diff --git a/beacon-chain/blockchain/head_sync_committee_info_test.go b/beacon-chain/blockchain/head_sync_committee_info_test.go
index af2e67c820..5982c1d835 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/blockchain/head_sync_committee_info_test.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/blockchain/head_sync_committee_info_test.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/cache"
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/core/signing"
-	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/core/transition"
 	dbtest "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/db/testing"
 	doublylinkedtree "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/forkchoice/doubly-linked-tree"
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/state/stategen"
@@ -54,7 +53,6 @@ func TestService_HeadDomainFetcher_Errors(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestService_HeadSyncCommitteeIndices(t *testing.T) {
-	transition.SkipSlotCache.Disable()
 	s, _ := util.DeterministicGenesisStateAltair(t, params.BeaconConfig().TargetCommitteeSize)
 	c := &Service{}
 	c.head = &head{state: s}
diff --git a/beacon-chain/blockchain/testing/mock.go b/beacon-chain/blockchain/testing/mock.go
index a1a4df2cce..13d2746b25 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/blockchain/testing/mock.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/blockchain/testing/mock.go
@@ -281,10 +281,7 @@ func (s *ChainService) HeadBlock(context.Context) (interfaces.SignedBeaconBlock,
 
 // HeadState mocks HeadState method in chain service.
 func (s *ChainService) HeadState(context.Context) (state.BeaconState, error) {
-	if s.State == nil {
-		return nil, nil
-	}
-	return s.State.Copy(), nil
+	return s.State, nil
 }
 
 // CurrentFork mocks HeadState method in chain service.
diff --git a/beacon-chain/core/transition/BUILD.bazel b/beacon-chain/core/transition/BUILD.bazel
index 953b2f6615..1ae2f19e1b 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/core/transition/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/beacon-chain/core/transition/BUILD.bazel
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ go_library(
         "//consensus-types/interfaces:go_default_library",
         "//consensus-types/primitives:go_default_library",
         "//crypto/bls:go_default_library",
+        "//crypto/hash:go_default_library",
         "//encoding/bytesutil:go_default_library",
         "//math:go_default_library",
         "//monitoring/tracing:go_default_library",
diff --git a/beacon-chain/core/transition/skip_slot_cache.go b/beacon-chain/core/transition/skip_slot_cache.go
index 1fc753e240..51bcaa4ed9 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/core/transition/skip_slot_cache.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/core/transition/skip_slot_cache.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/cache"
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/state"
+	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/crypto/hash"
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/encoding/bytesutil"
 )
 
@@ -15,23 +16,17 @@ import (
 // reasonable amount of time.
 var SkipSlotCache = cache.NewSkipSlotCache()
 
-// SkipSlotCacheKey is the key for skip slot cache is mixed between state root and state slot.
+// The key for skip slot cache is mixed between state root and state slot.
 // state root is in the mix to defend against different forks with same skip slots
 // to hit the same cache. We don't want beacon states mixed up between different chains.
-// [0:24] represents the state root
-// [24:32] represents the state slot
-func SkipSlotCacheKey(_ context.Context, state state.ReadOnlyBeaconState) ([32]byte, error) {
+func cacheKey(_ context.Context, state state.ReadOnlyBeaconState) ([32]byte, error) {
 	bh := state.LatestBlockHeader()
 	if bh == nil {
 		return [32]byte{}, errors.New("block head in state can't be nil")
 	}
-	sr := bh.StateRoot
-	if len(sr) != 32 {
-		return [32]byte{}, errors.New("invalid state root in latest block header")
+	r, err := bh.HashTreeRoot()
+	if err != nil {
+		return [32]byte{}, err
 	}
-
-	var b [8]byte
-	copy(b[:], bytesutil.SlotToBytesBigEndian(state.Slot()))
-	sr = append(sr[:24], b[:]...)
-	return bytesutil.ToBytes32(sr), nil
+	return hash.Hash(append(bytesutil.Bytes32(uint64(state.Slot())), r[:]...)), nil
 }
diff --git a/beacon-chain/core/transition/skip_slot_cache_test.go b/beacon-chain/core/transition/skip_slot_cache_test.go
index f46e140356..92066792f4 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/core/transition/skip_slot_cache_test.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/core/transition/skip_slot_cache_test.go
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ import (
 	state_native "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/state/state-native"
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/config/params"
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/consensus-types/blocks"
-	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/encoding/bytesutil"
-	ethpb "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/proto/prysm/v1alpha1"
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/runtime/version"
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/testing/assert"
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/testing/require"
@@ -82,8 +80,6 @@ func TestSkipSlotCache_ConcurrentMixup(t *testing.T) {
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		s1, err = transition.ExecuteStateTransition(context.Background(), originalState.Copy(), wsb)
 		require.NoError(t, err, "Could not run state transition")
-		s1, err = transition.ProcessSlot(context.Background(), s1)
-		require.NoError(t, err, "Could not process slot")
 	}
 
