diff --git a/consensus/state.go b/consensus/state.go
index 9cfe6dce..ee566469 100644
--- a/consensus/state.go
+++ b/consensus/state.go
@@ -289,6 +289,12 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) getRoundState() *RoundState {
 	return &rs
 }
 
+func (cs *ConsensusState) GetValidators() (int, []*types.Validator) {
+	cs.mtx.Lock()
+	defer cs.mtx.Unlock()
+	return cs.state.LastBlockHeight, cs.state.Validators.Copy().Validators
+}
+
 func (cs *ConsensusState) SetPrivValidator(priv *types.PrivValidator) {
 	cs.mtx.Lock()
 	defer cs.mtx.Unlock()
diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index 8da813ba..5f9d73b4 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -206,10 +206,9 @@ func (n *Node) StartRPC() ([]net.Listener, error) {
 	rpccore.SetEventSwitch(n.evsw)
 	rpccore.SetBlockStore(n.blockStore)
 	rpccore.SetConsensusState(n.consensusState)
-	rpccore.SetConsensusReactor(n.consensusReactor)
-	rpccore.SetMempoolReactor(n.mempoolReactor)
+	rpccore.SetMempool(n.mempoolReactor.Mempool)
 	rpccore.SetSwitch(n.sw)
-	rpccore.SetPrivValidator(n.privValidator)
+	rpccore.SetPubKey(n.privValidator.PubKey)
 	rpccore.SetGenesisDoc(n.genesisDoc)
 	rpccore.SetProxyAppQuery(n.proxyApp.Query())
 
@@ -260,6 +259,14 @@ func (n *Node) PrivValidator() *types.PrivValidator {
 	return n.privValidator
 }
 
+func (n *Node) GenesisDoc() *types.GenesisDoc {
+	return n.genesisDoc
+}
+
+func (n *Node) ProxyApp() proxy.AppConns {
+	return n.proxyApp
+}
+
 func makeNodeInfo(config cfg.Config, sw *p2p.Switch, privKey crypto.PrivKeyEd25519) *p2p.NodeInfo {
 
 	nodeInfo := &p2p.NodeInfo{
diff --git a/rpc/core/consensus.go b/rpc/core/consensus.go
index 2a0b4361..e2ccce44 100644
--- a/rpc/core/consensus.go
+++ b/rpc/core/consensus.go
@@ -8,18 +8,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func Validators() (*ctypes.ResultValidators, error) {
-	var blockHeight int
-	var validators []*types.Validator
-
-	// XXX: this is racy.
-	// Either use state.LoadState(db) or make state atomic (see #165)
-	state := consensusState.GetState()
-	blockHeight = state.LastBlockHeight
-	state.Validators.Iterate(func(index int, val *types.Validator) bool {
-		validators = append(validators, val)
-		return false
-	})
-
+	blockHeight, validators := consensusState.GetValidators()
 	return &ctypes.ResultValidators{blockHeight, validators}, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/rpc/core/dev.go b/rpc/core/dev.go
index 6ae2014b..43a98953 100644
--- a/rpc/core/dev.go
+++ b/rpc/core/dev.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func UnsafeFlushMempool() (*ctypes.ResultUnsafeFlushMempool, error) {
-	mempoolReactor.Mempool.Flush()
+	mempool.Flush()
 	return &ctypes.ResultUnsafeFlushMempool{}, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/rpc/core/mempool.go b/rpc/core/mempool.go
index 8705f867..ad599d22 100644
--- a/rpc/core/mempool.go
+++ b/rpc/core/mempool.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 
 // Returns right away, with no response
 func BroadcastTxAsync(tx types.Tx) (*ctypes.ResultBroadcastTx, error) {
-	err := mempoolReactor.BroadcastTx(tx, nil)
+	err := mempool.CheckTx(tx, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error broadcasting transaction: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ func BroadcastTxAsync(tx types.Tx) (*ctypes.ResultBroadcastTx, error) {
 // Returns with the response from CheckTx
 func BroadcastTxSync(tx types.Tx) (*ctypes.ResultBroadcastTx, error) {
 	resCh := make(chan *tmsp.Response, 1)
-	err := mempoolReactor.BroadcastTx(tx, func(res *tmsp.Response) {
+	err := mempool.CheckTx(tx, func(res *tmsp.Response) {
 		resCh <- res
 	})
 	if err != nil {
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func BroadcastTxCommit(tx types.Tx) (*ctypes.ResultBroadcastTx, error) {
 
