diff --git a/bridge/cmd/guardiand/main.go b/bridge/cmd/guardiand/main.go
index d4c414225..6c40bfe6e 100644
--- a/bridge/cmd/guardiand/main.go
+++ b/bridge/cmd/guardiand/main.go
@@ -178,12 +178,8 @@ func main() {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		// We need to re-fetch the initial initiator set when ethwatch dies, so we want to restart the watcher as well.
-		// TODO: on-demand fetching of guardian set to avoid restarting ethwatch?
-		if err := supervisor.RunGroup(ctx, map[string]supervisor.Runnable{
-			"ethwatch":  ethereum.NewEthBridgeWatcher(*ethRPC, ethContractAddr, *ethConfirmations, lockC, setC).Run,
-			"processor": vaaConsensusProcessor(lockC, setC, gk, sendC, obsvC, solanaVaaC),
-		}); err != nil {
+		if err := supervisor.Run(ctx, "ethwatch",
+			ethereum.NewEthBridgeWatcher(*ethRPC, ethContractAddr, *ethConfirmations, lockC, setC).Run); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
@@ -192,6 +188,10 @@ func main() {
 			return err
 		}
 
+		if err := supervisor.Run(ctx, "processor", vaaConsensusProcessor(lockC, setC, gk, sendC, obsvC, solanaVaaC)); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
 		logger.Info("Started internal services")
 		supervisor.Signal(ctx, supervisor.SignalHealthy)
 
diff --git a/bridge/cmd/guardiand/processor.go b/bridge/cmd/guardiand/processor.go
index d9cf18a94..1a106e362 100644
--- a/bridge/cmd/guardiand/processor.go
+++ b/bridge/cmd/guardiand/processor.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/certusone/wormhole/bridge/pkg/common"
 	"github.com/certusone/wormhole/bridge/pkg/devnet"
+	"github.com/certusone/wormhole/bridge/pkg/ethereum"
 	gossipv1 "github.com/certusone/wormhole/bridge/pkg/proto/gossip/v1"
 	"github.com/certusone/wormhole/bridge/pkg/supervisor"
 	"github.com/certusone/wormhole/bridge/pkg/vaa"
@@ -44,13 +45,17 @@ func vaaConsensusProcessor(lockC chan *common.ChainLock, setC chan *common.Guard
 		// Get initial validator set from Ethereum. We could also fetch it from Solana,
 		// because both sets are synchronized, we simply made an arbitrary decision to use Ethereum.
 
-		// TODO: this can deadlock even in the same RunGroup - needs to fetch the set independently
+		timeout, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 15*time.Second)
+		defer cancel()
+		idx, ethGs, err := ethereum.FetchCurrentGuardianSet(timeout, logger, *ethRPC, ethcommon.HexToAddress(*ethContract))
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed requesting guardian set from Ethereum: %w", err)
+		}
 
-		logger.Info("waiting for initial validator set to be fetched from Ethereum")
-		gs := <-setC
-		logger.Info("current guardian set received",
-			zap.Strings("set", gs.KeysAsHexStrings()),
-			zap.Uint32("index", gs.Index))
+		gs := &common.GuardianSet{
+			Keys:  ethGs.Keys,
+			Index: idx,
+		}
 
 		// In debug mode, node 0 submits a VAA that configures the desired number of guardians to both chains.
 		if *unsafeDevMode {
diff --git a/bridge/pkg/devnet/guardianset_vaa.go b/bridge/pkg/devnet/guardianset_vaa.go
index 74c7036f8..f2fb1cae1 100644
--- a/bridge/pkg/devnet/guardianset_vaa.go
+++ b/bridge/pkg/devnet/guardianset_vaa.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func SubmitVAA(ctx context.Context, rpcURL string, vaa *vaa.VAA) (*types.Transac
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
-	supervisor.Logger(ctx).Info("initial guardian set VAA", zap.Binary("binary", b))  // TODO
+	supervisor.Logger(ctx).Info("submitted VAA to devnet", zap.Binary("binary", b))  // TODO
 
 	tx, err := bridge.SubmitVAA(opts, b)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/bridge/pkg/ethereum/watcher.go b/bridge/pkg/ethereum/watcher.go
index 839f7f420..1f68608f3 100644
--- a/bridge/pkg/ethereum/watcher.go
+++ b/bridge/pkg/ethereum/watcher.go
@@ -194,27 +194,6 @@ func (e *EthBridgeWatcher) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 	supervisor.Signal(ctx, supervisor.SignalHealthy)
 
-	// Fetch current guardian set
-	timeout, cancel = context.WithTimeout(ctx, 15*time.Second)
-	defer cancel()
-	opts := &bind.CallOpts{Context: timeout}
-
-	currentIndex, err := caller.GuardianSetIndex(opts)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error requesting current guardian set index: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	gs, err := caller.GetGuardianSet(opts, currentIndex)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error requesting current guardian set value: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	logger.Info("current guardian set fetched", zap.Any("value", gs), zap.Uint32("index", currentIndex))
-	e.setChan <- &common.GuardianSet{
-		Keys:  gs.Keys,
-		Index: currentIndex,
-	}
-
 	select {
 	case <-ctx.Done():
 		return ctx.Err()
@@ -222,3 +201,32 @@ func (e *EthBridgeWatcher) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return err
 	}
 }
+
+// Fetch the current guardian set ID and guardian set from the chain.
+func FetchCurrentGuardianSet(ctx context.Context, logger *zap.Logger, rpcURL string, bridgeContract eth_common.Address) (uint32, *abi.WormholeGuardianSet, error) {
+	c, err := ethclient.DialContext(ctx, rpcURL)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, nil, fmt.Errorf("dialing eth client failed: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	caller, err := abi.NewAbiCaller(bridgeContract, c)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+
+	opts := &bind.CallOpts{Context: ctx}
+
+	currentIndex, err := caller.GuardianSetIndex(opts)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, nil, fmt.Errorf("error requesting current guardian set index: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	gs, err := caller.GetGuardianSet(opts, currentIndex)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, nil, fmt.Errorf("error requesting current guardian set value: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	logger.Info("current guardian set fetched", zap.Any("value", gs), zap.Uint32("index", currentIndex))
+
+	return currentIndex, &gs, nil
+}