 	{
@@ -97,8 +93,6 @@ func TestSkipSlotCache_ConcurrentMixup(t *testing.T) {
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		s0, err = transition.ExecuteStateTransition(context.Background(), originalState.Copy(), wsb)
 		require.NoError(t, err, "Could not run state transition")
-		s0, err = transition.ProcessSlot(context.Background(), s0)
-		require.NoError(t, err, "Could not process slot")
 	}
 
 	r1, err := s1.HashTreeRoot(context.Background())
@@ -173,28 +167,3 @@ func TestSkipSlotCache_ConcurrentMixup(t *testing.T) {
 	// Wait for all transitions to finish
 	wg.Wait()
 }
-
-func TestSkipSlotCacheKey(t *testing.T) {
-	st, _ := util.DeterministicGenesisState(t, 100)
-	require.NoError(t, st.SetSlot(1))
-	k, err := transition.SkipSlotCacheKey(context.Background(), st)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.Equal(t, [32]byte{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
-		0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1}, k)
-
-	require.NoError(t, st.SetLatestBlockHeader(&ethpb.BeaconBlockHeader{
-		StateRoot: bytesutil.PadTo([]byte{1, 2, 3, 4}, 32),
-	}))
-	k, err = transition.SkipSlotCacheKey(context.Background(), st)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.Equal(t, [32]byte{1, 2, 3, 4, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
-		0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1}, k)
-}
-
-func BenchmarkCacheKey(b *testing.B) {
-	st, _ := util.DeterministicGenesisState(b, 100)
-	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
-		_, err := transition.SkipSlotCacheKey(context.Background(), st)
-		require.NoError(b, err)
-	}
-}
diff --git a/beacon-chain/core/transition/transition.go b/beacon-chain/core/transition/transition.go
index e9732321b0..e4c233394e 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/core/transition/transition.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/core/transition/transition.go
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ func ProcessSlots(ctx context.Context, state state.BeaconState, slot types.Slot)
 	}
 
 	highestSlot := state.Slot()
-	key, err := SkipSlotCacheKey(ctx, state)
+	key, err := cacheKey(ctx, state)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/beacon-chain/rpc/eth/beacon/pool_test.go b/beacon-chain/rpc/eth/beacon/pool_test.go
index 969e870019..c9c9cfb245 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/rpc/eth/beacon/pool_test.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/rpc/eth/beacon/pool_test.go
@@ -446,7 +446,6 @@ func TestSubmitAttesterSlashing_Ok(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSubmitAttesterSlashing_AcrossFork(t *testing.T) {
-	transition.SkipSlotCache.Disable()
 	ctx := context.Background()
 
 	params.SetupTestConfigCleanup(t)
diff --git a/beacon-chain/rpc/eth/validator/validator.go b/beacon-chain/rpc/eth/validator/validator.go
index 71c2f14481..cce248537f 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/rpc/eth/validator/validator.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/rpc/eth/validator/validator.go
@@ -973,7 +973,6 @@ func attestationDependentRoot(s state.BeaconState, epoch types.Epoch) ([]byte, e
 		}
 		dependentRootSlot = prevEpochStartSlot.Sub(1)
 	}
-
 	root, err := helpers.BlockRootAtSlot(s, dependentRootSlot)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not get block root")
diff --git a/beacon-chain/rpc/eth/validator/validator_test.go b/beacon-chain/rpc/eth/validator/validator_test.go
index 5fc05477df..ee1a774c63 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/rpc/eth/validator/validator_test.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/rpc/eth/validator/validator_test.go
@@ -176,9 +176,6 @@ func TestGetAttesterDuties(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		resp, err := vs.GetAttesterDuties(ctx, req)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		bs, err = transition.ProcessSlotsIfPossible(ctx, bs, params.BeaconConfig().SlotsPerEpoch*2)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
 		assert.DeepEqual(t, bs.BlockRoots()[31], resp.DependentRoot)
 		require.Equal(t, 1, len(resp.Data))
 		duty := resp.Data[0]
@@ -362,9 +359,6 @@ func TestGetProposerDuties(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		resp, err := vs.GetProposerDuties(ctx, req)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		bs, err = transition.ProcessSlotsIfPossible(ctx, bs, params.BeaconConfig().SlotsPerEpoch*2)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
 		assert.DeepEqual(t, bs.BlockRoots()[31], resp.DependentRoot)
 		assert.Equal(t, 32, len(resp.Data))
 		// We expect a proposer duty for slot 74.
diff --git a/beacon-chain/rpc/prysm/v1alpha1/validator/proposer_bellatrix_test.go b/beacon-chain/rpc/prysm/v1alpha1/validator/proposer_bellatrix_test.go
index 42aa1c862b..7a6fe175a1 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/rpc/prysm/v1alpha1/validator/proposer_bellatrix_test.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/rpc/prysm/v1alpha1/validator/proposer_bellatrix_test.go
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/core/helpers"
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/core/signing"
 	prysmtime "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/core/time"
-	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/core/transition"
 	dbTest "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/db/testing"
 	mockExecution "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/execution/testing"
 	doublylinkedtree "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/forkchoice/doubly-linked-tree"
@@ -529,7 +528,6 @@ func TestServer_getAndBuildHeaderBlock(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestServer_GetBellatrixBeaconBlock_HappyCase(t *testing.T) {
-	transition.SkipSlotCache.Disable()
 	db := dbTest.SetupDB(t)
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	hook := logTest.NewGlobal()
diff --git a/beacon-chain/rpc/prysm/v1alpha1/validator/proposer_test.go b/beacon-chain/rpc/prysm/v1alpha1/validator/proposer_test.go
index d731647a8b..ad40f57ee1 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/rpc/prysm/v1alpha1/validator/proposer_test.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/rpc/prysm/v1alpha1/validator/proposer_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/core/helpers"
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/core/signing"
 	coretime "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/core/time"
-	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/core/transition"
 	dbutil "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/db/testing"
 	mockExecution "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/execution/testing"
 	doublylinkedtree "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v3/beacon-chain/forkchoice/doubly-linked-tree"
@@ -2090,7 +2089,6 @@ func TestProposer_GetBeaconBlock_PostForkEpoch(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestProposer_GetBeaconBlock_BellatrixEpoch(t *testing.T) {
-	transition.SkipSlotCache.Disable()
 	db := dbutil.SetupDB(t)
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	hook := logTest.NewGlobal()