diff --git a/internal/consensus/state.go b/internal/consensus/state.go
index 6ddc968ff..2f27afc81 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/state.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/state.go
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ func NewState(
 		doWALCatchup:     true,
 		wal:              nilWAL{},
 		evpool:           evpool,
-		evsw:             tmevents.NewEventSwitch(logger),
+		evsw:             tmevents.NewEventSwitch(),
 		metrics:          NopMetrics(),
 		onStopCh:         make(chan *cstypes.RoundState),
 	}
diff --git a/libs/events/events.go b/libs/events/events.go
index d96afd7bd..5ad1170a9 100644
--- a/libs/events/events.go
+++ b/libs/events/events.go
@@ -3,22 +3,9 @@ package events
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"fmt"
 	"sync"
-
-	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/log"
 )
 
-// ErrListenerWasRemoved is returned by AddEvent if the listener was removed.
-type ErrListenerWasRemoved struct {
-	listenerID string
-}
-
-// Error implements the error interface.
-func (e ErrListenerWasRemoved) Error() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("listener #%s was removed", e.listenerID)
-}
-
 // EventData is a generic event data can be typed and registered with
 // tendermint/go-amino via concrete implementation of this interface.
 type EventData interface{}
@@ -51,13 +38,11 @@ type EventSwitch interface {
 type eventSwitch struct {
 	mtx        sync.RWMutex
 	eventCells map[string]*eventCell
-	listeners  map[string]*eventListener
 }
 
-func NewEventSwitch(logger log.Logger) EventSwitch {
+func NewEventSwitch() EventSwitch {
 	evsw := &eventSwitch{
 		eventCells: make(map[string]*eventCell),
-		listeners:  make(map[string]*eventListener),
 	}
 	return evsw
 }
@@ -71,20 +56,9 @@ func (evsw *eventSwitch) AddListenerForEvent(listenerID, eventValue string, cb E
 		eventCell = newEventCell()
 		evsw.eventCells[eventValue] = eventCell
 	}
-
-	listener := evsw.listeners[listenerID]
-	if listener == nil {
-		listener = newEventListener(listenerID)
-		evsw.listeners[listenerID] = listener
-	}
-
 	evsw.mtx.Unlock()
 
-	if err := listener.AddEvent(eventValue); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	eventCell.AddListener(listenerID, cb)
+	eventCell.addListener(listenerID, cb)
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -99,11 +73,13 @@ func (evsw *eventSwitch) FireEvent(ctx context.Context, event string, data Event
 	}
 
 	// Fire event for all listeners in eventCell
-	eventCell.FireEvent(ctx, data)
+	eventCell.fireEvent(ctx, data)
 }
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+type EventCallback func(ctx context.Context, data EventData) error
+
 // eventCell handles keeping track of listener callbacks for a given event.
 type eventCell struct {
 	mtx       sync.RWMutex
@@ -116,21 +92,13 @@ func newEventCell() *eventCell {
 	}
 }
 
-func (cell *eventCell) AddListener(listenerID string, cb EventCallback) {
+func (cell *eventCell) addListener(listenerID string, cb EventCallback) {
 	cell.mtx.Lock()
+	defer cell.mtx.Unlock()
 	cell.listeners[listenerID] = cb
-	cell.mtx.Unlock()
 }
 
-func (cell *eventCell) RemoveListener(listenerID string) int {
-	cell.mtx.Lock()
-	delete(cell.listeners, listenerID)
-	numListeners := len(cell.listeners)
-	cell.mtx.Unlock()
-	return numListeners
-}
-
-func (cell *eventCell) FireEvent(ctx context.Context, data EventData) {
+func (cell *eventCell) fireEvent(ctx context.Context, data EventData) {
 	cell.mtx.RLock()
 	eventCallbacks := make([]EventCallback, 0, len(cell.listeners))
 	for _, cb := range cell.listeners {
@@ -145,50 +113,3 @@ func (cell *eventCell) FireEvent(ctx context.Context, data EventData) {
 		}
 	}
 }
-
-//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-type EventCallback func(ctx context.Context, data EventData) error
-
-type eventListener struct {
-	id string
-
-	mtx     sync.RWMutex
-	removed bool
-	events  []string
-}
-
-func newEventListener(id string) *eventListener {
-	return &eventListener{
-		id:      id,
-		removed: false,
-		events:  nil,
-	}
-}
-
-func (evl *eventListener) AddEvent(event string) error {
-	evl.mtx.Lock()
-
-	if evl.removed {
-		evl.mtx.Unlock()
-		return ErrListenerWasRemoved{listenerID: evl.id}
-	}
-
-	evl.events = append(evl.events, event)
-	evl.mtx.Unlock()
-	return nil
-}
-
-func (evl *eventListener) GetEvents() []string {
-	evl.mtx.RLock()
-	events := make([]string, len(evl.events))
-	copy(events, evl.events)
-	evl.mtx.RUnlock()
-	return events
-}
-
-func (evl *eventListener) SetRemoved() {
-	evl.mtx.Lock()
-	evl.removed = true
-	evl.mtx.Unlock()
-}
diff --git a/libs/events/events_test.go b/libs/events/events_test.go
index 55e0103da..fba2feba8 100644
--- a/libs/events/events_test.go
+++ b/libs/events/events_test.go
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-
-	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/log"
 )
 
 // TestAddListenerForEventFireOnce sets up an EventSwitch, subscribes a single
@@ -18,9 +16,7 @@ func TestAddListenerForEventFireOnce(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	defer cancel()
 
-	logger := log.NewTestingLogger(t)
-
-	evsw := NewEventSwitch(logger)
+	evsw := NewEventSwitch()
 
 	messages := make(chan EventData)
 	require.NoError(t, evsw.AddListenerForEvent("listener", "event",
@@ -45,9 +41,7 @@ func TestAddListenerForEventFireMany(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	defer cancel()
 
-	logger := log.NewTestingLogger(t)
-
-	evsw := NewEventSwitch(logger)
+	evsw := NewEventSwitch()
 
 	doneSum := make(chan uint64)
 	doneSending := make(chan uint64)
@@ -81,9 +75,7 @@ func TestAddListenerForDifferentEvents(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	defer cancel()
 
-	logger := log.NewTestingLogger(t)
-
-	evsw := NewEventSwitch(logger)
+	evsw := NewEventSwitch()
 
 	doneSum := make(chan uint64)
 	doneSending1 := make(chan uint64)
@@ -143,8 +135,7 @@ func TestAddDifferentListenerForDifferentEvents(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	defer cancel()
 
-	logger := log.NewTestingLogger(t)
-	evsw := NewEventSwitch(logger)
+	evsw := NewEventSwitch()
 
 	doneSum1 := make(chan uint64)
 	doneSum2 := make(chan uint64)
@@ -235,9 +226,8 @@ func TestAddDifferentListenerForDifferentEvents(t *testing.T) {
 func TestManageListenersAsync(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	defer cancel()
-	logger := log.NewTestingLogger(t)
 
-	evsw := NewEventSwitch(logger)
+	evsw := NewEventSwitch()
 
 	doneSum1 := make(chan uint64)
 	doneSum2 := make(chan uint64)