 	// broadcast the tx and register checktx callback
 	checkTxResCh := make(chan *tmsp.Response, 1)
-	err := mempoolReactor.BroadcastTx(tx, func(res *tmsp.Response) {
+	err := mempool.CheckTx(tx, func(res *tmsp.Response) {
 		checkTxResCh <- res
 	})
 	if err != nil {
@@ -101,10 +101,10 @@ func BroadcastTxCommit(tx types.Tx) (*ctypes.ResultBroadcastTx, error) {
 }
 
 func UnconfirmedTxs() (*ctypes.ResultUnconfirmedTxs, error) {
-	txs := mempoolReactor.Mempool.Reap(-1)
+	txs := mempool.Reap(-1)
 	return &ctypes.ResultUnconfirmedTxs{len(txs), txs}, nil
 }
 
 func NumUnconfirmedTxs() (*ctypes.ResultUnconfirmedTxs, error) {
-	return &ctypes.ResultUnconfirmedTxs{N: mempoolReactor.Mempool.Size()}, nil
+	return &ctypes.ResultUnconfirmedTxs{N: mempool.Size()}, nil
 }
diff --git a/rpc/core/pipe.go b/rpc/core/pipe.go
index 8839c4f7..ac776c7f 100644
--- a/rpc/core/pipe.go
+++ b/rpc/core/pipe.go
@@ -2,26 +2,62 @@ package core
 
 import (
 	cfg "github.com/tendermint/go-config"
+	"github.com/tendermint/go-crypto"
 	"github.com/tendermint/go-p2p"
 
-	bc "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/blockchain"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/consensus"
-	mempl "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/mempool"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/proxy"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
+	tmsp "github.com/tendermint/tmsp/types"
 )
 
-var eventSwitch types.EventSwitch
-var blockStore *bc.BlockStore
-var consensusState *consensus.ConsensusState
-var consensusReactor *consensus.ConsensusReactor
-var mempoolReactor *mempl.MempoolReactor
-var p2pSwitch *p2p.Switch
-var privValidator *types.PrivValidator
-var genDoc *types.GenesisDoc // cache the genesis structure
-var proxyAppQuery proxy.AppConnQuery
+//-----------------------------------------------------
+// Interfaces for use by RPC
+// NOTE: these methods must be thread safe!
 
-var config cfg.Config = nil
+type BlockStore interface {
+	Height() int
+	LoadBlockMeta(height int) *types.BlockMeta
+	LoadBlock(height int) *types.Block
+}
+
+type Consensus interface {
+	GetValidators() (int, []*types.Validator)
+	GetRoundState() *consensus.RoundState
+}
+
+type Mempool interface {
+	Size() int
+	CheckTx(types.Tx, func(*tmsp.Response)) error
+	Reap(int) []types.Tx
+	Flush()
+}
+
+type P2P interface {
+	Listeners() []p2p.Listener
+	Peers() p2p.IPeerSet
+	NumPeers() (outbound, inbound, dialig int)
+	NodeInfo() *p2p.NodeInfo
+	IsListening() bool
+	DialSeeds([]string)
+}
+
+var (
+	// external, thread safe interfaces
+	eventSwitch   types.EventSwitch
+	proxyAppQuery proxy.AppConnQuery
+	config        cfg.Config
+
+	// interfaces defined above
+	blockStore     BlockStore
+	consensusState Consensus
+	mempool        Mempool
+	p2pSwitch      P2P
+
+	// objects
+	pubKey crypto.PubKey
+	genDoc *types.GenesisDoc // cache the genesis structure
+)
 
 func SetConfig(c cfg.Config) {
 	config = c
@@ -31,28 +67,24 @@ func SetEventSwitch(evsw types.EventSwitch) {
 	eventSwitch = evsw
 }
 
-func SetBlockStore(bs *bc.BlockStore) {
+func SetBlockStore(bs BlockStore) {
 	blockStore = bs
 }
 
-func SetConsensusState(cs *consensus.ConsensusState) {
+func SetConsensusState(cs Consensus) {
 	consensusState = cs
 }
 
-func SetConsensusReactor(cr *consensus.ConsensusReactor) {
-	consensusReactor = cr
+func SetMempool(mem Mempool) {
+	mempool = mem
 }
 
-func SetMempoolReactor(mr *mempl.MempoolReactor) {
-	mempoolReactor = mr
-}
-
-func SetSwitch(sw *p2p.Switch) {
+func SetSwitch(sw P2P) {
 	p2pSwitch = sw
 }
 
-func SetPrivValidator(pv *types.PrivValidator) {
-	privValidator = pv
+func SetPubKey(pk crypto.PubKey) {
+	pubKey = pk
 }
 
 func SetGenesisDoc(doc *types.GenesisDoc) {
diff --git a/rpc/core/status.go b/rpc/core/status.go
index bf3d69ff..8edadf13 100644
--- a/rpc/core/status.go
+++ b/rpc/core/status.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ func Status() (*ctypes.ResultStatus, error) {
 
 	return &ctypes.ResultStatus{
 		NodeInfo:          p2pSwitch.NodeInfo(),
-		PubKey:            privValidator.PubKey,
+		PubKey:            pubKey,
 		LatestBlockHash:   latestBlockHash,
 		LatestAppHash:     latestAppHash,
 		LatestBlockHeight: latestHeight,