diff --git a/src/record_stage.rs b/src/record_stage.rs
index f8523856b..6767247d5 100644
--- a/src/record_stage.rs
+++ b/src/record_stage.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 use entry::Entry;
 use hash::Hash;
 use recorder::Recorder;
-use std::sync::mpsc::{channel, Receiver, Sender, TryRecvError};
+use std::sync::mpsc::{channel, Receiver, RecvError, Sender, TryRecvError};
 use std::thread::{Builder, JoinHandle};
 use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 use transaction::Transaction;
@@ -27,10 +27,29 @@ pub struct RecordStage {
 impl RecordStage {
     /// A background thread that will continue tagging received Event messages and
     /// sending back Entry messages until either the receiver or sender channel is closed.
-    pub fn new(
-        transaction_receiver: Receiver<Signal>,
+    pub fn new(signal_receiver: Receiver<Signal>, start_hash: &Hash) -> Self {
+        let (entry_sender, entry_receiver) = channel();
+        let start_hash = start_hash.clone();
+
+        let thread_hdl = Builder::new()
+            .name("solana-record-stage".to_string())
+            .spawn(move || {
+                let mut recorder = Recorder::new(start_hash);
+                let _ = Self::process_signals(&mut recorder, &signal_receiver, &entry_sender);
+            })
+            .unwrap();
+
+        RecordStage {
+            entry_receiver,
+            thread_hdl,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Same as `RecordStage::new`, but will automatically produce entries every `tick_duration`.
+    pub fn new_with_clock(
+        signal_receiver: Receiver<Signal>,
         start_hash: &Hash,
-        tick_duration: Option<Duration>,
+        tick_duration: Duration,
     ) -> Self {
         let (entry_sender, entry_receiver) = channel();
         let start_hash = start_hash.clone();
@@ -39,19 +58,18 @@ impl RecordStage {
             .name("solana-record-stage".to_string())
             .spawn(move || {
                 let mut recorder = Recorder::new(start_hash);
-                let duration_data = tick_duration.map(|dur| (Instant::now(), dur));
+                let start_time = Instant::now();
                 loop {
-                    if let Err(_) = Self::process_transactions(
+                    if let Err(_) = Self::try_process_signals(
                         &mut recorder,
-                        duration_data,
-                        &transaction_receiver,
+                        start_time,
+                        tick_duration,
+                        &signal_receiver,
                         &entry_sender,
                     ) {
                         return;
                     }
-                    if duration_data.is_some() {
-                        recorder.hash();
-                    }
+                    recorder.hash();
                 }
             })
             .unwrap();
@@ -62,29 +80,46 @@ impl RecordStage {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn process_transactions(
+    fn process_signal(
+        signal: Signal,
+        recorder: &mut Recorder,
+        sender: &Sender<Entry>,
+    ) -> Result<(), ()> {
+        let txs = if let Signal::Events(txs) = signal {
+            txs
+        } else {
+            vec![]
+        };
+        let entry = recorder.record(txs);
+        sender.send(entry).map_err(|_| ())
+    }
+
+    fn process_signals(
         recorder: &mut Recorder,
-        duration_data: Option<(Instant, Duration)>,
         receiver: &Receiver<Signal>,
         sender: &Sender<Entry>,
     ) -> Result<(), ()> {
         loop {
-            if let Some((start_time, tick_duration)) = duration_data {
-                if let Some(entry) = recorder.tick(start_time, tick_duration) {
-                    sender.send(entry).or(Err(()))?;
-                }
+            match receiver.recv() {
+                Ok(signal) => Self::process_signal(signal, recorder, sender)?,
+                Err(RecvError) => return Err(()),
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn try_process_signals(
+        recorder: &mut Recorder,
+        start_time: Instant,
+        tick_duration: Duration,
+        receiver: &Receiver<Signal>,
+        sender: &Sender<Entry>,
+    ) -> Result<(), ()> {
+        loop {
+            if let Some(entry) = recorder.tick(start_time, tick_duration) {
+                sender.send(entry).or(Err(()))?;
             }
             match receiver.try_recv() {
-                Ok(signal) => match signal {
-                    Signal::Tick => {
-                        let entry = recorder.record(vec![]);
-                        sender.send(entry).or(Err(()))?;
-                    }
-                    Signal::Events(transactions) => {
-                        let entry = recorder.record(transactions);
-                        sender.send(entry).or(Err(()))?;
-                    }
-                },
+                Ok(signal) => Self::process_signal(signal, recorder, sender)?,
                 Err(TryRecvError::Empty) => return Ok(()),
                 Err(TryRecvError::Disconnected) => return Err(()),
             };
@@ -104,7 +139,7 @@ mod tests {
     fn test_historian() {
         let (tx_sender, tx_receiver) = channel();
         let zero = Hash::default();
-        let record_stage = RecordStage::new(tx_receiver, &zero, None);
+        let record_stage = RecordStage::new(tx_receiver, &zero);
 
         tx_sender.send(Signal::Tick).unwrap();
         sleep(Duration::new(0, 1_000_000));
@@ -130,7 +165,7 @@ mod tests {
     fn test_historian_closed_sender() {
         let (tx_sender, tx_receiver) = channel();
         let zero = Hash::default();
-        let record_stage = RecordStage::new(tx_receiver, &zero, None);
+        let record_stage = RecordStage::new(tx_receiver, &zero);
         drop(record_stage.entry_receiver);
         tx_sender.send(Signal::Tick).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(record_stage.thread_hdl.join().unwrap(), ());
@@ -140,7 +175,7 @@ mod tests {
     fn test_transactions() {
         let (tx_sender, signal_receiver) = channel();
         let zero = Hash::default();
-        let record_stage = RecordStage::new(signal_receiver, &zero, None);
+        let record_stage = RecordStage::new(signal_receiver, &zero);
         let alice_keypair = KeyPair::new();
         let bob_pubkey = KeyPair::new().pubkey();
         let tx0 = Transaction::new(&alice_keypair, bob_pubkey, 1, zero);
@@ -153,10 +188,11 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     #[ignore]
-    fn test_ticking_historian() {
+    fn test_clock() {
         let (tx_sender, tx_receiver) = channel();
         let zero = Hash::default();
-        let record_stage = RecordStage::new(tx_receiver, &zero, Some(Duration::from_millis(20)));
+        let record_stage =
+            RecordStage::new_with_clock(tx_receiver, &zero, Duration::from_millis(20));
         sleep(Duration::from_millis(900));
         tx_sender.send(Signal::Tick).unwrap();
         drop(tx_sender);
diff --git a/src/tpu.rs b/src/tpu.rs
index 9e2e42c32..094de1f11 100644
--- a/src/tpu.rs
+++ b/src/tpu.rs
@@ -46,8 +46,14 @@ impl Tpu {
             packet_recycler.clone(),
         );
 
-        let record_stage =
-            RecordStage::new(banking_stage.signal_receiver, &start_hash, tick_duration);
+        let record_stage = match tick_duration {
+            Some(tick_duration) => RecordStage::new_with_clock(
+                banking_stage.signal_receiver,
+                &start_hash,
+                tick_duration,
+            ),
+            None => RecordStage::new(banking_stage.signal_receiver, &start_hash),
+        };
 
         let write_stage = WriteStage::new(
             bank.clone(),