diff --git a/proxyd/proxyd/consensus_poller.go b/proxyd/proxyd/consensus_poller.go
index 2dd781f..34fe708 100644
--- a/proxyd/proxyd/consensus_poller.go
+++ b/proxyd/proxyd/consensus_poller.go
@@ -203,23 +203,22 @@ func NewConsensusPoller(bg *BackendGroup, opts ...ConsensusOpt) *ConsensusPoller
 
 // UpdateBackend refreshes the consensus state of a single backend
 func (cp *ConsensusPoller) UpdateBackend(ctx context.Context, be *Backend) {
-	bs := cp.backendState[be]
-	if time.Now().Before(bs.bannedUntil) {
-		log.Debug("skipping backend banned", "backend", be.Name, "bannedUntil", bs.bannedUntil)
+	if cp.IsBanned(be) {
+		log.Debug("skipping backend banned", "backend", be.Name)
 		return
 	}
 
 	// if backend it not online or not in a health state we'll only resume checkin it after ban
 	if !be.Online() || !be.IsHealthy() {
-		log.Warn("backend banned - not online or not healthy", "backend", be.Name, "bannedUntil", bs.bannedUntil)
-		bs.bannedUntil = time.Now().Add(cp.banPeriod)
+		log.Warn("backend banned - not online or not healthy", "backend", be.Name)
+		cp.Ban(be)
 	}
 
 	// if backend it not in sync we'll check again after ban
 	inSync, err := cp.isInSync(ctx, be)
 	if err != nil || !inSync {
-		log.Warn("backend banned - not in sync", "backend", be.Name, "bannedUntil", bs.bannedUntil)
-		bs.bannedUntil = time.Now().Add(cp.banPeriod)
+		log.Warn("backend banned - not in sync", "backend", be.Name)
+		cp.Ban(be)
 	}
 
 	// if backend exhausted rate limit we'll skip it for now
@@ -246,7 +245,11 @@ func (cp *ConsensusPoller) UpdateBackend(ctx context.Context, be *Backend) {
 
 	if changed {
 		RecordBackendLatestBlock(be, latestBlockNumber)
-		log.Debug("backend state updated", "name", be.Name, "state", bs)
+		log.Debug("backend state updated",
+			"name", be.Name,
+			"peerCount", peerCount,
+			"latestBlockNumber", latestBlockNumber,
+			"latestBlockHash", latestBlockHash)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -258,7 +261,7 @@ func (cp *ConsensusPoller) UpdateBackendGroupConsensus(ctx context.Context) {
 	currentConsensusBlockNumber := cp.GetConsensusBlockNumber()
 
 	for _, be := range cp.backendGroup.Backends {
-		peerCount, backendLatestBlockNumber, backendLatestBlockHash, lastUpdate := cp.getBackendState(be)
+		peerCount, backendLatestBlockNumber, backendLatestBlockHash, lastUpdate, _ := cp.getBackendState(be)
 
 		if !be.skipPeerCountCheck && peerCount < cp.minPeerCount {
 			continue
@@ -306,10 +309,10 @@ func (cp *ConsensusPoller) UpdateBackendGroupConsensus(ctx context.Context) {
 				- with minimum peer count
 				- updated recently
 			*/
-			bs := cp.backendState[be]
-			notUpdated := bs.lastUpdate.Add(cp.maxUpdateThreshold).Before(time.Now())
-			isBanned := time.Now().Before(bs.bannedUntil)
-			notEnoughPeers := !be.skipPeerCountCheck && bs.peerCount < cp.minPeerCount
+			peerCount, _, _, lastUpdate, bannedUntil := cp.getBackendState(be)
+			notUpdated := lastUpdate.Add(cp.maxUpdateThreshold).Before(time.Now())
+			isBanned := time.Now().Before(bannedUntil)
+			notEnoughPeers := !be.skipPeerCountCheck && peerCount < cp.minPeerCount
 			if !be.IsHealthy() || be.IsRateLimited() || !be.Online() || notUpdated || isBanned || notEnoughPeers {
 				filteredBackendsNames = append(filteredBackendsNames, be.Name)
 				continue
@@ -359,6 +362,22 @@ func (cp *ConsensusPoller) UpdateBackendGroupConsensus(ctx context.Context) {
 	log.Debug("group state", "proposedBlock", proposedBlock, "consensusBackends", strings.Join(consensusBackendsNames, ", "), "filteredBackends", strings.Join(filteredBackendsNames, ", "))
 }
 
+// IsBanned checks if a specific backend is banned
+func (cp *ConsensusPoller) IsBanned(be *Backend) bool {
+	bs := cp.backendState[be]
+	defer bs.backendStateMux.Unlock()
+	bs.backendStateMux.Lock()
+	return time.Now().Before(bs.bannedUntil)
+}
+
+// Ban bans a specific backend
+func (cp *ConsensusPoller) Ban(be *Backend) {
+	bs := cp.backendState[be]
+	defer bs.backendStateMux.Unlock()
+	bs.backendStateMux.Lock()
+	bs.bannedUntil = time.Now().Add(cp.banPeriod)
+}
+
 // Unban remove any bans from the backends
 func (cp *ConsensusPoller) Unban() {
 	for _, be := range cp.backendGroup.Backends {
@@ -432,13 +451,14 @@ func (cp *ConsensusPoller) isInSync(ctx context.Context, be *Backend) (result bo
 	return res, nil
 }
 
-func (cp *ConsensusPoller) getBackendState(be *Backend) (peerCount uint64, blockNumber hexutil.Uint64, blockHash string, lastUpdate time.Time) {
+func (cp *ConsensusPoller) getBackendState(be *Backend) (peerCount uint64, blockNumber hexutil.Uint64, blockHash string, lastUpdate time.Time, bannedUntil time.Time) {
 	bs := cp.backendState[be]
 	bs.backendStateMux.Lock()
 	peerCount = bs.peerCount
 	blockNumber = bs.latestBlockNumber
 	blockHash = bs.latestBlockHash
 	lastUpdate = bs.lastUpdate
+	bannedUntil = bs.bannedUntil
 	bs.backendStateMux.Unlock()
 	return
 }
diff --git a/proxyd/proxyd/server.go b/proxyd/proxyd/server.go
index fac04f0..2564ef6 100644
--- a/proxyd/proxyd/server.go
+++ b/proxyd/proxyd/server.go
@@ -576,7 +576,7 @@ func (s *Server) populateContext(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) context
 			return nil
 		}
 
-		ctx = context.WithValue(r.Context(), ContextKeyAuth, s.authenticatedPaths[authorization]) // nolint:staticcheck
+		ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, ContextKeyAuth, s.authenticatedPaths[authorization]) // nolint:staticcheck
 	}
 
 	return context.WithValue(