diff --git a/beacon_chain/gossip_processing/eth2_processor.nim b/beacon_chain/gossip_processing/eth2_processor.nim
index ebaebedb0..2e7424b2a 100644
--- a/beacon_chain/gossip_processing/eth2_processor.nim
+++ b/beacon_chain/gossip_processing/eth2_processor.nim
@@ -45,6 +45,18 @@ declareHistogram beacon_block_delay,
   "Time(s) between slot start and beacon block reception", buckets = delayBuckets
 
 type
+  DoppelgangerProtection = object
+    broadcastStartEpoch*: Epoch  ##\
+    ## Set anew, each time gossip is re-enabled after syncing completes, so
+    ## might reset multiple times per instance. This allows some safe level
+    ## of gossip interleaving between nodes so long as they don't gossip at
+    ## the same time.
+
+    nodeLaunchSlot: Slot ##\
+    ## Set once, at node launch. This functions as a basic protection against
+    ## false positives from attestations persisting within the gossip network
+    ## across quick restarts.
+
   Eth2Processor* = object
     doppelGangerDetectionEnabled*: bool
     getWallTime*: GetWallTimeFn
@@ -88,6 +100,8 @@ proc new*(T: type Eth2Processor,
           getWallTime: GetWallTimeFn): ref Eth2Processor =
   (ref Eth2Processor)(
     doppelGangerDetectionEnabled: doppelGangerDetectionEnabled,
+    doppelgangerDetection: DoppelgangerProtection(
+      nodeLaunchSlot: getWallTime().slotOrZero),
     getWallTime: getWallTime,
     blockProcessor: blockProcessor,
     dag: dag,
@@ -158,15 +172,15 @@ proc blockValidator*(
 
 proc checkForPotentialDoppelganger(
     self: var Eth2Processor, attestation: Attestation,
-    attesterIndices: openArray[ValidatorIndex], wallSlot: Slot) =
-  let epoch = wallSlot.epoch
-
-  # Only check for current epoch, not potential attestations bouncing around
-  # from up to several minutes prior.
-  if attestation.data.slot.epoch < epoch:
+    attesterIndices: openArray[ValidatorIndex]) =
+  # Only check for attestations after node launch. There might be one slot of
+  # overlap in quick intra-slot restarts so trade off a few true negatives in
+  # the service of avoiding more likely false positives.
+  if attestation.data.slot <= self.doppelgangerDetection.nodeLaunchSlot + 1:
     return
 
-  if epoch < self.doppelgangerDetection.broadcastStartEpoch:
+  if attestation.data.slot.epoch <
+      self.doppelgangerDetection.broadcastStartEpoch:
     let tgtBlck = self.dag.getRef(attestation.data.target.root)
     doAssert not tgtBlck.isNil  # because attestation is valid above
 
@@ -219,8 +233,7 @@ proc attestationValidator*(
 
   let (attestation_index, sig) = v.get()
 
-  self[].checkForPotentialDoppelganger(
-    attestation, [attestation_index], wallSlot)
+  self[].checkForPotentialDoppelganger(attestation, [attestation_index])
 
   trace "Attestation validated"
   self.attestationPool[].addAttestation(
@@ -267,8 +280,7 @@ proc aggregateValidator*(
   let (attesting_indices, sig) = v.get()
 
   self[].checkForPotentialDoppelganger(
-    signedAggregateAndProof.message.aggregate, attesting_indices,
-    wallSlot)
+    signedAggregateAndProof.message.aggregate, attesting_indices)
 
   trace "Aggregate validated",
     aggregator_index = signedAggregateAndProof.message.aggregator_index,
diff --git a/beacon_chain/spec/datatypes/base.nim b/beacon_chain/spec/datatypes/base.nim
index 382acbec5..3f2824e08 100644
--- a/beacon_chain/spec/datatypes/base.nim
+++ b/beacon_chain/spec/datatypes/base.nim
@@ -470,9 +470,6 @@ type
     current_justified_checkpoint*: Checkpoint
     finalized_checkpoint*: Checkpoint
 
-  DoppelgangerProtection* = object
-    broadcastStartEpoch*: Epoch
-
 type
   # Caches for computing justificiation, rewards and penalties - based on
   # implementation in Lighthouse: