diff --git a/Gopkg.lock b/Gopkg.lock
index 8280148c9..df971a47b 100644
--- a/Gopkg.lock
+++ b/Gopkg.lock
@@ -278,6 +278,7 @@
     "clist",
     "common",
     "db",
+    "events",
     "flowrate",
     "log",
     "merkle",
@@ -384,6 +385,6 @@
 [solve-meta]
   analyzer-name = "dep"
   analyzer-version = 1
-  inputs-digest = "52a0dcbebdf8714612444914cfce59a3af8c47c4453a2d43c4ccc5ff1a91d8ea"
+  inputs-digest = "a88c20b6e36b3529d6fdcffc3603d9eb193fc3809de8afbba07bad990539b256"
   solver-name = "gps-cdcl"
   solver-version = 1
diff --git a/consensus/reactor.go b/consensus/reactor.go
index 5e7295b55..f171aa8d9 100644
--- a/consensus/reactor.go
+++ b/consensus/reactor.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 
 	amino "github.com/tendermint/go-amino"
 	cmn "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/common"
+	tmevents "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/events"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/log"
 
 	cstypes "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/consensus/types"
@@ -48,12 +49,6 @@ func NewConsensusReactor(consensusState *ConsensusState, fastSync bool) *Consens
 		conS:     consensusState,
 		fastSync: fastSync,
 	}
-	// XXX: modifing state to send us new round steps, votes and proposal heartbeats
-	consensusState.reactorChs = &reactorChs{
-		newRoundSteps:      make(chan *cstypes.RoundState),
-		votes:              make(chan *types.Vote),
-		proposalHeartbeats: make(chan *types.Heartbeat),
-	}
 	conR.BaseReactor = *p2p.NewBaseReactor("ConsensusReactor", conR)
 	return conR
 }
@@ -65,16 +60,12 @@ func (conR *ConsensusReactor) OnStart() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	err := conR.startBroadcastRoutine()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	if !conR.FastSync() {
 		err := conR.conS.Start()
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		conR.subscribeToBroadcastEvents()
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -106,7 +97,9 @@ func (conR *ConsensusReactor) SwitchToConsensus(state sm.State, blocksSynced int
 	err := conR.conS.Start()
 	if err != nil {
 		conR.Logger.Error("Error starting conS", "err", err)
+		return
 	}
+	conR.subscribeToBroadcastEvents()
 }
 
 // GetChannels implements Reactor
@@ -350,28 +343,30 @@ func (conR *ConsensusReactor) FastSync() bool {
 
 //--------------------------------------
 
-// startBroadcastRoutine subscribes for new round steps, votes and
-// proposal heartbeats using the channels created for precisely this
-// purpose in consensus state and starts a goroutine to broadcasts
-// events to peers upon receiving them.
-func (conR *ConsensusReactor) startBroadcastRoutine() error {
-	go func() {
-		rchs := conR.conS.reactorChs.(*reactorChs)
-		for {
-			select {
-			case rs := <-rchs.newRoundSteps:
-				conR.broadcastNewRoundStepMessages(rs)
-			case vote := <-rchs.votes:
-				conR.broadcastHasVoteMessage(vote)
-			case heartbeat := <-rchs.proposalHeartbeats:
-				conR.broadcastProposalHeartbeatMessage(heartbeat)
-			case <-conR.Quit():
-				return
-			}
-		}
-	}()
+// subscribeToBroadcastEvents subscribes for new round steps, votes and
+// proposal heartbeats using internal pubsub defined on state to broadcast
+// them to peers upon receiving.
+func (conR *ConsensusReactor) subscribeToBroadcastEvents() {
+	// assert consensus state is running
+	if !conR.conS.IsRunning() {
+		panic("consensus state must be running at this point")
+	}
 
-	return nil
+	const subscriber = "consensus-reactor"
+	conR.conS.evsw.AddListenerForEvent(subscriber, types.EventNewRoundStep,
+		func(data tmevents.EventData) {
+			conR.broadcastNewRoundStepMessages(data.(*cstypes.RoundState))
+		})
+
+	conR.conS.evsw.AddListenerForEvent(subscriber, types.EventVote,
+		func(data tmevents.EventData) {
+			conR.broadcastHasVoteMessage(data.(*types.Vote))
+		})
+
+	conR.conS.evsw.AddListenerForEvent(subscriber, types.EventProposalHeartbeat,
+		func(data tmevents.EventData) {
+			conR.broadcastProposalHeartbeatMessage(data.(*types.Heartbeat))
+		})
 }
 
 func (conR *ConsensusReactor) broadcastProposalHeartbeatMessage(hb *types.Heartbeat) {
diff --git a/consensus/state.go b/consensus/state.go
index 5668ea82d..0c6f7b487 100644
--- a/consensus/state.go
+++ b/consensus/state.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 
 	fail "github.com/ebuchman/fail-test"
 	cmn "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/common"
+	tmevents "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/events"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/log"
 
 	cfg "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/config"
@@ -111,39 +112,11 @@ type ConsensusState struct {
 	// closed when we finish shutting down
 	done chan struct{}
 
-	// synchronous pubsub between consensus state and reactor
-	// only set when there is a reactor
-	reactorChs reactorChsI
+	// synchronous pubsub between consensus state and reactor.
+	// state only emits EventNewRoundStep, EventVote and EventProposalHeartbeat
+	evsw tmevents.EventSwitch
 }
 
