diff --git a/abci/client/grpc_client.go b/abci/client/grpc_client.go
index 265b55532..0f3aa75a5 100644
--- a/abci/client/grpc_client.go
+++ b/abci/client/grpc_client.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package abcicli
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
@@ -65,6 +66,9 @@ func (cli *grpcClient) OnStart() error {
 			cli.mtx.Lock()
 			defer cli.mtx.Unlock()
 
+			reqres.SetDone()
+			reqres.Done()
+
 			// Notify client listener if set
 			if cli.resCb != nil {
 				cli.resCb(reqres.Request, reqres.Response)
@@ -298,15 +302,43 @@ func (cli *grpcClient) ApplySnapshotChunkAsync(params types.RequestApplySnapshot
 	return cli.finishAsyncCall(req, &types.Response{Value: &types.Response_ApplySnapshotChunk{ApplySnapshotChunk: res}})
 }
 
+// finishAsyncCall creates a ReqRes for an async call, and immediately populates it
+// with the response. We don't complete it until it's been ordered via the channel.
 func (cli *grpcClient) finishAsyncCall(req *types.Request, res *types.Response) *ReqRes {
 	reqres := NewReqRes(req)
-	reqres.Response = res  // Set response
-	reqres.Done()          // Release waiters
-	reqres.SetDone()       // so reqRes.SetCallback will run the callback
+	reqres.Response = res
 	cli.chReqRes <- reqres // use channel for async responses, since they must be ordered
 	return reqres
 }
 
+// finishSyncCall waits for an async call to complete. It is necessary to call all
+// sync calls asynchronously as well, to maintain call and response ordering via
+// the channel, and this method will wait until the async call completes.
+func (cli *grpcClient) finishSyncCall(reqres *ReqRes) *types.Response {
+	// It's possible that the callback is called twice, since the callback can
+	// be called immediately on SetCallback() in addition to after it has been
+	// set. This is because completing the ReqRes happens in a separate critical
+	// section from the one where the callback is called: there is a race where
+	// SetCallback() is called between completing the ReqRes and dispatching the
+	// callback.
+	//
+	// We also buffer the channel with 1 response, since SetCallback() will be
+	// called synchronously if the reqres is already completed, in which case
+	// it will block on sending to the channel since it hasn't gotten around to
+	// receiving from it yet.
+	//
+	// ReqRes should really handle callback dispatch internally, to guarantee
+	// that it's only called once and avoid the above race conditions.
+	var once sync.Once
+	ch := make(chan *types.Response, 1)
+	reqres.SetCallback(func(res *types.Response) {
+		once.Do(func() {
+			ch <- res
+		})
+	})
+	return <-ch
+}
+
 //----------------------------------------
 
 func (cli *grpcClient) FlushSync() error {
@@ -316,12 +348,12 @@ func (cli *grpcClient) FlushSync() error {
 func (cli *grpcClient) EchoSync(msg string) (*types.ResponseEcho, error) {
 	reqres := cli.EchoAsync(msg)
 	// StopForError should already have been called if error is set
-	return reqres.Response.GetEcho(), cli.Error()
+	return cli.finishSyncCall(reqres).GetEcho(), cli.Error()
 }
 
 func (cli *grpcClient) InfoSync(req types.RequestInfo) (*types.ResponseInfo, error) {
 	reqres := cli.InfoAsync(req)
-	return reqres.Response.GetInfo(), cli.Error()
+	return cli.finishSyncCall(reqres).GetInfo(), cli.Error()
 }
 
 func (cli *grpcClient) SetOptionSync(req types.RequestSetOption) (*types.ResponseSetOption, error) {
@@ -331,57 +363,57 @@ func (cli *grpcClient) SetOptionSync(req types.RequestSetOption) (*types.Respons
 
 func (cli *grpcClient) DeliverTxSync(params types.RequestDeliverTx) (*types.ResponseDeliverTx, error) {
 	reqres := cli.DeliverTxAsync(params)
-	return reqres.Response.GetDeliverTx(), cli.Error()
+	return cli.finishSyncCall(reqres).GetDeliverTx(), cli.Error()
 }
 
 func (cli *grpcClient) CheckTxSync(params types.RequestCheckTx) (*types.ResponseCheckTx, error) {
 	reqres := cli.CheckTxAsync(params)
-	return reqres.Response.GetCheckTx(), cli.Error()
+	return cli.finishSyncCall(reqres).GetCheckTx(), cli.Error()
 }
 
 func (cli *grpcClient) QuerySync(req types.RequestQuery) (*types.ResponseQuery, error) {
 	reqres := cli.QueryAsync(req)
-	return reqres.Response.GetQuery(), cli.Error()
+	return cli.finishSyncCall(reqres).GetQuery(), cli.Error()
 }
 
 func (cli *grpcClient) CommitSync() (*types.ResponseCommit, error) {
 	reqres := cli.CommitAsync()
-	return reqres.Response.GetCommit(), cli.Error()
+	return cli.finishSyncCall(reqres).GetCommit(), cli.Error()
 }
 
 func (cli *grpcClient) InitChainSync(params types.RequestInitChain) (*types.ResponseInitChain, error) {
 	reqres := cli.InitChainAsync(params)
-	return reqres.Response.GetInitChain(), cli.Error()
+	return cli.finishSyncCall(reqres).GetInitChain(), cli.Error()
 }
 
 func (cli *grpcClient) BeginBlockSync(params types.RequestBeginBlock) (*types.ResponseBeginBlock, error) {
 	reqres := cli.BeginBlockAsync(params)
-	return reqres.Response.GetBeginBlock(), cli.Error()
+	return cli.finishSyncCall(reqres).GetBeginBlock(), cli.Error()
 }
 
 func (cli *grpcClient) EndBlockSync(params types.RequestEndBlock) (*types.ResponseEndBlock, error) {
 	reqres := cli.EndBlockAsync(params)
-	return reqres.Response.GetEndBlock(), cli.Error()
+	return cli.finishSyncCall(reqres).GetEndBlock(), cli.Error()
 }
 
 func (cli *grpcClient) ListSnapshotsSync(params types.RequestListSnapshots) (*types.ResponseListSnapshots, error) {
 	reqres := cli.ListSnapshotsAsync(params)
-	return reqres.Response.GetListSnapshots(), cli.Error()
+	return cli.finishSyncCall(reqres).GetListSnapshots(), cli.Error()
 }
 
 func (cli *grpcClient) OfferSnapshotSync(params types.RequestOfferSnapshot) (*types.ResponseOfferSnapshot, error) {
 	reqres := cli.OfferSnapshotAsync(params)
-	return reqres.Response.GetOfferSnapshot(), cli.Error()
+	return cli.finishSyncCall(reqres).GetOfferSnapshot(), cli.Error()
 }
 
 func (cli *grpcClient) LoadSnapshotChunkSync(
 	params types.RequestLoadSnapshotChunk) (*types.ResponseLoadSnapshotChunk, error) {
 	reqres := cli.LoadSnapshotChunkAsync(params)
-	return reqres.Response.GetLoadSnapshotChunk(), cli.Error()
+	return cli.finishSyncCall(reqres).GetLoadSnapshotChunk(), cli.Error()
 }
 
 func (cli *grpcClient) ApplySnapshotChunkSync(
 	params types.RequestApplySnapshotChunk) (*types.ResponseApplySnapshotChunk, error) {
 	reqres := cli.ApplySnapshotChunkAsync(params)
-	return reqres.Response.GetApplySnapshotChunk(), cli.Error()
+	return cli.finishSyncCall(reqres).GetApplySnapshotChunk(), cli.Error()
 }