diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 74ae8d1720..3bd3a906a6 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -900,6 +900,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "eth2_config",
  "eth2_libp2p",
  "eth2_ssz",
+ "execution_layer",
  "futures",
  "genesis",
  "http_api",
diff --git a/beacon_node/client/Cargo.toml b/beacon_node/client/Cargo.toml
index 7b84f4a492..9cdd47e670 100644
--- a/beacon_node/client/Cargo.toml
+++ b/beacon_node/client/Cargo.toml
@@ -47,3 +47,5 @@ http_metrics = { path = "../http_metrics" }
 slasher = { path = "../../slasher" }
 slasher_service = { path = "../../slasher/service" }
 monitoring_api = {path = "../../common/monitoring_api"}
+sensitive_url = { path = "../../common/sensitive_url" }
+execution_layer = { path = "../execution_layer" }
diff --git a/beacon_node/client/src/builder.rs b/beacon_node/client/src/builder.rs
index 7f19dbb85d..4ae896fd30 100644
--- a/beacon_node/client/src/builder.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/client/src/builder.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ use eth2::{
     BeaconNodeHttpClient, Error as ApiError, Timeouts,
 };
 use eth2_libp2p::NetworkGlobals;
+use execution_layer::ExecutionLayer;
 use genesis::{interop_genesis_state, Eth1GenesisService};
 use monitoring_api::{MonitoringHttpClient, ProcessType};
 use network::{NetworkConfig, NetworkMessage, NetworkService};
@@ -146,6 +147,19 @@ where
             None
         };
 
+        let execution_layer = if let Some(execution_endpoints) = config.execution_endpoints {
+            let context = runtime_context.service_context("exec".into());
+            let execution_layer = ExecutionLayer::from_urls(
+                execution_endpoints,
+                context.executor.clone(),
+                context.log().clone(),
+            )
+            .map_err(|e| format!("unable to start execution layer endpoints: {:?}", e))?;
+            Some(execution_layer)
+        } else {
+            None
+        };
+
         let builder = BeaconChainBuilder::new(eth_spec_instance)
             .logger(context.log().clone())
             .store(store)
@@ -154,6 +168,7 @@ where
             .disabled_forks(disabled_forks)
             .graffiti(graffiti)
             .event_handler(event_handler)
+            .execution_layer(execution_layer)
             .monitor_validators(
                 config.validator_monitor_auto,
                 config.validator_monitor_pubkeys.clone(),
diff --git a/beacon_node/client/src/config.rs b/beacon_node/client/src/config.rs
index 40e13898b9..28af34da2c 100644
--- a/beacon_node/client/src/config.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/client/src/config.rs
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub network: network::NetworkConfig,
     pub chain: beacon_chain::ChainConfig,
     pub eth1: eth1::Config,
+    pub execution_endpoints: Option<Vec<SensitiveUrl>>,
     pub http_api: http_api::Config,
     pub http_metrics: http_metrics::Config,
     pub monitoring_api: Option<monitoring_api::Config>,
@@ -94,6 +95,7 @@ impl Default for Config {
             dummy_eth1_backend: false,
             sync_eth1_chain: false,
             eth1: <_>::default(),
+            execution_endpoints: None,
             disabled_forks: Vec::new(),
             graffiti: Graffiti::default(),
             http_api: <_>::default(),