diff --git a/cmd/zetaclientd/start.go b/cmd/zetaclientd/start.go
index 176e1b5847..6a4d0b6f4d 100644
--- a/cmd/zetaclientd/start.go
+++ b/cmd/zetaclientd/start.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	zctx "github.com/zeta-chain/zetacore/zetaclient/context"
 	"github.com/zeta-chain/zetacore/zetaclient/metrics"
 	"github.com/zeta-chain/zetacore/zetaclient/orchestrator"
+	"github.com/zeta-chain/zetacore/zetaclient/zetacore"
 )
 
 type Multiaddr = core.Multiaddr
@@ -253,17 +254,15 @@ func start(_ *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 		startLogger.Error().Msgf("No chains enabled in updated config %s ", cfg.String())
 	}
 
-	observerList, err := zetacoreClient.GetObserverList(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		startLogger.Error().Err(err).Msg("GetObserverList error")
+	isObserver, err := isObserverNode(ctx, zetacoreClient)
+	switch {
+	case err != nil:
+		startLogger.Error().Msgf("Unable to determine if node is an observer")
 		return err
-	}
-	isNodeActive := false
-	for _, observer := range observerList {
-		if observer == zetacoreClient.GetKeys().GetOperatorAddress().String() {
-			isNodeActive = true
-			break
-		}
+	case !isObserver:
+		addr := zetacoreClient.GetKeys().GetOperatorAddress().String()
+		startLogger.Info().Str("operator_address", addr).Msg("This node is not an observer. Exit 0")
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	// CreateSignerMap: This creates a map of all signers for each chain.
@@ -281,23 +280,14 @@ func start(_ *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 	}
 	dbpath := filepath.Join(userDir, ".zetaclient/chainobserver")
 
-	// Creates a map of all chain observers for each chain. Each chain observer is responsible for observing events on the chain and processing them.
+	// Creates a map of all chain observers for each chain.
+	// Each chain observer is responsible for observing events on the chain and processing them.
 	observerMap, err := orchestrator.CreateChainObserverMap(ctx, zetacoreClient, tss, dbpath, logger, telemetryServer)
 	if err != nil {
 		startLogger.Err(err).Msg("CreateChainObserverMap")
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if !isNodeActive {
-		startLogger.Error().
-			Msgf("Node %s is not an active observer external chain observers will not be started", zetacoreClient.GetKeys().GetOperatorAddress().String())
-	} else {
-		startLogger.Debug().Msgf("Node %s is an active observer starting external chain observers", zetacoreClient.GetKeys().GetOperatorAddress().String())
-		for _, observer := range observerMap {
-			observer.Start(ctx)
-		}
-	}
-
 	// Orchestrator wraps the zetacore client and adds the observers and signer maps to it.
 	// This is the high level object used for CCTX interactions
 	maestro, err := orchestrator.New(
@@ -313,6 +303,7 @@ func start(_ *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// Start orchestrator with all observers and signers
 	if err := maestro.Start(ctx); err != nil {
 		startLogger.Error().Err(err).Msg("Unable to start orchestrator")
 		return err
@@ -338,10 +329,6 @@ func start(_ *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 	sig := <-ch
 	startLogger.Info().Msgf("stop signal received: %s", sig)
 
-	// stop chain observers
-	for _, observer := range observerMap {
-		observer.Stop()
-	}
 	zetacoreClient.Stop()
 
 	return nil
@@ -405,3 +392,21 @@ func promptPasswords() (string, string, error) {
 
 	return hotKeyPass, TSSKeyPass, err
 }
+
+// isObserverNode checks whether THIS node is an observer node.
+func isObserverNode(ctx context.Context, client *zetacore.Client) (bool, error) {
+	observers, err := client.GetObserverList(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, errors.Wrap(err, "unable to get observers list")
+	}
+
+	operatorAddress := client.GetKeys().GetOperatorAddress().String()
+
+	for _, observer := range observers {
+		if observer == operatorAddress {
+			return true, nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false, nil
+}
diff --git a/zetaclient/orchestrator/orchestrator.go b/zetaclient/orchestrator/orchestrator.go
index d355c41249..b0965a9d1b 100644
--- a/zetaclient/orchestrator/orchestrator.go
+++ b/zetaclient/orchestrator/orchestrator.go
@@ -113,6 +113,10 @@ func (oc *Orchestrator) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 	oc.logger.Info().Str("signer", signerAddress.String()).Msg("Starting orchestrator")
 
+	for _, observer := range oc.observerMap {
+		observer.Start(ctx)
+	}
+
 	// start cctx scheduler
 	bg.Work(ctx, oc.StartCctxScheduler, bg.WithName("StartCctxScheduler"), bg.WithLogger(oc.logger.Logger))