diff --git a/plugin/evm/test_validator_state.go b/plugin/evm/test_validator_state.go
index 0c4c383457..fdf33bc2a2 100644
--- a/plugin/evm/test_validator_state.go
+++ b/plugin/evm/test_validator_state.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package evm
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/ids"
@@ -49,27 +50,27 @@ func NewTestValidatorState(pState validators.State) TestValidatorState {
 	}
 }
 
-func (s *testValidatorState) RecordValidator(nodeID ids.NodeID, startTime, setWeightNonce uint64) {
-	s.recordedValidators[nodeID] = recordedValidator{
+func (t *testValidatorState) RecordValidator(nodeID ids.NodeID, startTime, setWeightNonce uint64) {
+	t.recordedValidators[nodeID] = recordedValidator{
 		StartTime:      startTime,
 		SetWeightNonce: setWeightNonce,
 		IsActive:       true,
 	}
 }
 
-func (s *testValidatorState) GetCurrentValidatorSet(ctx context.Context, subnetID ids.ID) (map[ids.ID]*ValidatorOutput, error) {
-	currentPHeight, err := s.GetCurrentHeight(ctx)
+func (t *testValidatorState) GetCurrentValidatorSet(ctx context.Context, subnetID ids.ID) (map[ids.ID]*ValidatorOutput, error) {
+	currentPHeight, err := t.GetCurrentHeight(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	validatorSet, err := s.GetValidatorSet(ctx, currentPHeight, subnetID)
+	validatorSet, err := t.GetValidatorSet(ctx, currentPHeight, subnetID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	output := make(map[ids.ID]*ValidatorOutput, len(validatorSet))
 	for key, value := range validatorSet {
 		startTime, isActive, setWeightNonce := DefaultStartTime, DefaultIsActive, DefaultSetWeightNonce
-		if recordedValidator, ok := s.recordedValidators[key]; ok {
+		if recordedValidator, ok := t.recordedValidators[key]; ok {
 			startTime = recordedValidator.StartTime
 			isActive = recordedValidator.IsActive
 			setWeightNonce = recordedValidator.SetWeightNonce
@@ -91,3 +92,15 @@ func (s *testValidatorState) GetCurrentValidatorSet(ctx context.Context, subnetI
 	}
 	return output, nil
 }
+
+func GetValidatorIDs(ctx context.Context, t TestValidatorState, subnetID ids.ID) ([]ids.NodeID, error) {
+	currentValidatorSet, err := t.GetCurrentValidatorSet(ctx, subnetID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get current validator set: %w", err)
+	}
+	validatorIDs := make([]ids.NodeID, 0, len(currentValidatorSet))
+	for _, validator := range currentValidatorSet {
+		validatorIDs = append(validatorIDs, validator.NodeID)
+	}
+	return validatorIDs, nil
+}
diff --git a/plugin/evm/vm.go b/plugin/evm/vm.go
index 89a1339ea3..6041c79cb9 100644
--- a/plugin/evm/vm.go
+++ b/plugin/evm/vm.go
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/utils/profiler"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/utils/timer/mockable"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/utils/units"
+	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/version"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/vms/components/chain"
 
 	commonEng "github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/snow/engine/common"
@@ -706,13 +707,9 @@ func (vm *VM) onNormalOperationsStarted() error {
 	vm.cancel = cancel
 
 	vm.validatorState = NewTestValidatorState(vm.ctx.ValidatorState)
-	validatorsOutput, err := vm.validatorState.GetCurrentValidatorSet(ctx, vm.ctx.SubnetID)
+	vdrIDs, err := GetValidatorIDs(ctx, vm.validatorState, vm.ctx.SubnetID)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get current validator set: %w", err)
-	}
-	var vdrIDs []ids.NodeID
-	for _, output := range validatorsOutput {
-		vdrIDs = append(vdrIDs, output.NodeID)
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get validator IDs: %w", err)
 	}
 	if err := vm.uptimeManager.StartTracking(vdrIDs); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -844,7 +841,7 @@ func (vm *VM) setCrossChainAppRequestHandler() {
 }
 
 // Shutdown implements the snowman.ChainVM interface
-func (vm *VM) Shutdown(context.Context) error {
+func (vm *VM) Shutdown(ctx context.Context) error {
 	if vm.ctx == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -859,6 +856,20 @@ func (vm *VM) Shutdown(context.Context) error {
 	vm.eth.Stop()
 	log.Info("Ethereum backend stop completed")
 	vm.shutdownWg.Wait()
+	if vm.bootstrapped.Get() {
+		// TODO: is this the correct ctx to use?
+		vdrIDs, err := GetValidatorIDs(ctx, vm.validatorState, vm.ctx.SubnetID)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to get validator IDs: %w", err)
+		}
+		if err := vm.uptimeManager.StopTracking(vdrIDs); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		// TODO: persist validator state
+		// if err := vm.state.Commit(); err != nil {
+		// 	return err
+		// }
+	}
 	log.Info("Subnet-EVM Shutdown completed")
 	return nil
 }
@@ -1187,3 +1198,21 @@ func attachEthService(handler *rpc.Server, apis []rpc.API, names []string) error
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (vm *VM) Connected(ctx context.Context, nodeID ids.NodeID, version *version.Application) error {
+	if err := vm.uptimeManager.Connect(nodeID); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return vm.Network.Connected(ctx, nodeID, version)
+}
+
+func (vm *VM) Disconnected(ctx context.Context, nodeID ids.NodeID) error {
+	if err := vm.uptimeManager.Disconnect(nodeID); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// TODO: persist state here after disconnect
+	// if err := vm.state.Commit(); err != nil {
+	// 	return err
+	// }
+	return vm.Network.Disconnected(ctx, nodeID)
+}