diff --git a/beacon-chain/db/BUILD.bazel b/beacon-chain/db/BUILD.bazel
index 6766d52dc6..586e97666f 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/db/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/beacon-chain/db/BUILD.bazel
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@ go_library(
         "@com_github_prometheus_client_golang//prometheus/promauto:go_default_library",
         "@com_github_sirupsen_logrus//:go_default_library",
         "@io_opencensus_go//trace:go_default_library",
-        "@org_golang_google_grpc//codes:go_default_library",
-        "@org_golang_google_grpc//status:go_default_library",
     ],
 )
 
diff --git a/beacon-chain/db/validator.go b/beacon-chain/db/validator.go
index 8bd1a0593a..3e57e56fc8 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/db/validator.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/db/validator.go
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/boltdb/bolt"
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/shared/hashutil"
-	"google.golang.org/grpc/codes"
-	"google.golang.org/grpc/status"
 )
 
 // SaveValidatorIndex accepts a public key and validator index and writes them to disk.
@@ -41,7 +39,7 @@ func (db *BeaconDB) SaveValidatorIndexBatch(pubKey []byte, index int) error {
 // ValidatorIndex accepts a public key and returns the corresponding validator index.
 func (db *BeaconDB) ValidatorIndex(pubKey []byte) (uint64, error) {
 	if !db.HasValidator(pubKey) {
-		return 0, status.Error(codes.NotFound, fmt.Sprintf("validator %#x does not exist", pubKey))
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("validator %#x does not exist", pubKey)
 	}
 
 	var index uint64