diff --git a/beacon/light/canonical.go b/beacon/light/canonical.go
index 50c70e1ffa..bdd59324bd 100644
--- a/beacon/light/canonical.go
+++ b/beacon/light/canonical.go
@@ -50,8 +50,9 @@ func newCanonicalStore[T any](db ethdb.KeyValueStore, keyPrefix []byte,
 		cache:     lru.NewCache[uint64, T](100),
 	}
 	var (
-		iter = db.NewIterator(keyPrefix, nil)
-		kl   = len(keyPrefix)
+		iter  = db.NewIterator(keyPrefix, nil)
+		kl    = len(keyPrefix)
+		first = true
 	)
 	for iter.Next() {
 		if len(iter.Key()) != kl+8 {
@@ -59,12 +60,13 @@ func newCanonicalStore[T any](db ethdb.KeyValueStore, keyPrefix []byte,
 			continue
 		}
 		period := binary.BigEndian.Uint64(iter.Key()[kl : kl+8])
-		if cs.periods.Start == 0 {
+		if first {
 			cs.periods.Start = period
 		} else if cs.periods.End != period {
 			log.Warn("Gap in the canonical chain database")
 			break // continuity guaranteed
 		}
+		first = false
 		cs.periods.End = period + 1
 	}
 	iter.Release()
@@ -123,18 +125,22 @@ func (cs *canonicalStore[T]) deleteFrom(batch ethdb.Batch, fromPeriod uint64) (d
 
 // get returns the item at the given period or the null value of the given type
 // if no item is present.
-// Note: get is thread safe in itself and therefore can be called either with
-// locked or unlocked chain mutex.
 func (cs *canonicalStore[T]) get(period uint64) (value T, ok bool) {
+	if !cs.periods.Contains(period) {
+		return
+	}
 	if value, ok = cs.cache.Get(period); ok {
 		return
 	}
 	if enc, err := cs.db.Get(cs.databaseKey(period)); err == nil {
 		if v, err := cs.decode(enc); err == nil {
 			value, ok = v, true
+			cs.cache.Add(period, value)
 		} else {
 			log.Error("Error decoding canonical store value", "error", err)
 		}
+	} else {
+		log.Error("Canonical store value not found", "period", period, "start", cs.periods.Start, "end", cs.periods.End)
 	}
 	return
 }
diff --git a/beacon/light/committee_chain.go b/beacon/light/committee_chain.go
index 937453bff9..96971859e6 100644
--- a/beacon/light/committee_chain.go
+++ b/beacon/light/committee_chain.go
@@ -248,9 +248,6 @@ func (s *CommitteeChain) CheckpointInit(bootstrap *types.BootstrapData) error {
 // Note that the period where the first committee is added has to have a fixed
 // root which can either come from a BootstrapData or a trusted source.
 func (s *CommitteeChain) addFixedCommitteeRoot(period uint64, root common.Hash) error {
-	s.chainmu.Lock()
-	defer s.chainmu.Unlock()
-
 	if root == (common.Hash{}) {
 		return ErrWrongCommitteeRoot
 	}
@@ -299,9 +296,6 @@ func (s *CommitteeChain) addFixedCommitteeRoot(period uint64, root common.Hash)
 // It also maintains chain consistency, meaning that it also deletes updates and
 // committees if they are no longer supported by a valid update chain.
 func (s *CommitteeChain) deleteFixedCommitteeRootsFrom(period uint64) error {
-	s.chainmu.Lock()
-	defer s.chainmu.Unlock()
-
 	if period >= s.fixedCommitteeRoots.periods.End {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -342,9 +336,6 @@ func (s *CommitteeChain) deleteCommitteesFrom(batch ethdb.Batch, period uint64)
 
 // addCommittee adds a committee at the given period if possible.
 func (s *CommitteeChain) addCommittee(period uint64, committee *types.SerializedSyncCommittee) error {
-	s.chainmu.Lock()
-	defer s.chainmu.Unlock()
-
 	if !s.committees.periods.CanExpand(period) {
 		return ErrInvalidPeriod
 	}