diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index 57fbfbf28..ea668f8f6 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ type Node struct {
 	proxyApp         proxy.AppConns              // connection to the application
 	rpcListeners     []net.Listener              // rpc servers
 	txIndexer        txindex.TxIndexer
+	indexerService   *txindex.IndexerService
 }
 
 // NewNode returns a new, ready to go, Tendermint Node.
@@ -292,16 +293,7 @@ func NewNode(config *cfg.Config,
 		txIndexer = &null.TxIndex{}
 	}
 
-	// subscribe for all transactions and index them by tags
-	ch := make(chan interface{})
-	eventBus.Subscribe(context.Background(), "tx_index", types.EventQueryTx, ch)
-	go func() {
-		for event := range ch {
-			// XXX: may be not perfomant to write one event at a time
-			txResult := event.(types.TMEventData).Unwrap().(types.EventDataTx).TxResult
-			txIndexer.Index(&txResult)
-		}
-	}()
+	indexerService := txindex.NewIndexerService(txIndexer, eventBus)
 
 	// run the profile server
 	profileHost := config.ProfListenAddress
@@ -328,6 +320,7 @@ func NewNode(config *cfg.Config,
 		consensusReactor: consensusReactor,
 		proxyApp:         proxyApp,
 		txIndexer:        txIndexer,
+		indexerService:   indexerService,
 		eventBus:         eventBus,
 	}
 	node.BaseService = *cmn.NewBaseService(logger, "Node", node)
@@ -373,6 +366,12 @@ func (n *Node) OnStart() error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// start tx indexer
+	_, err = n.indexerService.Start()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -392,6 +391,8 @@ func (n *Node) OnStop() {
 	}
 
 	n.eventBus.Stop()
+
+	n.indexerService.Stop()
 }
 
 // RunForever waits for an interrupt signal and stops the node.
diff --git a/state/txindex/indexer_service.go b/state/txindex/indexer_service.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..80f12fd35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/state/txindex/indexer_service.go
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+package txindex
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
+	cmn "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/common"
+)
+
+const (
+	subscriber = "IndexerService"
+)
+
+type IndexerService struct {
+	cmn.BaseService
+
+	idr      TxIndexer
+	eventBus *types.EventBus
+}
+
+func NewIndexerService(idr TxIndexer, eventBus *types.EventBus) *IndexerService {
+	is := &IndexerService{idr: idr, eventBus: eventBus}
+	is.BaseService = *cmn.NewBaseService(nil, "IndexerService", is)
+	return is
+}
+
+// OnStart implements cmn.Service by subscribing for all transactions
+// and indexing them by tags.
+func (is *IndexerService) OnStart() error {
+	ch := make(chan interface{})
+	if err := is.eventBus.Subscribe(context.Background(), subscriber, types.EventQueryTx, ch); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	go func() {
+		for event := range ch {
+			// TODO: may be not perfomant to write one event at a time
+			txResult := event.(types.TMEventData).Unwrap().(types.EventDataTx).TxResult
+			is.idr.Index(&txResult)
+		}
+	}()
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (is *IndexerService) OnStop() {
+	if is.eventBus.IsRunning() {
+		_ = is.eventBus.UnsubscribeAll(context.Background(), subscriber)
+	}
+}