diff --git a/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md b/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
index 75062dc03..fbf3a7fd1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
@@ -31,3 +31,4 @@ Friendly reminder, we have a [bug bounty program](https://hackerone.com/tendermi
 - [blockchain/v2] \#5530 Fix "processed height 4541 but expected height 4540" panic (@melekes)
 - [consensus/wal] Fix WAL autorepair by opening target WAL in read/write mode (@erikgrinaker)
 - [block] \#5567 Fix MaxCommitSigBytes (@cmwaters)
+- [evidence] \#5574 Fix bug where node sends committed evidence to peer (@cmwaters)
diff --git a/evidence/pool.go b/evidence/pool.go
index 74d956019..580f8c9e8 100644
--- a/evidence/pool.go
+++ b/evidence/pool.go
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ func NewPool(evidenceDB dbm.DB, stateDB sm.Store, blockStore BlockStore) (*Pool,
 
 // PendingEvidence is used primarily as part of block proposal and returns up to maxNum of uncommitted evidence.
 func (evpool *Pool) PendingEvidence(maxBytes int64) ([]types.Evidence, int64) {
-	if atomic.LoadUint32(&evpool.evidenceSize) == 0 {
+	if evpool.Size() == 0 {
 		return []types.Evidence{}, 0
 	}
 	evidence, size, err := evpool.listEvidence(baseKeyPending, maxBytes)
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func (evpool *Pool) Update(state sm.State) {
 	evpool.updateState(state)
 
 	// prune pending evidence when it has expired. This also updates when the next evidence will expire
-	if atomic.LoadUint32(&evpool.evidenceSize) > 0 && state.LastBlockHeight > evpool.pruningHeight &&
+	if evpool.Size() > 0 && state.LastBlockHeight > evpool.pruningHeight &&
 		state.LastBlockTime.After(evpool.pruningTime) {
 		evpool.pruningHeight, evpool.pruningTime = evpool.removeExpiredPendingEvidence()
 	}
@@ -126,6 +126,14 @@ func (evpool *Pool) AddEvidence(ev types.Evidence) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	// check that the evidence isn't already committed
+	if evpool.isCommitted(ev) {
+		// this can happen if the peer that sent us the evidence is behind so we shouldn't
+		// punish the peer.
+		evpool.logger.Debug("Evidence was already committed, ignoring this one", "ev", ev)
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	// 1) Verify against state.
 	evInfo, err := evpool.verify(ev)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -197,12 +205,19 @@ func (evpool *Pool) CheckEvidence(evList types.EvidenceList) error {
 		ok := evpool.fastCheck(ev)
 
 		if !ok {
+			// check that the evidence isn't already committed
+			if evpool.isCommitted(ev) {
+				return &types.ErrInvalidEvidence{Evidence: ev, Reason: errors.New("evidence was already committed")}
+			}
+
 			evInfo, err := evpool.verify(ev)
 			if err != nil {
 				return &types.ErrInvalidEvidence{Evidence: ev, Reason: err}
 			}
 
 			if err := evpool.addPendingEvidence(evInfo); err != nil {
+				// Something went wrong with adding the evidence but we already know it is valid
+				// hence we log an error and continue
 				evpool.logger.Error("Can't add evidence to pending list", "err", err, "evInfo", evInfo)
 			}
 
@@ -315,6 +330,10 @@ func (evpool *Pool) SetLogger(l log.Logger) {
 	evpool.logger = l
 }
 
+func (evpool *Pool) Size() uint32 {
+	return atomic.LoadUint32(&evpool.evidenceSize)
+}
+
 // State returns the current state of the evpool.
 func (evpool *Pool) State() sm.State {
 	evpool.mtx.Lock()
diff --git a/evidence/reactor.go b/evidence/reactor.go
index aa2ce6ed2..e9003ded1 100644
--- a/evidence/reactor.go
+++ b/evidence/reactor.go
@@ -17,8 +17,13 @@ const (
 
 	maxMsgSize = 1048576 // 1MB TODO make it configurable
 
-	broadcastEvidenceIntervalS = 60  // broadcast uncommitted evidence this often
-	peerCatchupSleepIntervalMS = 100 // If peer is behind, sleep this amount
+	// broadcast all uncommitted evidence this often. This sets when the reactor
+	// goes back to the start of the list and begins sending the evidence again.
+	// Most evidence should be committed in the very next block that is why we wait
+	// just over the block production rate before sending evidence again.
+	broadcastEvidenceIntervalS = 10
+	// If a message fails wait this much before sending it again
+	peerRetryMessageIntervalMS = 100
 )
 
 // Reactor handles evpool evidence broadcasting amongst peers.
@@ -117,7 +122,7 @@ func (evR *Reactor) broadcastEvidenceRoutine(peer p2p.Peer) {
 		}
 
 		ev := next.Value.(types.Evidence)
-		evis, retry := evR.checkSendEvidenceMessage(peer, ev)
+		evis := evR.prepareEvidenceMessage(peer, ev)
 		if len(evis) > 0 {
 			msgBytes, err := encodeMsg(evis)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -125,12 +130,10 @@ func (evR *Reactor) broadcastEvidenceRoutine(peer p2p.Peer) {
 			}
 
 			success := peer.Send(EvidenceChannel, msgBytes)
-			retry = !success
-		}
-
-		if retry {
-			time.Sleep(peerCatchupSleepIntervalMS * time.Millisecond)
-			continue
+			if !success {
+				time.Sleep(peerRetryMessageIntervalMS * time.Millisecond)
+				continue
+			}
 		}
 
 		afterCh := time.After(time.Second * broadcastEvidenceIntervalS)
@@ -150,12 +153,12 @@ func (evR *Reactor) broadcastEvidenceRoutine(peer p2p.Peer) {
 	}
 }
 
-// Returns the message to send the peer, or nil if the evidence is invalid for the peer.
-// If message is nil, return true if we should sleep and try again.
-func (evR Reactor) checkSendEvidenceMessage(
+// Returns the message to send to the peer, or nil if the evidence is invalid for the peer.
+// If message is nil, we should sleep and try again.
+func (evR Reactor) prepareEvidenceMessage(
 	peer p2p.Peer,
 	ev types.Evidence,
-) (evis []types.Evidence, retry bool) {
+) (evis []types.Evidence) {
 
 	// make sure the peer is up to date
 	evHeight := ev.Height()
@@ -166,7 +169,7 @@ func (evR Reactor) checkSendEvidenceMessage(
 		// different every time due to us using a map. Sometimes other reactors
 		// will be initialized before the consensus reactor. We should wait a few
 		// milliseconds and retry.
-		return nil, true
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	// NOTE: We only send evidence to peers where
@@ -178,7 +181,7 @@ func (evR Reactor) checkSendEvidenceMessage(
 	)
 
 	if peerHeight <= evHeight { // peer is behind. sleep while he catches up
-		return nil, true
+		return nil
 	} else if ageNumBlocks > params.MaxAgeNumBlocks { // evidence is too old relative to the peer, skip
 
 		// NOTE: if evidence is too old for an honest peer, then we're behind and
@@ -192,11 +195,11 @@ func (evR Reactor) checkSendEvidenceMessage(
 			"peer", peer,
 		)
 
-		return nil, false
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	// send evidence
-	return []types.Evidence{ev}, false
+	return []types.Evidence{ev}
 }
 
 // PeerState describes the state of a peer.
diff --git a/evidence/reactor_test.go b/evidence/reactor_test.go
index 2980a692d..03a250ed6 100644
--- a/evidence/reactor_test.go
+++ b/evidence/reactor_test.go
@@ -27,6 +27,162 @@ import (
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
 )
 
