diff --git a/beacon_node/eth2-libp2p/Cargo.toml b/beacon_node/eth2-libp2p/Cargo.toml
index d3e5779391..5711621a1a 100644
--- a/beacon_node/eth2-libp2p/Cargo.toml
+++ b/beacon_node/eth2-libp2p/Cargo.toml
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ sha2 = "0.8.0"
 base64 = "0.11.0"
 snap = "1"
 void = "1.0.2"
+tokio-io-timeout = "0.4.0"
 tokio-util = {version = "0.3.1", features = ["codec"]}
 
 [dev-dependencies]
diff --git a/beacon_node/eth2-libp2p/src/rpc/handler.rs b/beacon_node/eth2-libp2p/src/rpc/handler.rs
index 8ab319a461..0d224a400e 100644
--- a/beacon_node/eth2-libp2p/src/rpc/handler.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/eth2-libp2p/src/rpc/handler.rs
@@ -38,8 +38,9 @@ type InboundRequestId = RequestId;
 type OutboundRequestId = RequestId;
 
 /// Implementation of `ProtocolsHandler` for the RPC protocol.
-pub struct RPCHandler<TSpec>
+pub struct RPCHandler<'a, TSubstream, TSpec>
 where
+    TSubstream: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite,
     TSpec: EthSpec,
 {
     /// The upgrade for inbound substreams.
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ where
     inbound_substreams: FnvHashMap<
         InboundRequestId,
         (
-            InboundSubstreamState<TSpec>,
+            InboundSubstreamState<'a, TSubstream, TSpec>,
             Option<delay_queue::Key>,
         ),
     >,
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ where
     /// maintained by the application sending the request.
     outbound_substreams: FnvHashMap<
         OutboundRequestId,
-        (OutboundSubstreamState<TSpec>, delay_queue::Key),
+        (OutboundSubstreamState<TSubstream, TSpec>, delay_queue::Key),
     >,
 
     /// Inbound substream `DelayQueue` which keeps track of when an inbound substream will timeout.
@@ -103,15 +104,15 @@ where
 }
 
 /// State of an outbound substream. Either waiting for a response, or in the process of sending.
-pub enum InboundSubstreamState<TSubstream, TSpec>
+pub enum InboundSubstreamState<'a, TSubstream, TSpec>
 where
-    TSubstream: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite,
+    TSubstream: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite + Unpin,
     TSpec: EthSpec,
 {
     /// A response has been sent, pending writing and flush.
     ResponsePendingSend {
         /// The substream used to send the response
-        substream: futures::sink::Send<InboundFramed<TSubstream, TSpec>>,
+        substream: futures::sink::Send<'a, InboundFramed<TSubstream, TSpec>, RPCErrorResponse<TSpec>>,
         /// Whether a stream termination is requested. If true the stream will be closed after
         /// this send. Otherwise it will transition to an idle state until a stream termination is
         /// requested or a timeout is reached.
@@ -141,9 +142,8 @@ pub enum OutboundSubstreamState<TSubstream, TSpec: EthSpec> {
     Poisoned,
 }
 
-impl<TSubstream, TSpec> InboundSubstreamState<TSubstream, TSpec>
+impl<'a, TSubstream, TSpec> InboundSubstreamState<'a, TSpec, TSubstream>
 where
-    TSubstream: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite,
     TSpec: EthSpec,
 {
     /// Moves the substream state to closing and informs the connected peer. The
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ where
     }
 }
 
-impl<TSubstream, TSpec> RPCHandler<TSubstream, TSpec>
+impl<'a, TSubstream, TSpec> RPCHandler<'a, TSubstream, TSpec>
 where
     TSubstream: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite,
     TSpec: EthSpec,
@@ -215,7 +215,6 @@ where
             inactive_timeout,
             outbound_io_error_retries: 0,
             log: log.clone(),
-            _phantom: PhantomData,
         }
     }
 
@@ -248,9 +247,9 @@ where
     }
 }
 
-impl<TSubstream, TSpec> ProtocolsHandler for RPCHandler<TSubstream, TSpec>
+impl<'a, TSubstream, TSpec> ProtocolsHandler for RPCHandler<'a, TSubstream, TSpec>
 where
-    TSubstream: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite,
+    TSubstream: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite + Unpin,
     TSpec: EthSpec,
 {
     type InEvent = RPCEvent<TSpec>;
@@ -777,11 +776,11 @@ where
 }
 
 // Check for new items to send to the peer and update the underlying stream
-fn apply_queued_responses<TSubstream: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite, TSpec: EthSpec>(
+fn apply_queued_responses<'a, TSubstream: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite, TSpec: EthSpec>(
     raw_substream: InboundFramed<TSubstream, TSpec>,
     queued_outbound_items: &mut Option<&mut Vec<RPCErrorResponse<TSpec>>>,
     new_items_to_send: &mut bool,
-) -> InboundSubstreamState<TSubstream, TSpec> {
+) -> InboundSubstreamState<'a, TSubstream, TSpec> {
     match queued_outbound_items {
         Some(ref mut queue) if !queue.is_empty() => {
             *new_items_to_send = true;
diff --git a/beacon_node/eth2-libp2p/src/rpc/mod.rs b/beacon_node/eth2-libp2p/src/rpc/mod.rs
index 46f47fcafa..6f78ec2ea5 100644
--- a/beacon_node/eth2-libp2p/src/rpc/mod.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/eth2-libp2p/src/rpc/mod.rs
@@ -94,12 +94,12 @@ impl<TSubstream, TSpec: EthSpec> RPC<TSubstream, TSpec> {
     }
 }
 
