diff --git a/endtoend/BUILD.bazel b/endtoend/BUILD.bazel
index 4ccb21e94e..e24f64fe49 100644
--- a/endtoend/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/endtoend/BUILD.bazel
@@ -4,12 +4,11 @@ load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go:def.bzl", "go_test")
 
 go_test(
     name = "go_default_test",
-    size = "large",
+    size = "enormous",
     testonly = True,
     srcs = [
         "endtoend_test.go",
         "long_minimal_e2e_test.go",
-        "minimal_e2e_genesis_test.go",
         "minimal_e2e_test.go",
         "minimal_slashing_e2e_test.go",
     ],
@@ -21,7 +20,7 @@ go_test(
         "//validator",
         "@com_github_ethereum_go_ethereum//cmd/geth",
     ],
-    shard_count = 4,
+    shard_count = 3,
     tags = [
         "block-network",
         "e2e",
diff --git a/endtoend/endtoend_test.go b/endtoend/endtoend_test.go
index 5d97efe000..60647c67ef 100644
--- a/endtoend/endtoend_test.go
+++ b/endtoend/endtoend_test.go
@@ -50,9 +50,12 @@ func runEndToEndTest(t *testing.T, config *types.E2EConfig) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	if err := helpers.WaitForTextInFile(beaconLogFile, "Chain started within the last epoch"); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("failed to find chain start in logs, this means the chain did not start: %v", err)
-	}
+
+	t.Run("chain started", func(t *testing.T) {
+		if err := helpers.WaitForTextInFile(beaconLogFile, "Chain started within the last epoch"); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to find chain start in logs, this means the chain did not start: %v", err)
+		}
+	})
 
 	// Failing early in case chain doesn't start.
 	if t.Failed() {
@@ -132,8 +135,8 @@ func runEndToEndTest(t *testing.T, config *types.E2EConfig) {
 	}
 	conns = append(conns, syncConn)
 
-	// Sleep a second for every 4 blocks that need to be synced for the newly started node.
-	extraSecondsToSync := (config.EpochsToRun)*epochSeconds + (params.BeaconConfig().SlotsPerEpoch / 4 * config.EpochsToRun)
+	// Sleep a second for every 8 blocks that need to be synced for the newly started node.
+	extraSecondsToSync := (config.EpochsToRun)*epochSeconds + (params.BeaconConfig().SlotsPerEpoch / 8 * config.EpochsToRun)
 	waitForSync := tickingStartTime.Add(time.Duration(extraSecondsToSync) * time.Second)
 	time.Sleep(time.Until(waitForSync))
 
@@ -143,8 +146,13 @@ func runEndToEndTest(t *testing.T, config *types.E2EConfig) {
 	}
 	defer helpers.LogErrorOutput(t, syncLogFile, "beacon chain node", index)
 	defer helpers.KillProcesses(t, []int{processID})
-	if err := helpers.WaitForTextInFile(syncLogFile, "Synced up to"); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Failed to sync: %v", err)
+	t.Run("sync completed", func(t *testing.T) {
+		if err := helpers.WaitForTextInFile(syncLogFile, "Synced up to"); err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Failed to sync: %v", err)
+		}
+	})
+	if t.Failed() {
+		return
 	}
 
 	syncEvaluators := []types.Evaluator{ev.FinishedSyncing, ev.AllNodesHaveSameHead}
diff --git a/endtoend/evaluators/metrics.go b/endtoend/evaluators/metrics.go
index decb7e7ec6..1aae26c476 100644
--- a/endtoend/evaluators/metrics.go
+++ b/endtoend/evaluators/metrics.go
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ func metricsTest(conns ...*grpc.ClientConn) error {
 		if err := response.Body.Close(); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		time.Sleep(connTimeDelay)
 
 		genesis, err := eth.NewNodeClient(conns[i]).GetGenesis(context.Background(), &ptypes.Empty{})
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/endtoend/evaluators/node.go b/endtoend/evaluators/node.go
index af6495d0f0..61a79abe84 100644
--- a/endtoend/evaluators/node.go
+++ b/endtoend/evaluators/node.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
+	"time"
 
 	ptypes "github.com/gogo/protobuf/types"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -17,6 +18,9 @@ import (
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 )
 
+// Allow a very short delay after disconnecting to prevent connection refused issues.
+var connTimeDelay = 50 * time.Millisecond
+
 // PeersConnect checks all beacon nodes and returns whether they are connected to each other as peers.
 var PeersConnect = types.Evaluator{
 	Name:       "peers_connect_epoch_%d",
@@ -69,6 +73,7 @@ func healthzCheck(conns ...*grpc.ClientConn) error {
 		if err := resp.Body.Close(); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		time.Sleep(connTimeDelay)
 
