diff --git a/beacon_node/rpc/src/beacon_node.rs b/beacon_node/rpc/src/beacon_node.rs
index 5a542cb905..7b00f04f48 100644
--- a/beacon_node/rpc/src/beacon_node.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/rpc/src/beacon_node.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use futures::Future;
 use grpcio::{RpcContext, UnarySink};
 use protos::services::{Empty, Fork, NodeInfo};
 use protos::services_grpc::BeaconNodeService;
-use slog::{debug, trace, warn};
+use slog::{trace, warn};
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
@@ -17,17 +17,23 @@ impl BeaconNodeService for BeaconNodeServiceInstance {
     fn info(&mut self, ctx: RpcContext, _req: Empty, sink: UnarySink<NodeInfo>) {
         trace!(self.log, "Node info requested via RPC");
 
+        // build the response
         let mut node_info = NodeInfo::new();
         node_info.set_version(version::version());
-        // get the chain state fork
-        let state_fork = self.chain.get_state().fork.clone();
+
+        // get the chain state
+        let state = self.chain.get_state();
+        let state_fork = state.fork.clone();
+        let genesis_time = state.genesis_time.clone();
+
         // build the rpc fork struct
         let mut fork = Fork::new();
         fork.set_previous_version(state_fork.previous_version.to_vec());
         fork.set_current_version(state_fork.current_version.to_vec());
         fork.set_epoch(state_fork.epoch.into());
-        node_info.set_fork(fork);
 
+        node_info.set_fork(fork);
+        node_info.set_genesis_time(genesis_time);
         node_info.set_chain_id(self.chain.get_spec().chain_id as u32);
 
         // send the node_info the requester
diff --git a/protos/src/services.proto b/protos/src/services.proto
index 45fcfb1203..fbcde922dd 100644
--- a/protos/src/services.proto
+++ b/protos/src/services.proto
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ message NodeInfo {
     string version = 1;
     Fork fork = 2;
     uint32 chain_id = 3;
+    uint64 genesis_time = 4;
 }
 
 message Fork {
@@ -56,7 +57,6 @@ message Empty {
 }
 
 
-
 /*
  * Block Production Service Messages
  */
diff --git a/validator_client/src/service.rs b/validator_client/src/service.rs
index 3bf2d61042..df3f640270 100644
--- a/validator_client/src/service.rs
+++ b/validator_client/src/service.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ use types::{Epoch, Fork};
 
 /// The validator service. This is the main thread that executes and maintains validator
 /// duties.
-#[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct Service {
     /// The node we currently connected to.
     connected_node_version: String,
@@ -30,8 +29,8 @@ pub struct Service {
     chain_id: u16,
     /// The fork state we processing on.
     fork: Fork,
-    //    /// The slot clock keeping track of time.
-    //    slot_clock: Arc<SlotClock>,
+    /// The slot clock keeping track of time.
+    slot_clock: Arc<SystemTimeSlotClock>,
 }
 
 impl Service {
@@ -54,7 +53,10 @@ impl Service {
             };
         };
 
-        info!(log,"Beacon node connected"; "Node Version:" => node_info.version.clone(), "Chain ID:" => node_info.chain_id);
+        // build requisite objects to form Self
+        let genesis_time = node_info.get_genesis_time();
+
+        info!(log,"Beacon node connected"; "Node Version" => node_info.version.clone(), "Chain ID" => node_info.chain_id, "Genesis time" => genesis_time);
 
         let proto_fork = node_info.get_fork();
         let mut previous_version: [u8; 4] = [0; 4];
@@ -67,9 +69,8 @@ impl Service {
             epoch: Epoch::from(proto_fork.get_epoch()),
         };
 
-        let genesis_time = 1_549_935_547;
+        // build the validator slot clock
         let slot_clock = {
-            info!(log, "Genesis time"; "unix_epoch_seconds" => genesis_time);
             let clock = SystemTimeSlotClock::new(genesis_time, seconds_per_slot)
                 .expect("Unable to instantiate SystemTimeSlotClock.");
             Arc::new(clock)
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ impl Service {
             connected_node_version: node_info.version,
             chain_id: node_info.chain_id as u16,
             fork,
+            slot_clock,
         }
     }