diff --git a/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/service/mod.rs b/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/service/mod.rs
index 0110eb9581..e20b86e546 100644
--- a/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/service/mod.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/service/mod.rs
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ use crate::rpc::*;
 use crate::service::behaviour::BehaviourEvent;
 pub use crate::service::behaviour::Gossipsub;
 use crate::types::{
-    subnet_from_topic_hash, GossipEncoding, GossipKind, GossipTopic, SnappyTransform, Subnet,
-    SubnetDiscovery,
+    fork_core_topics, subnet_from_topic_hash, GossipEncoding, GossipKind, GossipTopic,
+    SnappyTransform, Subnet, SubnetDiscovery,
 };
 use crate::EnrExt;
 use crate::Eth2Enr;
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ use std::{
     sync::Arc,
     task::{Context, Poll},
 };
+use types::ForkName;
 use types::{
     consts::altair::SYNC_COMMITTEE_SUBNET_COUNT, EnrForkId, EthSpec, ForkContext, Slot, SubnetId,
 };
@@ -559,13 +560,20 @@ impl<AppReqId: ReqId, TSpec: EthSpec> Network<AppReqId, TSpec> {
         self.unsubscribe(gossip_topic)
     }
 
-    /// Subscribe to all currently subscribed topics with the new fork digest.
-    pub fn subscribe_new_fork_topics(&mut self, new_fork_digest: [u8; 4]) {
+    /// Subscribe to all required topics for the `new_fork` with the given `new_fork_digest`.
+    pub fn subscribe_new_fork_topics(&mut self, new_fork: ForkName, new_fork_digest: [u8; 4]) {
+        // Subscribe to existing topics with new fork digest
         let subscriptions = self.network_globals.gossipsub_subscriptions.read().clone();
         for mut topic in subscriptions.into_iter() {
             topic.fork_digest = new_fork_digest;
             self.subscribe(topic);
         }
+
+        // Subscribe to core topics for the new fork
+        for kind in fork_core_topics(&new_fork) {
+            let topic = GossipTopic::new(kind, GossipEncoding::default(), new_fork_digest);
+            self.subscribe(topic);
+        }
     }
 
     /// Unsubscribe from all topics that doesn't have the given fork_digest
diff --git a/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/types/mod.rs b/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/types/mod.rs
index 2a5ca6c806..e7457f25da 100644
--- a/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/types/mod.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/types/mod.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,6 @@ pub use pubsub::{PubsubMessage, SnappyTransform};
 pub use subnet::{Subnet, SubnetDiscovery};
 pub use sync_state::{BackFillState, SyncState};
 pub use topics::{
-    subnet_from_topic_hash, GossipEncoding, GossipKind, GossipTopic, CORE_TOPICS,
-    LIGHT_CLIENT_GOSSIP_TOPICS,
+    core_topics_to_subscribe, fork_core_topics, subnet_from_topic_hash, GossipEncoding, GossipKind,
+    GossipTopic, LIGHT_CLIENT_GOSSIP_TOPICS,
 };
diff --git a/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/types/topics.rs b/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/types/topics.rs
index 8194fa63bd..0e4aefbb5c 100644
--- a/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/types/topics.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/types/topics.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use libp2p::gossipsub::{IdentTopic as Topic, TopicHash};
 use serde_derive::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use strum::AsRefStr;
-use types::{SubnetId, SyncSubnetId};
+use types::{ForkName, SubnetId, SyncSubnetId};
 
 use crate::Subnet;
 
@@ -22,21 +22,45 @@ pub const BLS_TO_EXECUTION_CHANGE_TOPIC: &str = "bls_to_execution_change";
 pub const LIGHT_CLIENT_FINALITY_UPDATE: &str = "light_client_finality_update";
 pub const LIGHT_CLIENT_OPTIMISTIC_UPDATE: &str = "light_client_optimistic_update";
 
-pub const CORE_TOPICS: [GossipKind; 7] = [
+pub const BASE_CORE_TOPICS: [GossipKind; 5] = [
     GossipKind::BeaconBlock,
     GossipKind::BeaconAggregateAndProof,
     GossipKind::VoluntaryExit,
     GossipKind::ProposerSlashing,
     GossipKind::AttesterSlashing,
-    GossipKind::SignedContributionAndProof,
-    GossipKind::BlsToExecutionChange,
 ];
 
+pub const ALTAIR_CORE_TOPICS: [GossipKind; 1] = [GossipKind::SignedContributionAndProof];
+
+pub const CAPELLA_CORE_TOPICS: [GossipKind; 1] = [GossipKind::BlsToExecutionChange];
+
 pub const LIGHT_CLIENT_GOSSIP_TOPICS: [GossipKind; 2] = [
     GossipKind::LightClientFinalityUpdate,
     GossipKind::LightClientOptimisticUpdate,
 ];
 
+/// Returns the core topics associated with each fork that are new to the previous fork
+pub fn fork_core_topics(fork_name: &ForkName) -> Vec<GossipKind> {
+    match fork_name {
+        ForkName::Base => BASE_CORE_TOPICS.to_vec(),
+        ForkName::Altair => ALTAIR_CORE_TOPICS.to_vec(),
+        ForkName::Merge => vec![],
+        ForkName::Capella => CAPELLA_CORE_TOPICS.to_vec(),
+    }
+}
+
+/// Returns all the topics that we need to subscribe to for a given fork
+/// including topics from older forks and new topics for the current fork.
+pub fn core_topics_to_subscribe(mut current_fork: ForkName) -> Vec<GossipKind> {
+    let mut topics = fork_core_topics(&current_fork);
+    while let Some(previous_fork) = current_fork.previous_fork() {
+        let previous_fork_topics = fork_core_topics(&previous_fork);
+        topics.extend(previous_fork_topics);
+        current_fork = previous_fork;
+    }
+    topics
+}
+
 /// A gossipsub topic which encapsulates the type of messages that should be sent and received over
 /// the pubsub protocol and the way the messages should be encoded.
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, PartialEq, Eq, Hash)]
@@ -390,4 +414,15 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!("proposer_slashing", ProposerSlashing.as_ref());
         assert_eq!("attester_slashing", AttesterSlashing.as_ref());
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_core_topics_to_subscribe() {
+        let mut all_topics = Vec::new();
+        all_topics.extend(CAPELLA_CORE_TOPICS);
+        all_topics.extend(ALTAIR_CORE_TOPICS);
+        all_topics.extend(BASE_CORE_TOPICS);
+
+        let latest_fork = *ForkName::list_all().last().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(core_topics_to_subscribe(latest_fork), all_topics);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/beacon_node/network/src/service.rs b/beacon_node/network/src/service.rs
index 4568ed1a22..410461bcd3 100644
--- a/beacon_node/network/src/service.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/network/src/service.rs
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ use lighthouse_network::{
     Context, PeerAction, PeerRequestId, PubsubMessage, ReportSource, Request, Response, Subnet,
 };
 use lighthouse_network::{
-    types::{GossipEncoding, GossipTopic},
+    types::{core_topics_to_subscribe, GossipEncoding, GossipTopic},
     MessageId, NetworkEvent, NetworkGlobals, PeerId,
 };
 use slog::{crit, debug, error, info, o, trace, warn};
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ impl<T: BeaconChainTypes> NetworkService<T> {
                             let fork_version = self.beacon_chain.spec.fork_version_for_name(fork_name);
                             let fork_digest = ChainSpec::compute_fork_digest(fork_version, self.beacon_chain.genesis_validators_root);
                             info!(self.log, "Subscribing to new fork topics");
-                            self.libp2p.subscribe_new_fork_topics(fork_digest);
+                            self.libp2p.subscribe_new_fork_topics(fork_name, fork_digest);
                             self.next_fork_subscriptions = Box::pin(None.into());
                         }
                         else {
@@ -684,7 +684,7 @@ impl<T: BeaconChainTypes> NetworkService<T> {
                 }
 
                 let mut subscribed_topics: Vec<GossipTopic> = vec![];
-                for topic_kind in lighthouse_network::types::CORE_TOPICS.iter() {
+                for topic_kind in core_topics_to_subscribe(self.fork_context.current_fork()) {
                     for fork_digest in self.required_gossip_fork_digests() {
                         let topic = GossipTopic::new(
                             topic_kind.clone(),