diff --git a/core/src/banking_stage.rs b/core/src/banking_stage.rs
index 945f4b86d6..f79a6cf83c 100644
--- a/core/src/banking_stage.rs
+++ b/core/src/banking_stage.rs
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ impl BankingStage {
         // This thread talks to poh_service and broadcasts the entries once they have been recorded.
         // Once an entry has been recorded, its blockhash is registered with the bank.
         let exit = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
-
+        let my_pubkey = cluster_info.read().unwrap().id();
         // Many banks that process transactions in parallel.
         let bank_thread_hdls: Vec<JoinHandle<()>> = (0..num_threads)
             .map(|i| {
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ impl BankingStage {
                     .name("solana-banking-stage-tx".to_string())
                     .spawn(move || {
                         Self::process_loop(
+                            my_pubkey,
                             &verified_receiver,
                             &poh_recorder,
                             &cluster_info,
@@ -241,14 +242,13 @@ impl BankingStage {
     }
 
     fn process_buffered_packets(
+        my_pubkey: &Pubkey,
         socket: &std::net::UdpSocket,
         poh_recorder: &Arc<Mutex<PohRecorder>>,
         cluster_info: &Arc<RwLock<ClusterInfo>>,
         buffered_packets: &mut Vec<PacketsAndOffsets>,
         enable_forwarding: bool,
     ) -> Result<()> {
-        let rcluster_info = cluster_info.read().unwrap();
-
         let (decision, next_leader) = {
             let poh = poh_recorder.lock().unwrap();
             let next_leader = poh.next_slot_leader();
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ impl BankingStage {
                     next_leader,
                     poh.bank().is_some(),
                     poh.would_be_leader(DEFAULT_TICKS_PER_SLOT * 2),
-                    &rcluster_info.id(),
+                    my_pubkey,
                 ),
                 next_leader,
             )
@@ -265,28 +265,31 @@ impl BankingStage {
 
         match decision {
             BufferedPacketsDecision::Consume => {
-                let mut unprocessed = Self::consume_buffered_packets(
-                    &rcluster_info.id(),
-                    poh_recorder,
-                    buffered_packets,
-                )?;
+                let mut unprocessed =
+                    Self::consume_buffered_packets(my_pubkey, poh_recorder, buffered_packets)?;
                 buffered_packets.append(&mut unprocessed);
                 Ok(())
             }
             BufferedPacketsDecision::Forward => {
                 if enable_forwarding {
                     next_leader.map_or(Ok(()), |leader_pubkey| {
-                        rcluster_info
-                            .lookup(&leader_pubkey)
-                            .map_or(Ok(()), |leader| {
-                                let _ = Self::forward_buffered_packets(
-                                    &socket,
-                                    &leader.tpu_via_blobs,
-                                    &buffered_packets,
-                                );
-                                buffered_packets.clear();
-                                Ok(())
-                            })
+                        let leader_addr = {
+                            cluster_info
+                                .read()
+                                .unwrap()
+                                .lookup(&leader_pubkey)
+                                .map(|leader| leader.tpu_via_blobs)
+                        };
+
+                        leader_addr.map_or(Ok(()), |leader_addr| {
+                            let _ = Self::forward_buffered_packets(
+                                &socket,
+                                &leader_addr,
+                                &buffered_packets,
+                            );
+                            buffered_packets.clear();
+                            Ok(())
+                        })
                     })
                 } else {
                     buffered_packets.clear();
@@ -298,6 +301,7 @@ impl BankingStage {
     }
 
     pub fn process_loop(
+        my_pubkey: Pubkey,
         verified_receiver: &Arc<Mutex<Receiver<VerifiedPackets>>>,
         poh_recorder: &Arc<Mutex<PohRecorder>>,
         cluster_info: &Arc<RwLock<ClusterInfo>>,
@@ -310,6 +314,7 @@ impl BankingStage {
         loop {
             if !buffered_packets.is_empty() {
                 Self::process_buffered_packets(
+                    &my_pubkey,
                     &socket,
                     poh_recorder,
                     cluster_info,
@@ -330,11 +335,11 @@ impl BankingStage {
             };
 
             match Self::process_packets(
+                &my_pubkey,
                 &verified_receiver,
                 &poh_recorder,
                 recv_start,
                 recv_timeout,
-                cluster_info,
                 id,
             ) {
                 Err(Error::RecvTimeoutError(RecvTimeoutError::Timeout)) => (),
@@ -694,11 +699,11 @@ impl BankingStage {
 
     /// Process the incoming packets
     pub fn process_packets(
+        my_pubkey: &Pubkey,
         verified_receiver: &Arc<Mutex<Receiver<VerifiedPackets>>>,
         poh: &Arc<Mutex<PohRecorder>>,
         recv_start: &mut Instant,
         recv_timeout: Duration,
-        cluster_info: &Arc<RwLock<ClusterInfo>>,
         id: u32,
     ) -> Result<UnprocessedPackets> {
         let mms = verified_receiver
@@ -740,7 +745,6 @@ impl BankingStage {
 
             if processed < verified_txs_len {
                 let next_leader = poh.lock().unwrap().next_slot_leader();
-                let my_pubkey = cluster_info.read().unwrap().id();
                 // Walk thru rest of the transactions and filter out the invalid (e.g. too old) ones
                 while let Some((msgs, vers)) = mms_iter.next() {
                     let packet_indexes = Self::generate_packet_indexes(vers);