diff --git a/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/beacon_chain.rs b/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/beacon_chain.rs
index 793fe29789..05923539d2 100644
--- a/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/beacon_chain.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/beacon_chain.rs
@@ -2390,7 +2390,7 @@ impl<T: BeaconChainTypes> BeaconChain<T> {
             let _fork_choice_block_timer =
                 metrics::start_timer(&metrics::FORK_CHOICE_PROCESS_BLOCK_TIMES);
             fork_choice
-                .on_block(current_slot, &block, block_root, &state, &self.spec)
+                .on_block(current_slot, &block, block_root, &state)
                 .map_err(|e| BlockError::BeaconChainError(e.into()))?;
         }
 
diff --git a/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/fork_revert.rs b/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/fork_revert.rs
index 8d0545c58c..31678580a0 100644
--- a/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/fork_revert.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/fork_revert.rs
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ pub fn reset_fork_choice_to_finalization<E: EthSpec, Hot: ItemStore<E>, Cold: It
 
         let (block, _) = block.deconstruct();
         fork_choice
-            .on_block(block.slot(), &block, block.canonical_root(), &state, spec)
+            .on_block(block.slot(), &block, block.canonical_root(), &state)
             .map_err(|e| format!("Error applying replayed block to fork choice: {:?}", e))?;
     }
 
diff --git a/consensus/fork_choice/Cargo.toml b/consensus/fork_choice/Cargo.toml
index a365a25cc6..5d8c6e11ae 100644
--- a/consensus/fork_choice/Cargo.toml
+++ b/consensus/fork_choice/Cargo.toml
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ edition = "2018"
 
 [dependencies]
 types = { path = "../types" }
-state_processing = { path = "../state_processing" }
 proto_array = { path = "../proto_array" }
 eth2_ssz = "0.4.0"
 eth2_ssz_derive = "0.3.0"
diff --git a/consensus/fork_choice/src/fork_choice.rs b/consensus/fork_choice/src/fork_choice.rs
index f2169d0ab7..03633c024f 100644
--- a/consensus/fork_choice/src/fork_choice.rs
+++ b/consensus/fork_choice/src/fork_choice.rs
@@ -2,11 +2,9 @@ use std::marker::PhantomData;
 
 use proto_array::{Block as ProtoBlock, ProtoArrayForkChoice};
 use ssz_derive::{Decode, Encode};
-use state_processing::per_block_processing::is_merge_block;
 use types::{
-    AttestationShufflingId, BeaconBlock, BeaconState, BeaconStateError, ChainSpec, Checkpoint,
-    Epoch, EthSpec, Hash256, IndexedAttestation, PowBlock, RelativeEpoch, SignedBeaconBlock, Slot,
-    Uint256,
+    AttestationShufflingId, BeaconBlock, BeaconState, BeaconStateError, Checkpoint, Epoch, EthSpec,
+    Hash256, IndexedAttestation, RelativeEpoch, SignedBeaconBlock, Slot,
 };
 
 use crate::ForkChoiceStore;
@@ -68,10 +66,6 @@ pub enum InvalidBlock {
         finalized_root: Hash256,
         block_ancestor: Option<Hash256>,
     },
-    InvalidTerminalPowBlock {
-        block_total_difficulty: Uint256,
-        parent_total_difficulty: Uint256,
-    },
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -243,14 +237,6 @@ where
     }
 }
 
-/// https://github.com/ethereum/consensus-specs/blob/dev/specs/merge/fork-choice.md#is_valid_terminal_pow_block
-fn is_valid_terminal_pow_block(block: &PowBlock, parent: &PowBlock, spec: &ChainSpec) -> bool {
-    let is_total_difficulty_reached = block.total_difficulty >= spec.terminal_total_difficulty;
-    let is_parent_total_difficulty_valid = parent.total_difficulty < spec.terminal_total_difficulty;
-
-    is_total_difficulty_reached && is_parent_total_difficulty_valid
-}
-
 impl<T, E> ForkChoice<T, E>
 where
     T: ForkChoiceStore<E>,
@@ -464,7 +450,6 @@ where
         block: &BeaconBlock<E>,
         block_root: Hash256,
         state: &BeaconState<E>,
-        spec: &ChainSpec,
     ) -> Result<(), Error<T::Error>> {
         let current_slot = self.update_time(current_slot)?;
 
@@ -515,19 +500,6 @@ where
             }));
         }
 
-        // https://github.com/ethereum/consensus-specs/blob/dev/specs/merge/fork-choice.md#on_block
-        if is_merge_block(state, block.body()) {
-            // TODO: get POW blocks from eth1 chain here as indicated in the merge spec link ^
-            let pow_block = PowBlock::default();
-            let pow_parent = PowBlock::default();
-            if !is_valid_terminal_pow_block(&pow_block, &pow_parent, spec) {
-                return Err(Error::InvalidBlock(InvalidBlock::InvalidTerminalPowBlock {
-                    block_total_difficulty: pow_block.total_difficulty,
-                    parent_total_difficulty: pow_parent.total_difficulty,
-                }));
-            }
-        }
-
         // Update justified checkpoint.
         if state.current_justified_checkpoint().epoch > self.fc_store.justified_checkpoint().epoch {
             if state.current_justified_checkpoint().epoch
diff --git a/consensus/fork_choice/tests/tests.rs b/consensus/fork_choice/tests/tests.rs
index e6b4fc1c61..f299de1b6f 100644
--- a/consensus/fork_choice/tests/tests.rs
+++ b/consensus/fork_choice/tests/tests.rs
@@ -273,13 +273,7 @@ impl ForkChoiceTest {
             .chain
             .fork_choice
             .write()
-            .on_block(
-                current_slot,
-                &block,
-                block.canonical_root(),
-                &state,
-                &self.harness.chain.spec,
-            )
+            .on_block(current_slot, &block, block.canonical_root(), &state)
             .unwrap();
         self
     }
@@ -314,13 +308,7 @@ impl ForkChoiceTest {
             .chain
             .fork_choice
             .write()
-            .on_block(
-                current_slot,
-                &block,
-                block.canonical_root(),
-                &state,
-                &self.harness.chain.spec,
-            )
+            .on_block(current_slot, &block, block.canonical_root(), &state)
             .err()
             .expect("on_block did not return an error");
         comparison_func(err);