diff --git a/internal/consensus/replay.go b/internal/consensus/replay.go
index 34c18c1fe..4034b2ddf 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/replay.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/replay.go
@@ -238,10 +238,10 @@ func (h *Handshaker) NBlocks() int {
 }
 
 // TODO: retry the handshake/replay if it fails ?
-func (h *Handshaker) Handshake(ctx context.Context, proxyApp abciclient.Client) error {
+func (h *Handshaker) Handshake(ctx context.Context, appClient abciclient.Client) error {
 
 	// Handshake is done via ABCI Info on the query conn.
-	res, err := proxyApp.Info(ctx, proxy.RequestInfo)
+	res, err := appClient.Info(ctx, proxy.RequestInfo)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error calling Info: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ func (h *Handshaker) Handshake(ctx context.Context, proxyApp abciclient.Client)
 	}
 
 	// Replay blocks up to the latest in the blockstore.
-	_, err = h.ReplayBlocks(ctx, h.initialState, appHash, blockHeight, proxyApp)
+	_, err = h.ReplayBlocks(ctx, h.initialState, appHash, blockHeight, appClient)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error on replay: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ func (h *Handshaker) ReplayBlocks(
 	state sm.State,
 	appHash []byte,
 	appBlockHeight int64,
-	proxyApp abciclient.Client,
+	appClient abciclient.Client,
 ) ([]byte, error) {
 	storeBlockBase := h.store.Base()
 	storeBlockHeight := h.store.Height()
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ func (h *Handshaker) ReplayBlocks(
 			Validators:      nextVals,
 			AppStateBytes:   h.genDoc.AppState,
 		}
-		res, err := proxyApp.InitChain(ctx, req)
+		res, err := appClient.InitChain(ctx, req)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ func (h *Handshaker) ReplayBlocks(
 		// Either the app is asking for replay, or we're all synced up.
 		if appBlockHeight < storeBlockHeight {
 			// the app is behind, so replay blocks, but no need to go through WAL (state is already synced to store)
-			return h.replayBlocks(ctx, state, proxyApp, appBlockHeight, storeBlockHeight, false)
+			return h.replayBlocks(ctx, state, appClient, appBlockHeight, storeBlockHeight, false)
 
 		} else if appBlockHeight == storeBlockHeight {
 			// We're good!
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ func (h *Handshaker) ReplayBlocks(
 		case appBlockHeight < stateBlockHeight:
 			// the app is further behind than it should be, so replay blocks
 			// but leave the last block to go through the WAL
-			return h.replayBlocks(ctx, state, proxyApp, appBlockHeight, storeBlockHeight, true)
+			return h.replayBlocks(ctx, state, appClient, appBlockHeight, storeBlockHeight, true)
 
 		case appBlockHeight == stateBlockHeight:
 			// We haven't run Commit (both the state and app are one block behind),
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ func (h *Handshaker) ReplayBlocks(
 			// NOTE: We could instead use the cs.WAL on cs.Start,
 			// but we'd have to allow the WAL to replay a block that wrote it's #ENDHEIGHT
 			h.logger.Info("Replay last block using real app")
-			state, err = h.replayBlock(ctx, state, storeBlockHeight, proxyApp)
+			state, err = h.replayBlock(ctx, state, storeBlockHeight, appClient)
 			return state.AppHash, err
 
 		case appBlockHeight == storeBlockHeight:
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ func (h *Handshaker) ReplayBlocks(
 func (h *Handshaker) replayBlocks(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	state sm.State,
-	proxyApp abciclient.Client,
+	appClient abciclient.Client,
 	appBlockHeight,
 	storeBlockHeight int64,
 	mutateState bool) ([]byte, error) {
@@ -485,16 +485,16 @@ func (h *Handshaker) replayBlocks(
 			// We emit events for the index services at the final block due to the sync issue when
 			// the node shutdown during the block committing status.
 			blockExec := sm.NewBlockExecutor(
-				h.stateStore, h.logger, proxyApp, emptyMempool{}, sm.EmptyEvidencePool{}, h.store)
+				h.stateStore, h.logger, appClient, emptyMempool{}, sm.EmptyEvidencePool{}, h.store)
 			blockExec.SetEventBus(h.eventBus)
 			appHash, err = sm.ExecCommitBlock(ctx,
-				blockExec, proxyApp, block, h.logger, h.stateStore, h.genDoc.InitialHeight, state)
+				blockExec, appClient, block, h.logger, h.stateStore, h.genDoc.InitialHeight, state)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
 		} else {
 			appHash, err = sm.ExecCommitBlock(ctx,
-				nil, proxyApp, block, h.logger, h.stateStore, h.genDoc.InitialHeight, state)
+				nil, appClient, block, h.logger, h.stateStore, h.genDoc.InitialHeight, state)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ func (h *Handshaker) replayBlocks(
 
 	if mutateState {
 		// sync the final block
-		state, err = h.replayBlock(ctx, state, storeBlockHeight, proxyApp)
+		state, err = h.replayBlock(ctx, state, storeBlockHeight, appClient)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -521,14 +521,14 @@ func (h *Handshaker) replayBlock(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	state sm.State,
 	height int64,
-	proxyApp abciclient.Client,
+	appClient abciclient.Client,
 ) (sm.State, error) {
 	block := h.store.LoadBlock(height)
 	meta := h.store.LoadBlockMeta(height)
 
 	// Use stubs for both mempool and evidence pool since no transactions nor
 	// evidence are needed here - block already exists.
-	blockExec := sm.NewBlockExecutor(h.stateStore, h.logger, proxyApp, emptyMempool{}, sm.EmptyEvidencePool{}, h.store)
+	blockExec := sm.NewBlockExecutor(h.stateStore, h.logger, appClient, emptyMempool{}, sm.EmptyEvidencePool{}, h.store)
 	blockExec.SetEventBus(h.eventBus)
 
 	var err error
diff --git a/internal/consensus/replay_file.go b/internal/consensus/replay_file.go
index 94e3b96df..3ab470d36 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/replay_file.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/replay_file.go
@@ -326,7 +326,6 @@ func newConsensusStateForReplay(
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	// Create proxyAppConn connection (consensus, mempool, query)
 	client, _, err := proxy.ClientFactory(logger, cfg.ProxyApp, cfg.ABCI, cfg.DBDir())
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/internal/consensus/replay_test.go b/internal/consensus/replay_test.go
index 4c2830071..c117e286f 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/replay_test.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/replay_test.go
@@ -876,11 +876,11 @@ func applyBlock(
 	evpool sm.EvidencePool,
 	st sm.State,
 	blk *types.Block,
-	proxyApp abciclient.Client,
+	appClient abciclient.Client,
 	blockStore *mockBlockStore,
 ) sm.State {
 	testPartSize := types.BlockPartSizeBytes
-	blockExec := sm.NewBlockExecutor(stateStore, log.TestingLogger(), proxyApp, mempool, evpool, blockStore)
+	blockExec := sm.NewBlockExecutor(stateStore, log.TestingLogger(), appClient, mempool, evpool, blockStore)
 
 	bps, err := blk.MakePartSet(testPartSize)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -893,7 +893,7 @@ func applyBlock(
 func buildAppStateFromChain(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	t *testing.T,
-	proxyApp abciclient.Client,
+	appClient abciclient.Client,
 	stateStore sm.Store,
 	mempool mempool.Mempool,
 	evpool sm.EvidencePool,
@@ -905,11 +905,11 @@ func buildAppStateFromChain(
 ) {
 	t.Helper()
 	// start a new app without handshake, play nBlocks blocks
-	require.NoError(t, proxyApp.Start(ctx))
+	require.NoError(t, appClient.Start(ctx))
 
 	state.Version.Consensus.App = kvstore.ProtocolVersion // simulate handshake, receive app version
 	validators := types.TM2PB.ValidatorUpdates(state.Validators)
-	_, err := proxyApp.InitChain(ctx, abci.RequestInitChain{
+	_, err := appClient.InitChain(ctx, abci.RequestInitChain{
 		Validators: validators,
 	})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -920,18 +920,18 @@ func buildAppStateFromChain(
 	case 0:
 		for i := 0; i < nBlocks; i++ {
 			block := chain[i]
-			state = applyBlock(ctx, t, stateStore, mempool, evpool, state, block, proxyApp, blockStore)
+			state = applyBlock(ctx, t, stateStore, mempool, evpool, state, block, appClient, blockStore)
 		}
 	case 1, 2, 3:
 		for i := 0; i < nBlocks-1; i++ {
 			block := chain[i]
-			state = applyBlock(ctx, t, stateStore, mempool, evpool, state, block, proxyApp, blockStore)
+			state = applyBlock(ctx, t, stateStore, mempool, evpool, state, block, appClient, blockStore)
 		}
 
 		if mode == 2 || mode == 3 {
 			// update the kvstore height and apphash
 			// as if we ran commit but not
-			state = applyBlock(ctx, t, stateStore, mempool, evpool, state, chain[nBlocks-1], proxyApp, blockStore)
+			state = applyBlock(ctx, t, stateStore, mempool, evpool, state, chain[nBlocks-1], appClient, blockStore)
 		}
 	default:
 		require.Fail(t, "unknown mode %v", mode)
diff --git a/internal/proxy/client.go b/internal/proxy/client.go
index 632c7a211..841815c82 100644
--- a/internal/proxy/client.go
+++ b/internal/proxy/client.go
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ import (
 	e2e "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/test/e2e/app"
 )
 
-// ClientFactory returns a default ClientCreator, which will create a
-// local client if addr is one of: 'kvstore',
-// 'persistent_kvstore', 'e2e', or 'noop', otherwise - a remote client.
+// ClientFactory returns a client object, which will create a local
+// client if addr is one of: 'kvstore', 'persistent_kvstore', 'e2e',
+// or 'noop', otherwise - a remote client.
 //
 // The Closer is a noop except for persistent_kvstore applications,
 // which will clean up the store.
diff --git a/internal/state/execution.go b/internal/state/execution.go
index 9e4e7c14d..d4b69dfc7 100644
--- a/internal/state/execution.go
+++ b/internal/state/execution.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ type BlockExecutor struct {
 	blockStore BlockStore
 
 	// execute the app against this
-	proxyApp abciclient.Client
+	appClient abciclient.Client
 
 	// events
 	eventBus types.BlockEventPublisher
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func BlockExecutorWithMetrics(metrics *Metrics) BlockExecutorOption {
 func NewBlockExecutor(
 	stateStore Store,
 	logger log.Logger,
-	proxyApp abciclient.Client,
+	appClient abciclient.Client,
 	pool mempool.Mempool,
 	evpool EvidencePool,
 	blockStore BlockStore,
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func NewBlockExecutor(
 ) *BlockExecutor {
 	res := &BlockExecutor{
 		store:      stateStore,
-		proxyApp:   proxyApp,
+		appClient:  appClient,
 		eventBus:   eventbus.NopEventBus{},
 		mempool:    pool,
 		evpool:     evpool,
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ func (blockExec *BlockExecutor) CreateProposalBlock(
 
 	txs := blockExec.mempool.ReapMaxBytesMaxGas(maxDataBytes, maxGas)
 
-	preparedProposal, err := blockExec.proxyApp.PrepareProposal(
+	preparedProposal, err := blockExec.appClient.PrepareProposal(
 		ctx,
 		abci.RequestPrepareProposal{
 			BlockData:     txs.ToSliceOfBytes(),
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ func (blockExec *BlockExecutor) ProcessProposal(
 		ByzantineValidators: block.Evidence.ToABCI(),
 	}
 
-	resp, err := blockExec.proxyApp.ProcessProposal(ctx, req)
+	resp, err := blockExec.appClient.ProcessProposal(ctx, req)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, ErrInvalidBlock(err)
 	}
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ func (blockExec *BlockExecutor) ApplyBlock(
 
 	startTime := time.Now().UnixNano()
 	abciResponses, err := execBlockOnProxyApp(ctx,
-		blockExec.logger, blockExec.proxyApp, block, blockExec.store, state.InitialHeight,
+		blockExec.logger, blockExec.appClient, block, blockExec.store, state.InitialHeight,
 	)
 	endTime := time.Now().UnixNano()
 	blockExec.metrics.BlockProcessingTime.Observe(float64(endTime-startTime) / 1000000)
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ func (blockExec *BlockExecutor) ExtendVote(ctx context.Context, vote *types.Vote
 		Vote: vote.ToProto(),
 	}
 
-	resp, err := blockExec.proxyApp.ExtendVote(ctx, req)
+	resp, err := blockExec.appClient.ExtendVote(ctx, req)
 	if err != nil {
 		return types.VoteExtension{}, err
 	}
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ func (blockExec *BlockExecutor) VerifyVoteExtension(ctx context.Context, vote *t
 		Vote: vote.ToProto(),
 	}
 
-	resp, err := blockExec.proxyApp.VerifyVoteExtension(ctx, req)
+	resp, err := blockExec.appClient.VerifyVoteExtension(ctx, req)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ func (blockExec *BlockExecutor) Commit(
 	}
 
 	// Commit block, get hash back
-	res, err := blockExec.proxyApp.Commit(ctx)
+	res, err := blockExec.appClient.Commit(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		blockExec.logger.Error("client error during proxyAppConn.Commit", "err", err)
 		return nil, 0, err
diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index ce3a77ace..9704d2f30 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -753,14 +753,14 @@ func loadStateFromDBOrGenesisDocProvider(stateStore sm.Store, genDoc *types.Gene
 	return state, nil
 }
 
-func getRouterConfig(conf *config.Config, proxyApp abciclient.Client) p2p.RouterOptions {
+func getRouterConfig(conf *config.Config, appClient abciclient.Client) p2p.RouterOptions {
 	opts := p2p.RouterOptions{
 		QueueType: conf.P2P.QueueType,
 	}
 
-	if conf.FilterPeers && proxyApp != nil {
+	if conf.FilterPeers && appClient != nil {
 		opts.FilterPeerByID = func(ctx context.Context, id types.NodeID) error {
-			res, err := proxyApp.Query(ctx, abci.RequestQuery{
+			res, err := appClient.Query(ctx, abci.RequestQuery{
 				Path: fmt.Sprintf("/p2p/filter/id/%s", id),
 			})
 			if err != nil {
@@ -774,7 +774,7 @@ func getRouterConfig(conf *config.Config, proxyApp abciclient.Client) p2p.Router
 		}
 
 		opts.FilterPeerByIP = func(ctx context.Context, ip net.IP, port uint16) error {
-			res, err := proxyApp.Query(ctx, abci.RequestQuery{
+			res, err := appClient.Query(ctx, abci.RequestQuery{
 				Path: fmt.Sprintf("/p2p/filter/addr/%s", net.JoinHostPort(ip.String(), strconv.Itoa(int(port)))),
 			})
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/node/setup.go b/node/setup.go
index cc9e038f6..7a473fae9 100644
--- a/node/setup.go
+++ b/node/setup.go
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ func onlyValidatorIsUs(state sm.State, pubKey crypto.PubKey) bool {
 func createMempoolReactor(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	cfg *config.Config,
-	proxyApp abciclient.Client,
+	appClient abciclient.Client,
 	store sm.Store,
 	memplMetrics *mempool.Metrics,
 	peerManager *p2p.PeerManager,
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ func createMempoolReactor(
 	mp := mempool.NewTxMempool(
 		logger,
 		cfg.Mempool,
-		proxyApp,
+		appClient,
 		mempool.WithMetrics(memplMetrics),
 		mempool.WithPreCheck(sm.TxPreCheckFromStore(store)),
 		mempool.WithPostCheck(sm.TxPostCheckFromStore(store)),
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ func createRouter(
 	nodeKey types.NodeKey,
 	peerManager *p2p.PeerManager,
 	cfg *config.Config,
-	proxyApp abciclient.Client,
+	appClient abciclient.Client,
 ) (*p2p.Router, error) {
 
 	p2pLogger := logger.With("module", "p2p")
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ func createRouter(
 		peerManager,
 		[]p2p.Transport{transport},
 		[]p2p.Endpoint{ep},
-		getRouterConfig(cfg, proxyApp),
+		getRouterConfig(cfg, appClient),
 	)
 }