diff --git a/ledger/eval.go b/ledger/eval.go
index cc94c17318..b98465e651 100644
--- a/ledger/eval.go
+++ b/ledger/eval.go
@@ -514,6 +514,11 @@ func (eval *BlockEvaluator) transaction(txn transactions.SignedTxn, ad transacti
 	var err error
 
 	if eval.validate {
+		err = txn.Txn.Alive(eval.block)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
 		// Transaction already in the ledger?
 		txid := txn.ID()
 		dup, err := cow.isDup(txn.Txn.First(), txn.Txn.Last(), txid, txlease{sender: txn.Txn.Sender, lease: txn.Txn.Lease})
@@ -717,6 +722,17 @@ func validateTransaction(txn transactions.SignedTxn, block bookkeeping.Block, pr
 // AddBlock: eval(context.Background(), blk, false, nil, nil)
 // tracker:  eval(context.Background(), blk, false, nil, nil)
 func (l *Ledger) eval(ctx context.Context, blk bookkeeping.Block, validate bool, txcache VerifiedTxnCache, executionPool execpool.BacklogPool) (StateDelta, error) {
+	eval, err := startEvaluator(l, blk.BlockHeader, validate, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		return StateDelta{}, err
+	}
+
+	// Next, transactions
+	paysetgroups, err := blk.DecodePaysetGroups()
+	if err != nil {
+		return StateDelta{}, err
+	}
+
 	var txvalidator evalTxValidator
 	ctx, cf := context.WithCancel(ctx)
 	defer cf()
@@ -732,20 +748,10 @@ func (l *Ledger) eval(ctx context.Context, blk bookkeeping.Block, validate bool,
 
 		txvalidator.ctx = ctx
 		txvalidator.cf = cf
-		txvalidator.txgroups = make(chan []transactions.SignedTxnWithAD, 10)
+		txvalidator.txgroups = make(chan []transactions.SignedTxnWithAD, len(paysetgroups))
 		txvalidator.done = make(chan error, 1)
 		go txvalidator.run()
 	}
-	eval, err := startEvaluator(l, blk.BlockHeader, validate, false)
-	if err != nil {
-		return StateDelta{}, err
-	}
-
-	// Next, transactions
-	paysetgroups, err := blk.DecodePaysetGroups()
-	if err != nil {
-		return StateDelta{}, err
-	}
 
 	for _, txgroup := range paysetgroups {
 		select {
diff --git a/util/execpool/backlog.go b/util/execpool/backlog.go
index e346de7343..8353cbdee2 100644
--- a/util/execpool/backlog.go
+++ b/util/execpool/backlog.go
@@ -19,15 +19,12 @@ package execpool
 import (
 	"context"
 	"sync"
-
-	"github.com/algorand/go-deadlock"
 )
 
 // A backlog for an execution pool. The typical usage of this is to
 // create non-blocking queue which would get executed once the execution pool is ready to accept new
 // tasks.
 type backlog struct {
-	mu        deadlock.Mutex
 	pool      ExecutionPool
 	wg        sync.WaitGroup
 	buffer    chan backlogItemTask
@@ -35,7 +32,6 @@ type backlog struct {
 	ctxCancel context.CancelFunc
 	owner     interface{}
 	priority  Priority
-	quit      bool
 }
 
 type backlogItemTask struct {
@@ -46,7 +42,6 @@ type backlogItemTask struct {
 // BacklogPool supports all the ExecutionPool functions plus few more that tests the pending tasks.
 type BacklogPool interface {
 	ExecutionPool
-	IsFull() bool
 	EnqueueBacklog(enqueueCtx context.Context, t ExecFunc, arg interface{}, out chan interface{}) error
 }
 
@@ -80,27 +75,8 @@ func (b *backlog) GetParallelism() int {
 	return b.pool.GetParallelism()
 }
 
-// IsFull test to see if the input buffer is full.
-func (b *backlog) IsFull() bool {
-	b.mu.Lock()
-	defer b.mu.Unlock()
-	return len(b.buffer) == cap(b.buffer)
-}
-
 // Enqueue enqueues a single task into the backlog
 func (b *backlog) Enqueue(enqueueCtx context.Context, t ExecFunc, arg interface{}, priority Priority, out chan interface{}) error {
-	b.mu.Lock()
-	defer b.mu.Unlock()
-	if b.quit {
-		select {
-		case <-enqueueCtx.Done():
-			return enqueueCtx.Err()
-		case <-b.ctx.Done():
-			return b.ctx.Err()
-		default:
-			return nil
-		}
-	}
 	select {
 	case b.buffer <- backlogItemTask{
 		enqueuedTask: enqueuedTask{
@@ -120,18 +96,6 @@ func (b *backlog) Enqueue(enqueueCtx context.Context, t ExecFunc, arg interface{
 
 // Enqueue enqueues a single task into the backlog
 func (b *backlog) EnqueueBacklog(enqueueCtx context.Context, t ExecFunc, arg interface{}, out chan interface{}) error {
-	b.mu.Lock()
-	defer b.mu.Unlock()
-	if b.quit {
-		select {
-		case <-enqueueCtx.Done():
-			return enqueueCtx.Err()
-		case <-b.ctx.Done():
-			return b.ctx.Err()
-		default:
-			return nil
-		}
-	}
 	select {
 	case b.buffer <- backlogItemTask{
 		enqueuedTask: enqueuedTask{
@@ -151,11 +115,8 @@ func (b *backlog) EnqueueBacklog(enqueueCtx context.Context, t ExecFunc, arg int
 
 // Shutdown shuts down the backlog.
 func (b *backlog) Shutdown() {
-	b.mu.Lock()
-	defer b.mu.Unlock()
-	b.quit = true
 	b.ctxCancel()
-	close(b.buffer)
+	// NOTE: Do not close(b.buffer) because there's no good way to ensure Enqueue*() won't write to it and panic. Just let it be garbage collected.
 	b.wg.Wait()
 	if b.pool.GetOwner() == b {
 		b.pool.Shutdown()