diff --git a/src/rpc.rs b/src/rpc.rs
index 7cee9d5f0..cc545c946 100644
--- a/src/rpc.rs
+++ b/src/rpc.rs
@@ -7,14 +7,14 @@ use serde_json::{from_str, Value};
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader, Write};
 use std::net::{Shutdown, SocketAddr, TcpListener, TcpStream};
-use std::sync::mpsc::{Sender, SyncSender, TrySendError};
+use std::sync::mpsc::{self, Sender, SyncSender, Receiver, TrySendError};
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 use std::thread;
 
 use crate::errors::*;
 use crate::metrics::{Gauge, HistogramOpts, HistogramVec, MetricOpts, Metrics};
 use crate::query::{Query, Status};
-use crate::util::{spawn_thread, Channel, HeaderEntry, SyncChannel};
+use crate::util::{spawn_thread, Channel, HeaderEntry};
 
 const ELECTRS_VERSION: &str = env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION");
 const PROTOCOL_VERSION: &str = "1.4";
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ struct Connection {
     status_hashes: HashMap<Sha256dHash, Value>, // ScriptHash -> StatusHash
     stream: TcpStream,
     addr: SocketAddr,
-    chan: SyncChannel<Message>,
+    chan: SyncSender<Message>,
     stats: Arc<Stats>,
     relayfee: f64,
 }
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ impl Connection {
         addr: SocketAddr,
         stats: Arc<Stats>,
         relayfee: f64,
+        chan: SyncSender<Message>,
     ) -> Connection {
         Connection {
             query,
@@ -93,7 +94,7 @@ impl Connection {
             status_hashes: HashMap::new(),
             stream,
             addr,
-            chan: SyncChannel::new(10),
+            chan,
             stats,
             relayfee,
         }
@@ -251,7 +252,7 @@ impl Connection {
         let tx: Transaction = deserialize(&tx).chain_err(|| "failed to parse tx")?;
         let txid = self.query.broadcast(&tx)?;
         self.query.update_mempool()?;
-        if let Err(e) = self.chan.sender().try_send(Message::PeriodicUpdate) {
+        if let Err(e) = self.chan.try_send(Message::PeriodicUpdate) {
             warn!("failed to issue PeriodicUpdate after broadcast: {}", e);
         }
         Ok(json!(txid.to_hex()))
@@ -390,10 +391,10 @@ impl Connection {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    fn handle_replies(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
+    fn handle_replies(&mut self, receiver: Receiver<Message>) -> Result<()> {
         let empty_params = json!([]);
         loop {
-            let msg = self.chan.receiver().recv().chain_err(|| "channel closed")?;
+            let msg = receiver.recv().chain_err(|| "channel closed")?;
             trace!("RPC {:?}", msg);
             match msg {
                 Message::Request(line) => {
@@ -451,11 +452,11 @@ impl Connection {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn run(mut self) {
+    pub fn run(mut self, receiver: Receiver<Message>) {
         let reader = BufReader::new(self.stream.try_clone().expect("failed to clone TcpStream"));
-        let tx = self.chan.sender();
+        let tx = self.chan.clone();
         let child = spawn_thread("reader", || Connection::handle_requests(reader, tx));
-        if let Err(e) = self.handle_replies() {
+        if let Err(e) = self.handle_replies(receiver) {
             error!(
                 "[{}] connection handling failed: {}",
                 self.addr,
@@ -571,15 +572,16 @@ impl RPC {
                 while let Some((stream, addr)) = acceptor.receiver().recv().unwrap() {
                     // explicitely scope the shadowed variables for the new thread
                     let query = Arc::clone(&query);
-                    let senders = Arc::clone(&senders);
                     let stats = Arc::clone(&stats);
                     let garbage_sender = garbage_sender.clone();
+                    let (sender, receiver) = mpsc::sync_channel(10);
+
+                    senders.lock().unwrap().push(sender.clone());
 
                     let spawned = spawn_thread("peer", move || {
                         info!("[{}] connected peer", addr);
-                        let conn = Connection::new(query, stream, addr, stats, relayfee);
-                        senders.lock().unwrap().push(conn.chan.sender());
-                        conn.run();
+                        let conn = Connection::new(query, stream, addr, stats, relayfee, sender);
+                        conn.run(receiver);
                         info!("[{}] disconnected peer", addr);
                         let _ = garbage_sender.send(std::thread::current().id());
                     });