+var (
+	numEvidence = 10
+	timeout     = 120 * time.Second // ridiculously high because CircleCI is slow
+)
+
+// We have N evidence reactors connected to one another. The first reactor
+// receives a number of evidence at varying heights. We test that all
+// other reactors receive the evidence and add it to their own respective
+// evidence pools.
+func TestReactorBroadcastEvidence(t *testing.T) {
+	config := cfg.TestConfig()
+	N := 7
+
+	// create statedb for everyone
+	stateDBs := make([]sm.Store, N)
+	val := types.NewMockPV()
+	// we need validators saved for heights at least as high as we have evidence for
+	height := int64(numEvidence) + 10
+	for i := 0; i < N; i++ {
+		stateDBs[i] = initializeValidatorState(val, height)
+	}
+
+	// make reactors from statedb
+	reactors, pools := makeAndConnectReactorsAndPools(config, stateDBs)
+
+	// set the peer height on each reactor
+	for _, r := range reactors {
+		for _, peer := range r.Switch.Peers().List() {
+			ps := peerState{height}
+			peer.Set(types.PeerStateKey, ps)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// send a bunch of valid evidence to the first reactor's evpool
+	// and wait for them all to be received in the others
+	evList := sendEvidence(t, pools[0], val, numEvidence)
+	waitForEvidence(t, evList, pools)
+}
+
+// We have two evidence reactors connected to one another but are at different heights.
+// Reactor 1 which is ahead receives a number of evidence. It should only send the evidence
+// that is below the height of the peer to that peer.
+func TestReactorSelectiveBroadcast(t *testing.T) {
+	config := cfg.TestConfig()
+
+	val := types.NewMockPV()
+	height1 := int64(numEvidence) + 10
+	height2 := int64(numEvidence) / 2
+
+	// DB1 is ahead of DB2
+	stateDB1 := initializeValidatorState(val, height1)
+	stateDB2 := initializeValidatorState(val, height2)
+
+	// make reactors from statedb
+	reactors, pools := makeAndConnectReactorsAndPools(config, []sm.Store{stateDB1, stateDB2})
+
+	// set the peer height on each reactor
+	for _, r := range reactors {
+		for _, peer := range r.Switch.Peers().List() {
+			ps := peerState{height1}
+			peer.Set(types.PeerStateKey, ps)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// update the first reactor peer's height to be very small
+	peer := reactors[0].Switch.Peers().List()[0]
+	ps := peerState{height2}
+	peer.Set(types.PeerStateKey, ps)
+
+	// send a bunch of valid evidence to the first reactor's evpool
+	evList := sendEvidence(t, pools[0], val, numEvidence)
+
+	// only ones less than the peers height should make it through
+	waitForEvidence(t, evList[:numEvidence/2-1], []*evidence.Pool{pools[1]})
+
+	// peers should still be connected
+	peers := reactors[1].Switch.Peers().List()
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(peers))
+}
+
+// This tests aims to ensure that reactors don't send evidence that they have committed or that ar
+// not ready for the peer through three scenarios.
+// First, committed evidence to a newly connected peer
+// Second, evidence to a peer that is behind
+// Third, evidence that was pending and became committed just before the peer caught up
+func TestReactorsGossipNoCommittedEvidence(t *testing.T) {
+	config := cfg.TestConfig()
+
+	val := types.NewMockPV()
+	var height int64 = 10
+
+	// DB1 is ahead of DB2
+	stateDB1 := initializeValidatorState(val, height)
+	stateDB2 := initializeValidatorState(val, height-2)
+
+	// make reactors from statedb
+	reactors, pools := makeAndConnectReactorsAndPools(config, []sm.Store{stateDB1, stateDB2})
+
+	evList := sendEvidence(t, pools[0], val, 2)
+	abciEvs := pools[0].ABCIEvidence(height, evList)
+	require.EqualValues(t, 2, len(abciEvs))
+	require.EqualValues(t, uint32(0), pools[0].Size())
+
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	peer := reactors[0].Switch.Peers().List()[0]
+	ps := peerState{height - 2}
+	peer.Set(types.PeerStateKey, ps)
+
+	peer = reactors[1].Switch.Peers().List()[0]
+	ps = peerState{height}
+	peer.Set(types.PeerStateKey, ps)
+
+	// wait to see that no evidence comes through
+	time.Sleep(300 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	// the second pool should not have received any evidence because it has already been committed
+	assert.Equal(t, uint32(0), pools[1].Size(), "second reactor should not have received evidence")
+
+	// the first reactor receives three more evidence
+	evList = make([]types.Evidence, 3)
+	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+		ev := types.NewMockDuplicateVoteEvidenceWithValidator(height-3+int64(i),
+			time.Date(2019, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC), val, evidenceChainID)
+		err := pools[0].AddEvidence(ev)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		evList[i] = ev
+	}
+
+	// wait to see that only one evidence is sent
+	time.Sleep(300 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	// the second pool should only have received the first evidence because it is behind
+	peerEv, _ := pools[1].PendingEvidence(1000)
+	assert.EqualValues(t, []types.Evidence{evList[0]}, peerEv)
+
+	// the last evidence is committed and the second reactor catches up in state to the first
+	// reactor. We therefore expect that the second reactor only receives one more evidence, the
+	// one that is still pending and not the evidence that has already been committed.
+	_ = pools[0].ABCIEvidence(height, []types.Evidence{evList[2]})
+	// the first reactor should have the two remaining pending evidence
+	require.EqualValues(t, uint32(2), pools[0].Size())
+
+	// now update the state of the second reactor
+	pools[1].Update(sm.State{LastBlockHeight: height})
+	peer = reactors[0].Switch.Peers().List()[0]
+	ps = peerState{height}
+	peer.Set(types.PeerStateKey, ps)
+
+	// wait to see that only two evidence is sent
+	time.Sleep(300 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	peerEv, _ = pools[1].PendingEvidence(1000)
+	assert.EqualValues(t, evList[0:1], peerEv)
+}
+
 // evidenceLogger is a TestingLogger which uses a different
 // color for each validator ("validator" key must exist).
 func evidenceLogger() log.Logger {
@@ -141,41 +297,6 @@ func sendEvidence(t *testing.T, evpool *evidence.Pool, val types.PrivValidator,
 	return evList
 }
 
