diff --git a/consensus-types/types/validator.go b/consensus-types/types/validator.go
index 79630c6e1..b7dcb8e87 100644
--- a/consensus-types/types/validator.go
+++ b/consensus-types/types/validator.go
@@ -246,9 +246,7 @@ func (v Validator) IsActive(epoch math.Epoch) bool {
 // https://github.com/ethereum/consensus-specs/blob/dev/specs/phase0/beacon-chain.md#is_eligible_for_activation_queue
 //
 //nolint:lll
-func (v Validator) IsEligibleForActivation(
-	finalizedEpoch math.Epoch,
-) bool {
+func (v Validator) IsEligibleForActivation(finalizedEpoch math.Epoch) bool {
 	return v.ActivationEligibilityEpoch <= finalizedEpoch &&
 		v.ActivationEpoch == math.Epoch(constants.FarFutureEpoch)
 }
@@ -337,6 +335,14 @@ func (v *Validator) GetActivationEligibilityEpoch() math.Epoch {
 	return v.ActivationEligibilityEpoch
 }
 
+func (v *Validator) SetActivationEpoch(e math.Epoch) {
+	v.ActivationEpoch = e
+}
+
+func (v *Validator) GetActivationEpoch() math.Epoch {
+	return v.ActivationEpoch
+}
+
 // GetWithdrawalCredentials returns the withdrawal credentials of the validator.
 func (v Validator) GetWithdrawalCredentials() WithdrawalCredentials {
 	return v.WithdrawalCredentials
diff --git a/state-transition/core/state_processor_genesis.go b/state-transition/core/state_processor_genesis.go
index d65685d83..bce1f1fc7 100644
--- a/state-transition/core/state_processor_genesis.go
+++ b/state-transition/core/state_processor_genesis.go
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ func (sp *StateProcessor[
 		var idx math.ValidatorIndex
 		for _, val := range vals {
 			val.SetActivationEligibilityEpoch(0)
+			val.SetActivationEpoch(0)
 			idx, err = st.ValidatorIndexByPubkey(val.GetPubkey())
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
diff --git a/state-transition/core/state_processor_genesis_test.go b/state-transition/core/state_processor_genesis_test.go
index 730e5e65f..8cdf496f4 100644
--- a/state-transition/core/state_processor_genesis_test.go
+++ b/state-transition/core/state_processor_genesis_test.go
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ func checkValidatorNonBartio(
 
 	// checks on validators for any network but Bartio
 	require.Equal(t, math.Epoch(0), val.GetActivationEligibilityEpoch())
+	require.Equal(t, math.Epoch(0), val.GetActivationEpoch())
 
 	valBal, err := bs.GetBalance(idx)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -284,6 +285,17 @@ func checkValidatorBartio(
 	// checks on validators common to all networks
 	commonChecksValidators(t, cs, val, dep)
 
+	require.Equal(
+		t,
+		math.Epoch(constants.FarFutureEpoch),
+		val.GetActivationEligibilityEpoch(),
+	)
+	require.Equal(
+		t,
+		math.Epoch(constants.FarFutureEpoch),
+		val.GetActivationEpoch(),
+	)
+
 	// Bartio specific checks on validators
 	valBal, err := bs.GetBalance(idx)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/state-transition/core/state_processor_validators.go b/state-transition/core/state_processor_validators.go
index 953646ab7..aedeca36e 100644
--- a/state-transition/core/state_processor_validators.go
+++ b/state-transition/core/state_processor_validators.go
@@ -49,10 +49,20 @@ func (sp *StateProcessor[
 
 	minEffectiveBalance := math.Gwei(sp.cs.EjectionBalance() + sp.cs.EffectiveBalanceIncrement())
 
+	// We do not currently have a cap on validator churn,
+	// so we can process validators in a single loop
 	var idx math.ValidatorIndex
 	for si, val := range vals {
+		valModified := false
 		if val.IsEligibleForActivationQueue(minEffectiveBalance) {
 			val.SetActivationEligibilityEpoch(nextEpoch)
+			valModified = true
+		}
+		if val.IsEligibleForActivation(currEpoch) {
+			val.SetActivationEpoch(nextEpoch)
+			valModified = true
+		}
+		if valModified {
 			idx, err = st.ValidatorIndexByPubkey(val.GetPubkey())
 			if err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("registry update, failed loading validator index, state index %d: %w", si, err)
diff --git a/state-transition/core/types.go b/state-transition/core/types.go
index 9412acb90..f56ba84ea 100644
--- a/state-transition/core/types.go
+++ b/state-transition/core/types.go
@@ -244,6 +244,8 @@ type Validator[
 	IsSlashed() bool
 
 	IsEligibleForActivationQueue(threshold math.Gwei) bool
+	IsEligibleForActivation(finalizedEpoch math.Epoch) bool
+
 	// GetPubkey returns the public key of the validator.
 	GetPubkey() crypto.BLSPubkey
 	// GetEffectiveBalance returns the effective balance of the validator in
@@ -258,6 +260,9 @@ type Validator[
 
 	GetActivationEligibilityEpoch() math.Epoch
 	SetActivationEligibilityEpoch(math.Epoch)
+
+	GetActivationEpoch() math.Epoch
+	SetActivationEpoch(math.Epoch)
 }
 
 type Validators interface {