 		resp, err = http.Get(fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/healthz", e2e.TestParams.ValidatorMetricsPort+i))
 		if err != nil {
@@ -84,6 +89,7 @@ func healthzCheck(conns ...*grpc.ClientConn) error {
 		if err := resp.Body.Close(); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		time.Sleep(connTimeDelay)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -103,6 +109,7 @@ func peersConnect(conns ...*grpc.ClientConn) error {
 		if expectedPeers != len(peersResp.Peers) {
 			return fmt.Errorf("unexpected amount of peers, expected %d, received %d", expectedPeers, len(peersResp.Peers))
 		}
+		time.Sleep(connTimeDelay)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -135,9 +142,7 @@ func allNodesHaveSameHead(conns ...*grpc.ClientConn) error {
 		justifiedRoots[i] = chainHead.JustifiedBlockRoot
 		prevJustifiedRoots[i] = chainHead.PreviousJustifiedBlockRoot
 		finalizedRoots[i] = chainHead.FinalizedBlockRoot
-		if err := conn.Close(); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+		time.Sleep(connTimeDelay)
 	}
 
 	for i := 0; i < len(conns); i++ {
diff --git a/endtoend/evaluators/validator.go b/endtoend/evaluators/validator.go
index cf43be0ed8..53d127e4e3 100644
--- a/endtoend/evaluators/validator.go
+++ b/endtoend/evaluators/validator.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 )
 
-var expectedParticipation = 0.98 // 98% participation to make room for small fluctuations.
+var expectedParticipation = 0.95 // 95% participation to make room for fluctuations.
 
 // ValidatorsAreActive ensures the expected amount of validators are active.
 var ValidatorsAreActive = types.Evaluator{
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ func validatorsAreActive(conns ...*grpc.ClientConn) error {
 	}
 
 	effBalanceLowCount := 0
-	activeEpochWrongCount := 0
 	exitEpochWrongCount := 0
 	withdrawEpochWrongCount := 0
 	for _, item := range validators.ValidatorList {
@@ -83,12 +82,10 @@ func validatorsAreActive(conns ...*grpc.ClientConn) error {
 			effBalanceLowCount,
 			params.BeaconConfig().MaxEffectiveBalance,
 		)
-	} else if activeEpochWrongCount > 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%d validators did not have genesis validator epoch of 0", activeEpochWrongCount)
 	} else if exitEpochWrongCount > 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("%d validators did not have genesis validator exit epoch of far future epoch", exitEpochWrongCount)
-	} else if activeEpochWrongCount > 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%d validators did not have genesis validator withdrawable epoch of far future epoch", activeEpochWrongCount)
+	} else if withdrawEpochWrongCount > 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%d validators did not have genesis validator withdrawable epoch of far future epoch", withdrawEpochWrongCount)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/endtoend/minimal_e2e_genesis_test.go b/endtoend/minimal_e2e_genesis_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 98938f9e5c..0000000000
--- a/endtoend/minimal_e2e_genesis_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,36 +0,0 @@
-package endtoend
-
-import (
-	"testing"
-
-	ev "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/endtoend/evaluators"
-	e2eParams "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/endtoend/params"
-	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/endtoend/types"
-	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/shared/params"
-	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/shared/testutil"
-)
-
-func TestEndToEnd_Genesis_MinimalConfig(t *testing.T) {
-	testutil.ResetCache()
-	params.UseE2EConfig()
-
-	minimalConfig := &types.E2EConfig{
-		BeaconFlags:    []string{},
-		ValidatorFlags: []string{},
-		EpochsToRun:    4,
-		TestSync:       false,
-		TestSlasher:    false,
-		Evaluators: []types.Evaluator{
-			ev.PeersConnect,
-			ev.HealthzCheck,
-			ev.ValidatorsAreActive,
-			ev.ValidatorsParticipating,
-			ev.MetricsCheck,
-		},
-	}
-	if err := e2eParams.Init(2); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-
-	runEndToEndTest(t, minimalConfig)
-}
diff --git a/endtoend/minimal_e2e_test.go b/endtoend/minimal_e2e_test.go
index 959bfe8ebf..a9072e4053 100644
--- a/endtoend/minimal_e2e_test.go
+++ b/endtoend/minimal_e2e_test.go
@@ -17,9 +17,10 @@ func TestEndToEnd_MinimalConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	minimalConfig := &types.E2EConfig{
 		BeaconFlags:    []string{},
 		ValidatorFlags: []string{},
-		EpochsToRun:    8,
+		EpochsToRun:    10,
 		TestSync:       true,
 		TestSlasher:    true,
+		TestDeposits:   false,
 		Evaluators: []types.Evaluator{
 			ev.PeersConnect,
 			ev.HealthzCheck,
diff --git a/endtoend/minimal_slashing_e2e_test.go b/endtoend/minimal_slashing_e2e_test.go
index f29f64c333..cfbb2c75aa 100644
--- a/endtoend/minimal_slashing_e2e_test.go
+++ b/endtoend/minimal_slashing_e2e_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ func TestEndToEnd_Slashing_MinimalConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		EpochsToRun:    3,
 		TestSync:       false,
 		TestSlasher:    true,
+		TestDeposits:   false,
 		Evaluators: []types.Evaluator{
 			ev.PeersConnect,
 			ev.HealthzCheck,