive_block.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/blockchain/receive_block.go
@@ -497,7 +497,10 @@ func (s *Service) sendBlockAttestationsToSlasher(signed interfaces.ReadOnlySigne
 func (s *Service) validateExecutionOnBlock(ctx context.Context, ver int, header interfaces.ExecutionData, signed interfaces.ReadOnlySignedBeaconBlock, blockRoot [32]byte) (bool, error) {
 	isValidPayload, err := s.notifyNewPayload(ctx, ver, header, signed)
 	if err != nil {
-		return false, s.handleInvalidExecutionError(ctx, err, blockRoot, signed.Block().ParentRoot())
+		s.cfg.ForkChoiceStore.Lock()
+		err = s.handleInvalidExecutionError(ctx, err, blockRoot, signed.Block().ParentRoot())
+		s.cfg.ForkChoiceStore.Unlock()
+		return false, err
 	}
 	if signed.Version() < version.Capella && isValidPayload {
 		if err := s.validateMergeTransitionBlock(ctx, ver, header, signed); err != nil {