-var (
-	numEvidence = 10
-	timeout     = 120 * time.Second // ridiculously high because CircleCI is slow
-)
-
-func TestReactorBroadcastEvidence(t *testing.T) {
-	config := cfg.TestConfig()
-	N := 7
-
-	// create statedb for everyone
-	stateDBs := make([]sm.Store, N)
-	val := types.NewMockPV()
-	// we need validators saved for heights at least as high as we have evidence for
-	height := int64(numEvidence) + 10
-	for i := 0; i < N; i++ {
-		stateDBs[i] = initializeValidatorState(val, height)
-	}
-
-	// make reactors from statedb
-	reactors, pools := makeAndConnectReactorsAndPools(config, stateDBs)
-
-	// set the peer height on each reactor
-	for _, r := range reactors {
-		for _, peer := range r.Switch.Peers().List() {
-			ps := peerState{height}
-			peer.Set(types.PeerStateKey, ps)
-		}
-	}
-
-	// send a bunch of valid evidence to the first reactor's evpool
-	// and wait for them all to be received in the others
-	evList := sendEvidence(t, pools[0], val, numEvidence)
-	waitForEvidence(t, evList, pools)
-}
-
 type peerState struct {
 	height int64
 }
@@ -184,44 +305,6 @@ func (ps peerState) GetHeight() int64 {
 	return ps.height
 }
 
-func TestReactorSelectiveBroadcast(t *testing.T) {
-	config := cfg.TestConfig()
-
-	val := types.NewMockPV()
-	height1 := int64(numEvidence) + 10
-	height2 := int64(numEvidence) / 2
-
-	// DB1 is ahead of DB2
-	stateDB1 := initializeValidatorState(val, height1)
-	stateDB2 := initializeValidatorState(val, height2)
-
-	// make reactors from statedb
-	reactors, pools := makeAndConnectReactorsAndPools(config, []sm.Store{stateDB1, stateDB2})
-
-	// set the peer height on each reactor
-	for _, r := range reactors {
-		for _, peer := range r.Switch.Peers().List() {
-			ps := peerState{height1}
-			peer.Set(types.PeerStateKey, ps)
-		}
-	}
-
-	// update the first reactor peer's height to be very small
-	peer := reactors[0].Switch.Peers().List()[0]
-	ps := peerState{height2}
-	peer.Set(types.PeerStateKey, ps)
-
-	// send a bunch of valid evidence to the first reactor's evpool
-	evList := sendEvidence(t, pools[0], val, numEvidence)
-
-	// only ones less than the peers height should make it through
-	waitForEvidence(t, evList[:numEvidence/2-1], pools[1:2])
-
-	// peers should still be connected
-	peers := reactors[1].Switch.Peers().List()
-	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(peers))
-}
-
 func exampleVote(t byte) *types.Vote {
 	var stamp, err = time.Parse(types.TimeFormat, "2017-12-25T03:00:01.234Z")
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/evidence/verify.go b/evidence/verify.go
index f0806b1b4..53717d4be 100644
--- a/evidence/verify.go
+++ b/evidence/verify.go
@@ -24,11 +24,6 @@ func (evpool *Pool) verify(evidence types.Evidence) (*info, error) {
 		ageNumBlocks   = height - evidence.Height()
 	)
 
-	// check that the evidence isn't already committed
-	if evpool.isCommitted(evidence) {
-		return nil, errors.New("evidence was already committed")
-	}
-
 	// verify the time of the evidence
 	blockMeta := evpool.blockStore.LoadBlockMeta(evidence.Height())
 	if blockMeta == nil {