-impl<TSubstream, TSpec> NetworkBehaviour for RPC<TSubstream, TSpec>
+impl<'a, TSubstream, TSpec> NetworkBehaviour for RPC<TSubstream, TSpec>
 where
     TSubstream: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite,
     TSpec: EthSpec,
 {
-    type ProtocolsHandler = RPCHandler<TSubstream, TSpec>;
+    type ProtocolsHandler = RPCHandler<'a, TSubstream, TSpec>;
     type OutEvent = RPCMessage<TSpec>;
 
     fn new_handler(&mut self) -> Self::ProtocolsHandler {
diff --git a/beacon_node/eth2-libp2p/src/rpc/protocol.rs b/beacon_node/eth2-libp2p/src/rpc/protocol.rs
index 421f9d0a6b..ecb28f4877 100644
--- a/beacon_node/eth2-libp2p/src/rpc/protocol.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/eth2-libp2p/src/rpc/protocol.rs
@@ -11,15 +11,17 @@ use crate::rpc::{
     methods::ResponseTermination,
 };
 use futures::future::*;
-use futures::{future, sink, stream, Sink, Stream};
+use futures::{future, sink, stream};
 use libp2p::core::{upgrade, InboundUpgrade, OutboundUpgrade, ProtocolName, UpgradeInfo};
 use std::io;
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
 use std::time::Duration;
-use tokio_util::codec::Framed;
 use tokio::io::{AsyncRead, AsyncWrite};
 use tokio::time::Timeout;
+use tokio_io_timeout::TimeoutStream;
+use tokio_util::codec::Framed;
 use types::EthSpec;
+use std::pin::Pin;
 
 /// The maximum bytes that can be sent across the RPC.
 const MAX_RPC_SIZE: usize = 1_048_576; // 1M
@@ -169,12 +171,13 @@ impl ProtocolName for ProtocolId {
 
 pub type InboundOutput<TSocket, TSpec> = (RPCRequest<TSpec>, InboundFramed<TSocket, TSpec>);
 pub type InboundFramed<TSocket, TSpec> =
-    Framed<Timeout<upgrade::Negotiated<TSocket>>, InboundCodec<TSpec>>;
+    Framed<Timeout<upgrade::Negotiated<TSocket>>, InboundCodec<TSpec, RPCErrorResponse<TSpec>>>;
 type FnAndThen<TSocket, TSpec> = fn(
     (Option<RPCRequest<TSpec>>, InboundFramed<TSocket, TSpec>),
-) -> FutureResult<InboundOutput<TSocket, TSpec>, RPCError>;
-type FnMapErr<TSocket, TSpec> =
-    fn(timeout::Error<(RPCError, InboundFramed<TSocket, TSpec>)>) -> RPCError;
+) -> Ready<Result<InboundOutput<TSocket, TSpec>, RPCError>>;
+// TODO: Error doesn't take a generic parameter in new tokio
+// Need to check implications
+type FnMapErr = fn(tokio::time::Error) -> RPCError;
 
 impl<TSocket, TSpec> InboundUpgrade<TSocket> for RPCProtocol<TSpec>
 where
@@ -185,13 +188,10 @@ where
     type Error = RPCError;
 
     type Future = future::Either<
-        FutureResult<InboundOutput<TSocket, TSpec>, RPCError>,
+        Ready<Result<InboundOutput<TSocket, TSpec>, RPCError>>,
         future::AndThen<
-            future::MapErr<
-                timeout::Timeout<stream::StreamFuture<InboundFramed<TSocket, TSpec>>>,
-                FnMapErr<TSocket, TSpec>,
-            >,
-            FutureResult<InboundOutput<TSocket, TSpec>, RPCError>,
+            future::MapErr<Timeout<stream::StreamFuture<InboundFramed<TSocket, TSpec>>>, FnMapErr>,
+            Ready<Result<InboundOutput<TSocket, TSpec>, RPCError>>,
             FnAndThen<TSocket, TSpec>,
         >,
     >;
@@ -349,16 +349,18 @@ impl<TSpec: EthSpec> RPCRequest<TSpec> {
 /* Outbound upgrades */
 
 pub type OutboundFramed<TSocket, TSpec> =
-    Framed<upgrade::Negotiated<TSocket>, OutboundCodec<TSpec>>;
+    Framed<upgrade::Negotiated<TSocket>, OutboundCodec<TSpec, RPCRequest<TSpec>>>;
 
 impl<TSocket, TSpec> OutboundUpgrade<TSocket> for RPCRequest<TSpec>
 where
     TSpec: EthSpec,
-    TSocket: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite,
+    TSocket: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite + Send,
 {
     type Output = OutboundFramed<TSocket, TSpec>;
     type Error = RPCError;
-    type Future = sink::Send<OutboundFramed<TSocket, TSpec>>;
+    // TODO: Send takes a mutable reference to the sink now, hence the lifetime parameter
+    type Future = Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Result<Self::Output, Self::Error>> + Send>>;
+    // type Future = sink::Send<'a, &'a mut OutboundFramed<TSocket, TSpec>, RPCRequest<TSpec>>;
     fn upgrade_outbound(
         self,
         socket: upgrade::Negotiated<TSocket>,
@@ -376,7 +378,7 @@ where
                 OutboundCodec::SSZ(ssz_codec)
             }
         };
-        Framed::new(socket, codec).send(self)
+        Box::pin(Framed::new(socket, codec).send(self))
     }
 }
 
@@ -414,8 +416,8 @@ impl From<ssz::DecodeError> for RPCError {
         RPCError::SSZDecodeError(err)
     }
 }
-impl<T> From<tokio::timer::timeout::Error<T>> for RPCError {
-    fn from(err: tokio::timer::timeout::Error<T>) -> Self {
+impl From<tokio::time::Error> for RPCError {
+    fn from(err: tokio::time::Error) -> Self {
         if err.is_elapsed() {
             RPCError::StreamTimeout
         } else {