diff --git a/chain/src/chain.rs b/chain/src/chain.rs
index be4dd05ec..e19298b58 100644
--- a/chain/src/chain.rs
+++ b/chain/src/chain.rs
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ use crate::lmdb;
 use crate::pipe;
 use crate::store;
 use crate::txhashset;
+use crate::txhashset::TxHashSet;
 use crate::types::{
 	BlockStatus, ChainAdapter, NoStatus, Options, Tip, TxHashSetRoots, TxHashsetWriteStatus,
 };
@@ -207,6 +208,11 @@ impl Chain {
 		Ok(chain)
 	}
 
+	/// Return our shared txhashset instance.
+	pub fn txhashset(&self) -> Arc<RwLock<TxHashSet>> {
+		self.txhashset.clone()
+	}
+
 	fn log_heads(store: &store::ChainStore) -> Result<(), Error> {
 		let head = store.head()?;
 		debug!(
@@ -1106,19 +1112,16 @@ impl Chain {
 			.map_err(|e| ErrorKind::StoreErr(e, "chain get block_sums".to_owned()).into())
 	}
 
-	/// Gets the block header at the provided height
+	/// Gets the block header at the provided height.
+	/// Note: This takes a read lock on the txhashset.
+	/// Take care not to call this repeatedly in a tight loop.
 	pub fn get_header_by_height(&self, height: u64) -> Result<BlockHeader, Error> {
-		let mut txhashset = self.txhashset.write();
-		let mut batch = self.store.batch()?;
-		let header = txhashset::header_extending(&mut txhashset, &mut batch, |extension| {
-			let header = extension.get_header_by_height(height)?;
-			Ok(header)
-		})?;
-
+		let txhashset = self.txhashset.read();
+		let header = txhashset.get_header_by_height(height)?;
 		Ok(header)
 	}
 
-	/// Gets the block header in which a given output appears in the txhashset
+	/// Gets the block header in which a given output appears in the txhashset.
 	pub fn get_header_for_output(
 		&self,
 		output_ref: &OutputIdentifier,
diff --git a/servers/src/common/adapters.rs b/servers/src/common/adapters.rs
index e5e231755..3fe0a6bd8 100644
--- a/servers/src/common/adapters.rs
+++ b/servers/src/common/adapters.rs
@@ -260,6 +260,9 @@ impl p2p::ChainAdapter for NetToChainAdapter {
 
 		let max_height = self.chain().header_head().unwrap().height;
 
+		let txhashset = self.chain().txhashset();
+		let txhashset = txhashset.read();
+
 		// looks like we know one, getting as many following headers as allowed
 		let hh = header.height;
 		let mut headers = vec![];
@@ -268,7 +271,7 @@ impl p2p::ChainAdapter for NetToChainAdapter {
 				break;
 			}
 
-			if let Ok(header) = self.chain().get_header_by_height(h) {
+			if let Ok(header) = txhashset.get_header_by_height(h) {
 				headers.push(header);
 			} else {
 				error!("Failed to locate headers successfully.");
@@ -399,9 +402,12 @@ impl NetToChainAdapter {
 
 	// Find the first locator hash that refers to a known header on our main chain.
 	fn find_common_header(&self, locator: &[Hash]) -> Option<BlockHeader> {
+		let txhashset = self.chain().txhashset();
+		let txhashset = txhashset.read();
+
 		for hash in locator {
 			if let Ok(header) = self.chain().get_block_header(&hash) {
-				if let Ok(header_at_height) = self.chain().get_header_by_height(header.height) {
+				if let Ok(header_at_height) = txhashset.get_header_by_height(header.height) {
 					if header.hash() == header_at_height.hash() {
 						return Some(header);
 					}
diff --git a/servers/src/grin/server.rs b/servers/src/grin/server.rs
index 6f267de4f..89b1e3f9a 100644
--- a/servers/src/grin/server.rs
+++ b/servers/src/grin/server.rs
@@ -374,6 +374,9 @@ impl Server {
 			let tip_height = self.chain.head().unwrap().height as i64;
 			let mut height = tip_height as i64 - last_blocks.len() as i64 + 1;
 
+			let txhashset = self.chain.txhashset();
+			let txhashset = txhashset.read();
+
 			let diff_entries: Vec<DiffBlock> = last_blocks
 				.windows(2)
 				.map(|pair| {
@@ -385,7 +388,7 @@ impl Server {
 					// Use header hash if real header.
 					// Default to "zero" hash if synthetic header_info.
 					let hash = if height >= 0 {
-						if let Ok(header) = self.chain.get_header_by_height(height as u64) {
+						if let Ok(header) = txhashset.get_header_by_height(height as u64) {
 							header.hash()
 						} else {
 							ZERO_HASH