diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index ccf71ad3..5aa49662 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -780,7 +780,6 @@ func newServer(listenAddrs []net.Addr, chanDB *channeldb.DB,
 			return time.NewTimer(sweep.DefaultBatchWindowDuration).C
 		},
 		Notifier:             cc.chainNotifier,
-		ChainIO:              cc.chainIO,
 		Store:                sweeperStore,
 		MaxInputsPerTx:       sweep.DefaultMaxInputsPerTx,
 		MaxSweepAttempts:     sweep.DefaultMaxSweepAttempts,
diff --git a/sweep/sweeper.go b/sweep/sweeper.go
index 03fcf6ca..2e3a1e1c 100644
--- a/sweep/sweeper.go
+++ b/sweep/sweeper.go
@@ -212,9 +212,6 @@ type UtxoSweeperConfig struct {
 	// certain on-chain events.
 	Notifier chainntnfs.ChainNotifier
 
-	// ChainIO is used  to determine the current block height.
-	ChainIO lnwallet.BlockChainIO
-
 	// Store stores the published sweeper txes.
 	Store SweeperStore
 
@@ -323,20 +320,10 @@ func (s *UtxoSweeper) Start() error {
 	// not change from here on.
 	s.relayFeeRate = s.cfg.FeeEstimator.RelayFeePerKW()
 
-	// Register for block epochs to retry sweeping every block.
-	bestHash, bestHeight, err := s.cfg.ChainIO.GetBestBlock()
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("get best block: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	log.Debugf("Best height: %v", bestHeight)
-
-	blockEpochs, err := s.cfg.Notifier.RegisterBlockEpochNtfn(
-		&chainntnfs.BlockEpoch{
-			Height: bestHeight,
-			Hash:   bestHash,
-		},
-	)
+	// We need to register for block epochs and retry sweeping every block.
+	// We should get a notification with the current best block immediately
+	// if we don't provide any epoch. We'll wait for that in the collector.
+	blockEpochs, err := s.cfg.Notifier.RegisterBlockEpochNtfn(nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("register block epoch ntfn: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -347,10 +334,7 @@ func (s *UtxoSweeper) Start() error {
 		defer blockEpochs.Cancel()
 		defer s.wg.Done()
 
-		err := s.collector(blockEpochs.Epochs, bestHeight)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("sweeper stopped: %v", err)
-		}
+		s.collector(blockEpochs.Epochs)
 	}()
 
 	return nil
@@ -445,8 +429,18 @@ func (s *UtxoSweeper) feeRateForPreference(
 
 // collector is the sweeper main loop. It processes new inputs, spend
 // notifications and counts down to publication of the sweep tx.
-func (s *UtxoSweeper) collector(blockEpochs <-chan *chainntnfs.BlockEpoch,
-	bestHeight int32) error {
+func (s *UtxoSweeper) collector(blockEpochs <-chan *chainntnfs.BlockEpoch) {
+	// We registered for the block epochs with a nil request. The notifier
+	// should send us the current best block immediately. So we need to wait
+	// for it here because we need to know the current best height.
+	var bestHeight int32
+	select {
+	case bestBlock := <-blockEpochs:
+		bestHeight = bestBlock.Height
+
+	case <-s.quit:
+		return
+	}
 
 	for {
 		select {
@@ -622,7 +616,7 @@ func (s *UtxoSweeper) collector(blockEpochs <-chan *chainntnfs.BlockEpoch,
 		// sweep.
 		case epoch, ok := <-blockEpochs:
 			if !ok {
-				return nil
+				return
 			}
 
 			bestHeight = epoch.Height
@@ -635,7 +629,7 @@ func (s *UtxoSweeper) collector(blockEpochs <-chan *chainntnfs.BlockEpoch,
 			}
 
 		case <-s.quit:
-			return nil
+			return
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/sweep/sweeper_test.go b/sweep/sweeper_test.go
index b4139fba..501ec3f8 100644
--- a/sweep/sweeper_test.go
+++ b/sweep/sweeper_test.go
@@ -130,9 +130,8 @@ func createSweeperTestContext(t *testing.T) *sweeperTestContext {
 			ctx.timeoutChan <- c
 			return c
 		},
-		Store:   store,
-		Signer:  &mockSigner{},
-		ChainIO: &mockChainIO{},
+		Store:  store,
+		Signer: &mockSigner{},
 		GenSweepScript: func() ([]byte, error) {
 			script := []byte{outputScriptCount}
 			outputScriptCount++
diff --git a/sweep/test_utils.go b/sweep/test_utils.go
index 46ee6dc3..df44cd10 100644
--- a/sweep/test_utils.go
+++ b/sweep/test_utils.go
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/btcsuite/btcd/wire"
 	"github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/chainntnfs"
 	"github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/input"
-	"github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/lnwallet"
 )
 
 var (
 	defaultTestTimeout = 5 * time.Second
-	mockChainIOHeight  = int32(100)
+	mockChainHash, _   = chainhash.NewHashFromStr("00aabbccddeeff")
+	mockChainHeight    = int32(100)
 )
 
 type mockSigner struct {
@@ -155,12 +155,22 @@ func (m *MockNotifier) RegisterBlockEpochNtfn(
 	log.Tracef("Mock block ntfn registered")
 
 	m.mutex.Lock()
-	epochChan := make(chan *chainntnfs.BlockEpoch, 0)
-	bestHeight := int32(0)
-	if bestBlock != nil {
-		bestHeight = bestBlock.Height
+	epochChan := make(chan *chainntnfs.BlockEpoch, 1)
+
+	// The real notifier returns a notification with the current block hash
+	// and height immediately if no best block hash or height is specified
+	// in the request. We want to emulate this behaviour as well for the
+	// mock.
+	switch {
+	case bestBlock == nil:
+		epochChan <- &chainntnfs.BlockEpoch{
+			Hash:   mockChainHash,
+			Height: mockChainHeight,
+		}
+		m.epochChan[epochChan] = mockChainHeight
+	default:
+		m.epochChan[epochChan] = bestBlock.Height
 	}
-	m.epochChan[epochChan] = bestHeight
 	m.mutex.Unlock()
 
 	return &chainntnfs.BlockEpochEvent{
@@ -235,25 +245,3 @@ func (m *MockNotifier) RegisterSpendNtfn(outpoint *wire.OutPoint,
 		},
 	}, nil
 }
-
-type mockChainIO struct{}
-
-var _ lnwallet.BlockChainIO = (*mockChainIO)(nil)
-
-func (m *mockChainIO) GetBestBlock() (*chainhash.Hash, int32, error) {
-	return nil, mockChainIOHeight, nil
-}
-
-func (m *mockChainIO) GetUtxo(op *wire.OutPoint, pkScript []byte,
-	heightHint uint32, _ <-chan struct{}) (*wire.TxOut, error) {
-
-	return nil, nil
-}
-
-func (m *mockChainIO) GetBlockHash(blockHeight int64) (*chainhash.Hash, error) {
-	return nil, nil
-}
-
-func (m *mockChainIO) GetBlock(blockHash *chainhash.Hash) (*wire.MsgBlock, error) {
-	return nil, nil
-}