-type reactorChsI interface {
-	NewRoundStep(*cstypes.RoundState)
-	Vote(*types.Vote)
-	ProposalHeartbeat(*types.Heartbeat)
-}
-
-// A list of channels to send new round steps, votes and proposal heartbeats to.
-type reactorChs struct {
-	newRoundSteps      chan (*cstypes.RoundState)
-	votes              chan (*types.Vote)
-	proposalHeartbeats chan (*types.Heartbeat)
-}
-
-var _ reactorChsI = (*reactorChs)(nil)
-
-// BLOCKING
-func (rchs *reactorChs) NewRoundStep(rs *cstypes.RoundState)   { rchs.newRoundSteps <- rs }
-func (rchs *reactorChs) Vote(vote *types.Vote)                 { rchs.votes <- vote }
-func (rchs *reactorChs) ProposalHeartbeat(hb *types.Heartbeat) { rchs.proposalHeartbeats <- hb }
-
-type nilReactorChs struct{}
-
-var _ reactorChsI = nilReactorChs{}
-
-func (nilReactorChs) NewRoundStep(rs *cstypes.RoundState)   {}
-func (nilReactorChs) Vote(vote *types.Vote)                 {}
-func (nilReactorChs) ProposalHeartbeat(hb *types.Heartbeat) {}
-
 // NewConsensusState returns a new ConsensusState.
 func NewConsensusState(config *cfg.ConsensusConfig, state sm.State, blockExec *sm.BlockExecutor, blockStore types.BlockStore, mempool types.Mempool, evpool types.EvidencePool) *ConsensusState {
 	cs := &ConsensusState{
@@ -158,7 +131,7 @@ func NewConsensusState(config *cfg.ConsensusConfig, state sm.State, blockExec *s
 		doWALCatchup:     true,
 		wal:              nilWAL{},
 		evpool:           evpool,
-		reactorChs:       nilReactorChs{},
+		evsw:             tmevents.NewEventSwitch(),
 	}
 	// set function defaults (may be overwritten before calling Start)
 	cs.decideProposal = cs.defaultDecideProposal
@@ -260,6 +233,10 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) LoadCommit(height int64) *types.Commit {
 // OnStart implements cmn.Service.
 // It loads the latest state via the WAL, and starts the timeout and receive routines.
 func (cs *ConsensusState) OnStart() error {
+	if err := cs.evsw.Start(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	// we may set the WAL in testing before calling Start,
 	// so only OpenWAL if its still the nilWAL
 	if _, ok := cs.wal.(nilWAL); ok {
@@ -277,8 +254,7 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) OnStart() error {
 	// NOTE: we will get a build up of garbage go routines
 	// firing on the tockChan until the receiveRoutine is started
 	// to deal with them (by that point, at most one will be valid)
-	err := cs.timeoutTicker.Start()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := cs.timeoutTicker.Start(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -317,6 +293,8 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) startRoutines(maxSteps int) {
 func (cs *ConsensusState) OnStop() {
 	cs.BaseService.OnStop()
 
+	cs.evsw.Stop()
+
 	cs.timeoutTicker.Stop()
 
 	// Make BaseService.Wait() wait until cs.wal.Wait()
@@ -542,7 +520,7 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) newStep() {
 	// newStep is called by updateToStep in NewConsensusState before the eventBus is set!
 	if cs.eventBus != nil {
 		cs.eventBus.PublishEventNewRoundStep(rs)
-		cs.reactorChs.NewRoundStep(&cs.RoundState)
+		cs.evsw.FireEvent(types.EventNewRoundStep, &cs.RoundState)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -786,7 +764,7 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) proposalHeartbeat(height int64, round int) {
 		}
 		cs.privValidator.SignHeartbeat(chainID, heartbeat)
 		cs.eventBus.PublishEventProposalHeartbeat(types.EventDataProposalHeartbeat{heartbeat})
-		cs.reactorChs.ProposalHeartbeat(heartbeat)
+		cs.evsw.FireEvent(types.EventProposalHeartbeat, heartbeat)
 		counter++
 		time.Sleep(proposalHeartbeatIntervalSeconds * time.Second)
 	}
@@ -1453,7 +1431,7 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) addVote(vote *types.Vote, peerID p2p.ID) (added bool,
 
 		cs.Logger.Info(cmn.Fmt("Added to lastPrecommits: %v", cs.LastCommit.StringShort()))
 		cs.eventBus.PublishEventVote(types.EventDataVote{vote})
-		cs.reactorChs.Vote(vote)
+		cs.evsw.FireEvent(types.EventVote, vote)
 
 		// if we can skip timeoutCommit and have all the votes now,
 		if cs.config.SkipTimeoutCommit && cs.LastCommit.HasAll() {
@@ -1481,7 +1459,7 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) addVote(vote *types.Vote, peerID p2p.ID) (added bool,
 	}
 
 	cs.eventBus.PublishEventVote(types.EventDataVote{vote})
-	cs.reactorChs.Vote(vote)
+	cs.evsw.FireEvent(types.EventVote, vote)
 
 	switch vote.Type {
 	case types.VoteTypePrevote: