diff --git a/node/cmd/guardiand/node.go b/node/cmd/guardiand/node.go
index f1b88e26c..78b726090 100644
--- a/node/cmd/guardiand/node.go
+++ b/node/cmd/guardiand/node.go
@@ -1372,6 +1372,7 @@ func runNode(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		node.GuardianOptionAdminService(*adminSocketPath, ethRPC, ethContract, rpcMap),
 		node.GuardianOptionP2P(p2pKey, *p2pNetworkID, *p2pBootstrap, *nodeName, *disableHeartbeatVerify, *p2pPort, ibc.GetFeatures),
 		node.GuardianOptionStatusServer(*statusAddr),
+		node.GuardianOptionProcessor(),
 	}
 
 	if shouldStart(publicGRPCSocketPath) {
diff --git a/node/pkg/node/node.go b/node/pkg/node/node.go
index 1ae4283d0..234fa9c1b 100644
--- a/node/pkg/node/node.go
+++ b/node/pkg/node/node.go
@@ -406,6 +406,35 @@ func GuardianOptionDatabase(db *db.Database) *GuardianOption {
 		}}
 }
 
+func GuardianOptionProcessor() *GuardianOption {
+	return &GuardianOption{
+		name: "processor",
+		// governor and accountant may be set to nil, but that choice needs to be made before the processor is configured
+		dependencies: []string{"db", "governor", "accountant"},
+
+		f: func(ctx context.Context, logger *zap.Logger, g *G) error {
+
+			g.runnables["processor"] = processor.NewProcessor(ctx,
+				g.db,
+				g.msgC.readC,
+				g.setC.readC,
+				g.gossipSendC,
+				g.obsvC,
+				g.obsvReqSendC.writeC,
+				g.injectC.readC,
+				g.signedInC.readC,
+				g.gk,
+				g.gst,
+				g.attestationEvents,
+				g.gov,
+				g.acct,
+				g.acctC.readC,
+			).Run
+
+			return nil
+		}}
+}
+
 type G struct {
 	// rootCtxCancel is a context.CancelFunc. It MUST be a root context for any context that is passed to any member function of G.
 	// It can be used by components to shut down the entire node if they encounter an unrecoverable state.
@@ -537,6 +566,8 @@ func (g *G) Run(rootCtxCancel context.CancelFunc, options ...*GuardianOption) su
 			}
 		}
 
+		// TODO there is an opportunity to refactor the startup of the accountant and governor:
+		// Ideally they should just register a g.runnables["governor"] and g.runnables["accountant"] instead of being treated as special cases.
 		if g.acct != nil {
 			logger.Info("Starting accountant")
 			if err := g.acct.Start(ctx); err != nil {
@@ -551,30 +582,6 @@ func (g *G) Run(rootCtxCancel context.CancelFunc, options ...*GuardianOption) su
 			}
 		}
 
-		if g.db == nil {
-			logger.Fatal("no database configured, cannot start guardian.")
-		}
-
-		logger.Info("Starting processor")
-		if err := supervisor.Run(ctx, "processor", processor.NewProcessor(ctx,
-			g.db,
-			g.msgC.readC,
-			g.setC.readC,
-			g.gossipSendC,
-			g.obsvC,
-			g.obsvReqSendC.writeC,
-			g.injectC.readC,
-			g.signedInC.readC,
-			g.gk,
-			g.gst,
-			g.attestationEvents,
-			g.gov,
-			g.acct,
-			g.acctC.readC,
-		).Run); err != nil {
-			logger.Fatal("failed to start processor", zap.Error(err))
-		}
-
 		// Start any other runnables
 		for name, runnable := range g.runnables {
 			if err := supervisor.Run(ctx, name, runnable); err != nil {
diff --git a/node/pkg/node/node_test.go b/node/pkg/node/node_test.go
index 8ac7f7966..61cb5b2e1 100644
--- a/node/pkg/node/node_test.go
+++ b/node/pkg/node/node_test.go
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ func mockGuardianRunnable(gs []*mockGuardian, mockGuardianIndex uint, obsDb mock
 			GuardianOptionPublicrpcTcpService(publicRpc, common.GrpcLogDetailFull),
 			GuardianOptionAdminService(adminSocketPath, nil, nil, rpcMap),
 			GuardianOptionStatusServer(fmt.Sprintf("[::]:%d", mockStatusPort(mockGuardianIndex))),
+			GuardianOptionProcessor(),
 		}
 
 		guardianNode := NewGuardianNode(