diff --git a/pkg/consensus/consensus.go b/pkg/consensus/consensus.go
index 0cff84edc..373b637a9 100644
--- a/pkg/consensus/consensus.go
+++ b/pkg/consensus/consensus.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/util"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/vm/emit"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/wallet"
+	"go.uber.org/atomic"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
 
@@ -63,6 +64,9 @@ type service struct {
 	lastProposal []util.Uint256
 	wallet       *wallet.Wallet
 	network      netmode.Magic
+	// started is a flag set with Start method that runs an event handling
+	// goroutine.
+	started *atomic.Bool
 }
 
 // Config is a configuration for consensus services.
@@ -104,6 +108,7 @@ func NewService(cfg Config) (Service, error) {
 		transactions: make(chan *transaction.Transaction, 100),
 		blockEvents:  make(chan *coreb.Block, 1),
 		network:      cfg.Chain.GetConfig().Magic,
+		started:      atomic.NewBool(false),
 	}
 
 	if cfg.Wallet == nil {
@@ -143,6 +148,7 @@ func NewService(cfg Config) (Service, error) {
 		dbft.WithNewCommit(func() payload.Commit { return new(commit) }),
 		dbft.WithNewRecoveryRequest(func() payload.RecoveryRequest { return new(recoveryRequest) }),
 		dbft.WithNewRecoveryMessage(func() payload.RecoveryMessage { return new(recoveryMessage) }),
+		dbft.WithVerifyPrepareRequest(srv.verifyRequest),
 	)
 
 	if srv.dbft == nil {
@@ -169,9 +175,11 @@ func (s *service) newPayload() payload.ConsensusPayload {
 }
 
 func (s *service) Start() {
-	s.dbft.Start()
-	s.Chain.SubscribeForBlocks(s.blockEvents)
-	go s.eventLoop()
+	if s.started.CAS(false, true) {
+		s.dbft.Start()
+		s.Chain.SubscribeForBlocks(s.blockEvents)
+		go s.eventLoop()
+	}
 }
 
 func (s *service) eventLoop() {
@@ -267,8 +275,8 @@ func (s *service) OnPayload(cp *Payload) {
 	s.Config.Broadcast(cp)
 	s.cache.Add(cp)
 
-	if s.dbft == nil {
-		log.Debug("dbft is nil")
+	if s.dbft == nil || !s.started.Load() {
+		log.Debug("dbft is inactive or not started yet")
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -280,13 +288,6 @@ func (s *service) OnPayload(cp *Payload) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// we use switch here because other payloads could be possibly added in future
-	switch cp.Type() {
-	case payload.PrepareRequestType:
-		req := cp.GetPrepareRequest().(*prepareRequest)
-		s.lastProposal = req.transactionHashes
-	}
-
 	s.messages <- *cp
 }
 
@@ -347,6 +348,14 @@ func (s *service) verifyBlock(b block.Block) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
+func (s *service) verifyRequest(p payload.ConsensusPayload) error {
+	req := p.GetPrepareRequest().(*prepareRequest)
+	// Save lastProposal for getVerified().
+	s.lastProposal = req.transactionHashes
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (s *service) processBlock(b block.Block) {
 	bb := &b.(*neoBlock).Block
 	bb.Script = *(s.getBlockWitness(bb))
diff --git a/pkg/consensus/consensus_test.go b/pkg/consensus/consensus_test.go
index 196bdd5cf..fb4c82278 100644
--- a/pkg/consensus/consensus_test.go
+++ b/pkg/consensus/consensus_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package consensus
 
 import (
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/dbft/block"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/dbft/payload"
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ func TestNewService(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestService_GetVerified(t *testing.T) {
 	srv := newTestService(t)
+	srv.dbft.Start()
 	var txs []*transaction.Transaction
 	for i := 0; i < 4; i++ {
 		tx := transaction.New(netmode.UnitTestNet, []byte{byte(opcode.PUSH1)}, 0)
@@ -52,22 +54,30 @@ func TestService_GetVerified(t *testing.T) {
 
 	hashes := []util.Uint256{txs[0].Hash(), txs[1].Hash(), txs[2].Hash()}
 
-	p := new(Payload)
-	p.message = &message{}
-	p.SetType(payload.PrepareRequestType)
-	tx := transaction.New(netmode.UnitTestNet, []byte{byte(opcode.PUSH1)}, 0)
-	tx.Nonce = 999
-	p.SetPayload(&prepareRequest{transactionHashes: hashes})
-	p.SetValidatorIndex(1)
+	// Everyone sends a message.
+	for i := 0; i < 4; i++ {
+		p := new(Payload)
+		p.message = &message{}
+		// One PrepareRequest and three ChangeViews.
+		if i == 1 {
+			p.SetType(payload.PrepareRequestType)
+			p.SetPayload(&prepareRequest{transactionHashes: hashes})
+		} else {
+			p.SetType(payload.ChangeViewType)
+			p.SetPayload(&changeView{newViewNumber: 1, timestamp: uint32(time.Now().Unix())})
+		}
+		p.SetHeight(1)
+		p.SetValidatorIndex(uint16(i))
 
-	priv, _ := getTestValidator(1)
-	require.NoError(t, p.Sign(priv))
+		priv, _ := getTestValidator(i)
+		require.NoError(t, p.Sign(priv))
 
-	srv.OnPayload(p)
+		// Skip srv.OnPayload, because the service is not really started.
+		srv.dbft.OnReceive(p)
+	}
+	require.Equal(t, uint8(1), srv.dbft.ViewNumber)
 	require.Equal(t, hashes, srv.lastProposal)
 
-	srv.dbft.ViewNumber = 1
-
 	t.Run("new transactions will be proposed in case of failure", func(t *testing.T) {
 		txx := srv.getVerifiedTx()
 		require.Equal(t, 1, len(txx), "there is only 1 tx in mempool")
@@ -157,6 +167,10 @@ func TestService_getTx(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestService_OnPayload(t *testing.T) {
 	srv := newTestService(t)
+	// This test directly reads things from srv.messages that normally
+	// is read by internal goroutine started with Start(). So let's
+	// pretend we really did start already.
+	srv.started.Store(true)
 
 	priv, _ := getTestValidator(1)
 	p := new(Payload)