diff --git a/blockmanager.go b/blockmanager.go
index 376ed40c3..e6f2cbf77 100644
--- a/blockmanager.go
+++ b/blockmanager.go
@@ -123,6 +123,9 @@ type blockManager struct {
 
 	// newHeadersMtx is the mutex that should be held when reading/writing
 	// the headerTip variable above.
+	//
+	// NOTE: When using this mutex along with newFilterHeadersMtx at the
+	// same time, newHeadersMtx should always be acquired first.
 	newHeadersMtx sync.RWMutex
 
 	// newHeadersSignal is condition variable which will be used to notify
@@ -144,6 +147,9 @@ type blockManager struct {
 
 	// newFilterHeadersMtx is the mutex that should be held when
 	// reading/writing the filterHeaderTip variable above.
+	//
+	// NOTE: When using this mutex along with newHeadersMtx at the same
+	// time, newHeadersMtx should always be acquired first.
 	newFilterHeadersMtx sync.RWMutex
 
 	// newFilterHeadersSignal is condition variable which will be used to
@@ -477,10 +483,10 @@ waitForHeaders:
 	log.Infof("Waiting for more block headers, then will start "+
 		"cfheaders sync from height %v...", b.filterHeaderTip)
 
-	// NOTE: We can grab the filterHeaderTip here without a lock, as this
-	// is the only goroutine that can modify this value.
 	b.newHeadersSignal.L.Lock()
+	b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RLock()
 	for !(b.filterHeaderTip+wire.CFCheckptInterval <= b.headerTip || b.BlockHeadersSynced()) {
+		b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RUnlock()
 		b.newHeadersSignal.Wait()
 
 		// While we're awake, we'll quickly check to see if we need to
@@ -492,7 +498,12 @@ waitForHeaders:
 		default:
 
 		}
+
+		// Re-acquire the lock in order to check for the filter header
+		// tip at the next iteration of the loop.
+		b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RLock()
 	}
+	b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RUnlock()
 	b.newHeadersSignal.L.Unlock()
 
 	// Now that the block headers are finished or ahead of the filter
@@ -505,10 +516,12 @@ waitForHeaders:
 	}
 	lastHash := lastHeader.BlockHash()
 
+	b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RLock()
 	log.Infof("Starting cfheaders sync from (block_height=%v, "+
 		"block_hash=%v) to (block_height=%v, block_hash=%v)",
 		b.filterHeaderTip, b.filterHeaderTipHash, lastHeight,
 		lastHeader.BlockHash())
+	b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RUnlock()
 
 	fType := wire.GCSFilterRegular
 	store := b.server.RegFilterHeaders
@@ -610,10 +623,13 @@ waitForHeaders:
 	// we also go back to the loop to utilize the faster check pointed
 	// fetching.
 	b.newHeadersMtx.RLock()
+	b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RLock()
 	if b.filterHeaderTip+wire.CFCheckptInterval <= b.headerTip {
+		b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RUnlock()
 		b.newHeadersMtx.RUnlock()
 		goto waitForHeaders
 	}
+	b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RUnlock()
 	b.newHeadersMtx.RUnlock()
 
 	log.Infof("Fully caught up with cfheaders at height "+
@@ -626,14 +642,12 @@ waitForHeaders:
 	for {
 		// We'll wait until the filter header tip and the header tip
 		// are mismatched.
-		//
-		// NOTE: We can grab the filterHeaderTipHash here without a
-		// lock, as this is the only goroutine that can modify this
-		// value.
 		b.newHeadersSignal.L.Lock()
+		b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RLock()
 		for b.filterHeaderTipHash == b.headerTipHash {
 			// We'll wait here until we're woken up by the
 			// broadcast signal.
+			b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RUnlock()
 			b.newHeadersSignal.Wait()
 
 			// Before we proceed, we'll check if we need to exit at
@@ -644,8 +658,12 @@ waitForHeaders:
 				return
 			default:
 			}
-		}
 
+			// Re-acquire the lock in order to check for the filter
+			// header tip at the next iteration of the loop.
+			b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RLock()
+		}
+		b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RUnlock()
 		b.newHeadersSignal.L.Unlock()
 
 		// At this point, we know that there're a set of new filter
@@ -1083,9 +1101,6 @@ func (b *blockManager) getCheckpointedCFHeaders(checkpoints []*chainhash.Hash,
 func (b *blockManager) writeCFHeadersMsg(msg *wire.MsgCFHeaders,
 	store *headerfs.FilterHeaderStore) (*chainhash.Hash, error) {
 
-	b.newFilterHeadersMtx.Lock()
-	defer b.newFilterHeadersMtx.Unlock()
-
 	// Check that the PrevFilterHeader is the same as the last stored so we
 	// can prevent misalignment.
 	tip, tipHeight, err := store.ChainTip()
@@ -1165,8 +1180,10 @@ func (b *blockManager) writeCFHeadersMsg(msg *wire.MsgCFHeaders,
 	// has changed as well. Unlike the set of notifications above, this is
 	// for sub-system that only need to know the height has changed rather
 	// than know each new header that's been added to the tip.
+	b.newFilterHeadersMtx.Lock()
 	b.filterHeaderTip = lastHeight
 	b.filterHeaderTipHash = lastHash
+	b.newFilterHeadersMtx.Unlock()
 	b.newFilterHeadersSignal.Broadcast()
 
 	return &lastHeader, nil
@@ -1946,19 +1963,6 @@ func (b *blockManager) BlockHeadersSynced() bool {
 	return b.syncPeer.LastBlock() >= b.syncPeer.StartingHeight()
 }
 
-// SynchronizeFilterHeaders allows the caller to execute a function closure
-// that depends on synchronization with the current set of filter headers. This
-// allows the caller to execute an action that depends on the current filter
-// header state, thereby ensuring that the state would shift from underneath
-// them. Each execution of the closure will have the current filter header tip
-// passed in to ensue that the caller gets a consistent view.
-func (b *blockManager) SynchronizeFilterHeaders(f func(uint32) error) error {
-	b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RLock()
-	defer b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RUnlock()
-
-	return f(b.filterHeaderTip)
-}
-
 // QueueInv adds the passed inv message and peer to the block handling queue.
 func (b *blockManager) QueueInv(inv *wire.MsgInv, sp *ServerPeer) {
 	// No channel handling here because peers do not need to block on inv
@@ -2625,9 +2629,8 @@ func (b *blockManager) NotificationsSinceHeight(
 	height uint32) ([]blockntfns.BlockNtfn, uint32, error) {
 
 	b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RLock()
-	defer b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RUnlock()
-
 	bestHeight := b.filterHeaderTip
+	b.newFilterHeadersMtx.RUnlock()
 
 	// If a height of 0 is provided by the caller, then a backlog of
 	// notifications is not needed.