diff --git a/beacon-chain/node/node.go b/beacon-chain/node/node.go
index e9c1f06e0e..d2acbf8b7b 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/node/node.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/node/node.go
@@ -244,7 +244,8 @@ func New(cliCtx *cli.Context, cancel context.CancelFunc, opts ...Option) (*Beaco
 		beacon.clockWaiter, forkchoice.NewROForkChoice(beacon.forkChoicer), beacon.stateGen)
 
 	pa := peers.NewAssigner(beacon.fetchP2P().Peers(), beacon.forkChoicer)
-	beacon.BackfillOpts = append(beacon.BackfillOpts, backfill.WithVerifierWaiter(beacon.verifyInitWaiter))
+	beacon.BackfillOpts = append(beacon.BackfillOpts, backfill.WithVerifierWaiter(beacon.verifyInitWaiter),
+		backfill.WithInitSyncWaiter(initSyncWaiter(ctx, beacon.initialSyncComplete)))
 	bf, err := backfill.NewService(ctx, bfs, beacon.BlobStorage, beacon.clockWaiter, beacon.fetchP2P(), pa, beacon.BackfillOpts...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "error initializing backfill service")
@@ -327,6 +328,16 @@ func New(cliCtx *cli.Context, cancel context.CancelFunc, opts ...Option) (*Beaco
 
 	return beacon, nil
 }
+func initSyncWaiter(ctx context.Context, complete chan struct{}) func() error {
+	return func() error {
+		select {
+		case <-complete:
+			return nil
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return ctx.Err()
+		}
+	}
+}
 
 func newRouter(cliCtx *cli.Context) *mux.Router {
 	var allowedOrigins []string
diff --git a/beacon-chain/sync/backfill/service.go b/beacon-chain/sync/backfill/service.go
index e1436d660e..fbcd77182f 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/sync/backfill/service.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/sync/backfill/service.go
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ type Service struct {
 	pa              PeerAssigner
 	batchImporter   batchImporter
 	blobStore       *filesystem.BlobStorage
+	initSyncWaiter  func() error
 }
 
 var _ runtime.Service = (*Service)(nil)
@@ -93,6 +94,15 @@ func WithBatchSize(n uint64) ServiceOption {
 	}
 }
 
+// WithInitSyncWaiter sets a function on the service which will block until init-sync
+// completes for the first time, or returns an error if context is canceled.
+func WithInitSyncWaiter(w func() error) ServiceOption {
+	return func(s *Service) error {
+		s.initSyncWaiter = w
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
 // InitializerWaiter is an interface that is satisfied by verification.InitializerWaiter.
 // Using this interface enables node init to satisfy this requirement for the backfill service
 // while also allowing backfill to mock it in tests.
@@ -261,8 +271,15 @@ func (s *Service) Start() {
 		log.WithError(err).Error("Unable to initialize backfill verifier.")
 		return
 	}
-	s.pool.spawn(ctx, s.nWorkers, clock, s.pa, s.verifier, s.ctxMap, s.newBlobVerifier, s.blobStore)
 
+	if s.initSyncWaiter != nil {
+		log.Info("Backfill service waiting for initial-sync to reach head before starting.")
+		if err := s.initSyncWaiter(); err != nil {
+			log.WithError(err).Error("Error waiting for init-sync to complete.")
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	s.pool.spawn(ctx, s.nWorkers, clock, s.pa, s.verifier, s.ctxMap, s.newBlobVerifier, s.blobStore)
 	s.batchSeq = newBatchSequencer(s.nWorkers, s.ms(s.clock.CurrentSlot()), primitives.Slot(status.LowSlot), primitives.Slot(s.batchSize))
 	if err = s.initBatches(); err != nil {
 		log.WithError(err).Error("Non-recoverable error in backfill service.")