diff --git a/beacon_node/beacon_processor/src/lib.rs b/beacon_node/beacon_processor/src/lib.rs
index 5a68cf5e6b..f87b1a205d 100644
--- a/beacon_node/beacon_processor/src/lib.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/beacon_processor/src/lib.rs
@@ -171,6 +171,10 @@ const MAX_LIGHT_CLIENT_BOOTSTRAP_QUEUE_LEN: usize = 1_024;
 /// they begin to be dropped.
 const MAX_API_REQUEST_P0_QUEUE_LEN: usize = 1_024;
 
+/// The maximum number of priority-1 (second-highest priority) messages that will be queued before
+/// they begin to be dropped.
+const MAX_API_REQUEST_P1_QUEUE_LEN: usize = 1_024;
+
 /// The name of the manager tokio task.
 const MANAGER_TASK_NAME: &str = "beacon_processor_manager";
 
@@ -220,6 +224,7 @@ pub const UNKNOWN_BLOCK_AGGREGATE: &str = "unknown_block_aggregate";
 pub const UNKNOWN_LIGHT_CLIENT_UPDATE: &str = "unknown_light_client_update";
 pub const GOSSIP_BLS_TO_EXECUTION_CHANGE: &str = "gossip_bls_to_execution_change";
 pub const API_REQUEST_P0: &str = "api_request_p0";
+pub const API_REQUEST_P1: &str = "api_request_p1";
 
 /// A simple first-in-first-out queue with a maximum length.
 struct FifoQueue<T> {
@@ -533,6 +538,7 @@ pub enum Work<E: EthSpec> {
     GossipBlsToExecutionChange(BlockingFn),
     LightClientBootstrapRequest(BlockingFn),
     ApiRequestP0(BlockingOrAsync),
+    ApiRequestP1(BlockingOrAsync),
 }
 
 impl<E: EthSpec> fmt::Debug for Work<E> {
@@ -571,6 +577,7 @@ impl<E: EthSpec> Work<E> {
             Work::GossipBlsToExecutionChange(_) => GOSSIP_BLS_TO_EXECUTION_CHANGE,
             Work::UnknownLightClientOptimisticUpdate { .. } => UNKNOWN_LIGHT_CLIENT_UPDATE,
             Work::ApiRequestP0 { .. } => API_REQUEST_P0,
+            Work::ApiRequestP1 { .. } => API_REQUEST_P1,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -725,6 +732,7 @@ impl<E: EthSpec> BeaconProcessor<E> {
         let mut lcbootstrap_queue = FifoQueue::new(MAX_LIGHT_CLIENT_BOOTSTRAP_QUEUE_LEN);
 
         let mut api_request_p0_queue = FifoQueue::new(MAX_API_REQUEST_P0_QUEUE_LEN);
+        let mut api_request_p1_queue = FifoQueue::new(MAX_API_REQUEST_P1_QUEUE_LEN);
 
         // Channels for sending work to the re-process scheduler (`work_reprocessing_tx`) and to
         // receive them back once they are ready (`ready_work_rx`).
@@ -1018,6 +1026,12 @@ impl<E: EthSpec> BeaconProcessor<E> {
                             self.spawn_worker(item, idle_tx);
                         } else if let Some(item) = gossip_bls_to_execution_change_queue.pop() {
                             self.spawn_worker(item, idle_tx);
+                        // Check the priority 1 API requests after we've
+                        // processed all the interesting things from the network
+                        // and things required for us to stay in good repute
+                        // with our P2P peers.
+                        } else if let Some(item) = api_request_p0_queue.pop() {
+                            self.spawn_worker(item, idle_tx);
                         // Handle backfill sync chain segments.
                         } else if let Some(item) = backfill_chain_segment.pop() {
                             self.spawn_worker(item, idle_tx);
@@ -1143,6 +1157,9 @@ impl<E: EthSpec> BeaconProcessor<E> {
                             Work::ApiRequestP0 { .. } => {
                                 api_request_p0_queue.push(work, work_id, &self.log)
                             }
+                            Work::ApiRequestP1 { .. } => {
+                                api_request_p1_queue.push(work, work_id, &self.log)
+                            }
                         }
                     }
                 }
@@ -1314,7 +1331,7 @@ impl<E: EthSpec> BeaconProcessor<E> {
                 task_spawner.spawn_blocking_with_manual_send_idle(work)
             }
             Work::ChainSegmentBackfill(process_fn) => task_spawner.spawn_async(process_fn),
-            Work::ApiRequestP0(process_fn) => match process_fn {
+            Work::ApiRequestP0(process_fn) | Work::ApiRequestP1(process_fn) => match process_fn {
                 BlockingOrAsync::Blocking(process_fn) => task_spawner.spawn_blocking(process_fn),
                 BlockingOrAsync::Async(process_fn) => task_spawner.spawn_async(process_fn),
             },
diff --git a/beacon_node/http_api/src/task_spawner.rs b/beacon_node/http_api/src/task_spawner.rs
index 0a7a79cf0a..8915f91298 100644
--- a/beacon_node/http_api/src/task_spawner.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/http_api/src/task_spawner.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ impl Priority {
     fn work_event<E: EthSpec>(&self, process_fn: BlockingOrAsync) -> WorkEvent<E> {
         let work = match self {
             Priority::P0 => Work::ApiRequestP0(process_fn),
-            Priority::P1 => unimplemented!("P1"),
+            Priority::P1 => Work::ApiRequestP1(process_fn),
         };
         WorkEvent {
             drop_during_sync: false,