diff --git a/node/src/components/consensus/highway_core/active_validator.rs b/node/src/components/consensus/highway_core/active_validator.rs
index f3bada6dbc..7f9c928f12 100644
--- a/node/src/components/consensus/highway_core/active_validator.rs
+++ b/node/src/components/consensus/highway_core/active_validator.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ use crate::{
 #[derive(Clone, Eq, PartialEq, Debug)]
 pub(crate) enum Effect<C: Context> {
     /// Newly vertex that should be gossiped to peers and added to the protocol state.
-    // TODO: This should contain a `ValidVertex`, since we created it ourselves.
     NewVertex(ValidVertex<C>),
     /// `handle_timer` needs to be called at the specified time.
     ScheduleTimer(Timestamp),
@@ -103,8 +102,10 @@ impl<C: Context> ActiveValidator<C> {
             effects.push(Effect::RequestNewBlock(bctx));
         } else if round_offset == self.witness_offset() {
             let panorama = state.panorama_cutoff(state.panorama(), timestamp);
-            let witness_vote = self.new_vote(panorama, timestamp, None, state);
-            effects.push(Effect::NewVertex(ValidVertex(Vertex::Vote(witness_vote))))
+            if !panorama.is_empty() {
+                let witness_vote = self.new_vote(panorama, timestamp, None, state);
+                effects.push(Effect::NewVertex(ValidVertex(Vertex::Vote(witness_vote))))
+            }
         }
         effects
     }
@@ -120,9 +121,11 @@ impl<C: Context> ActiveValidator<C> {
             warn!(%timestamp, "skipping outdated confirmation");
         } else if self.should_send_confirmation(vhash, timestamp, state) {
             let panorama = self.confirmation_panorama(vhash, state);
-            let confirmation_vote = self.new_vote(panorama, timestamp, None, state);
-            let vv = ValidVertex(Vertex::Vote(confirmation_vote));
-            return vec![Effect::NewVertex(vv)];
+            if !panorama.is_empty() {
+                let confirmation_vote = self.new_vote(panorama, timestamp, None, state);
+                let vv = ValidVertex(Vertex::Vote(confirmation_vote));
+                return vec![Effect::NewVertex(vv)];
+            }
         }
         vec![]
     }
diff --git a/node/src/components/consensus/highway_core/highway.rs b/node/src/components/consensus/highway_core/highway.rs
index 36e91a20fe..77c19bdea2 100644
--- a/node/src/components/consensus/highway_core/highway.rs
+++ b/node/src/components/consensus/highway_core/highway.rs
@@ -197,7 +197,6 @@ impl<C: Context> Highway<C> {
         match self.active_validator.as_mut() {
             None => {
                 // TODO: Error?
-                // At least add logging about the event.
                 warn!(%timestamp, "Observer node was called with `handle_timer` event.");
                 vec![]
             }
@@ -239,7 +238,7 @@ impl<C: Context> Highway<C> {
     fn do_pre_validate_vertex(&self, vertex: &Vertex<C>) -> Result<(), VertexError> {
         match vertex {
             Vertex::Vote(vote) => {
-                if !C::validate_signature(&vote.hash(), self.validator_pk(&vote), &vote.signature) {
+                if !C::verify_signature(&vote.hash(), self.validator_pk(&vote), &vote.signature) {
                     return Err(VoteError::Signature.into());
                 }
                 Ok(self.state.pre_validate_vote(vote)?)
diff --git a/node/src/components/consensus/highway_core/state.rs b/node/src/components/consensus/highway_core/state.rs
index 03c8d03ac3..8874941e49 100644
--- a/node/src/components/consensus/highway_core/state.rs
+++ b/node/src/components/consensus/highway_core/state.rs
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
             hasher.finish()
         }
 
-        fn validate_signature(
+        fn verify_signature(
             hash: &Self::Hash,
             public_key: &Self::ValidatorId,
             signature: &<Self::ValidatorSecret as ValidatorSecret>::Signature,
diff --git a/node/src/components/consensus/highway_core/vote.rs b/node/src/components/consensus/highway_core/vote.rs
index debf695bf2..a5467921a4 100644
--- a/node/src/components/consensus/highway_core/vote.rs
+++ b/node/src/components/consensus/highway_core/vote.rs
@@ -107,7 +107,6 @@ impl<C: Context> Panorama<C> {
 /// A vote sent to or received from the network.
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
 pub(crate) struct Vote<C: Context> {
-    // TODO: Signature
     /// The list of latest messages and faults observed by the creator of this message.
     pub(crate) panorama: Panorama<C>,
     /// The number of earlier messages by the same creator.
diff --git a/node/src/components/consensus/protocols/highway.rs b/node/src/components/consensus/protocols/highway.rs
index 4da37ba976..0faa097566 100644
--- a/node/src/components/consensus/protocols/highway.rs
+++ b/node/src/components/consensus/protocols/highway.rs
@@ -180,13 +180,15 @@ where
     }
 
     fn run(mut self) -> Vec<ConsensusProtocolResult<I, C::ConsensusValue>> {
-        while let Some(effect) = self.synchronizer_effects_queue.pop() {
-            self.process_synchronizer_effect(effect);
-            while let Some((sender, vertex)) = self.vertex_queue.pop() {
+        loop {
+            if let Some(effect) = self.synchronizer_effects_queue.pop() {
+                self.process_synchronizer_effect(effect);
+            } else if let Some((sender, vertex)) = self.vertex_queue.pop() {
                 self.process_vertex(sender, vertex);
+            } else {
+                return self.results;
             }
         }
-        self.results
     }
 
     fn process_vertex(&mut self, sender: I, vertex: PreValidatedVertex<C>) {
@@ -377,7 +379,7 @@ impl Context for HighwayContext {
         hash(data)
     }
 
-    fn validate_signature(hash: &Digest, public_key: &PublicKey, signature: &Signature) -> bool {
+    fn verify_signature(hash: &Digest, public_key: &PublicKey, signature: &Signature) -> bool {
         verify(hash, signature, public_key).is_ok()
     }
 }
diff --git a/node/src/components/consensus/traits.rs b/node/src/components/consensus/traits.rs
index aa0282ce15..dd4c3beff7 100644
--- a/node/src/components/consensus/traits.rs
+++ b/node/src/components/consensus/traits.rs
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ pub(crate) trait Context: Clone + Debug + Eq + Ord + Hash {
 
     fn hash(data: &[u8]) -> Self::Hash;
 
-    fn validate_signature(
+    fn verify_signature(
         hash: &Self::Hash,
         public_key: &Self::ValidatorId,
         signature: &<Self::ValidatorSecret as ValidatorSecret>::Signature,