diff --git a/src/stratifier.c b/src/stratifier.c
index a877a076..364615e7 100644
--- a/src/stratifier.c
+++ b/src/stratifier.c
@@ -1152,8 +1152,8 @@ static void broadcast_ping(sdata_t *sdata);
 
 /* Build a hashlist of all transactions, allowing us to compare with the list of
  * existing transactions to determine which need to be propagated */
-static void add_txn(ckpool_t *ckp, sdata_t *sdata, txntable_t **txns, const char *hash,
-		    const char *data)
+static bool add_txn(ckpool_t *ckp, sdata_t *sdata, txntable_t **txns, const char *hash,
+		    const char *data, bool local)
 {
 	bool found = false;
 	txntable_t *txn;
@@ -1163,16 +1163,16 @@ static void add_txn(ckpool_t *ckp, sdata_t *sdata, txntable_t **txns, const char
 	ck_rlock(&sdata->workbase_lock);
 	HASH_FIND_STR(sdata->txns, hash, txn);
 	if (txn) {
-		if (ckp->node)
+		if (!local)
 			txn->refcount = 100;
-		else
+		else if (txn->refcount < 20)
 			txn->refcount = 20;
 		found = true;
 	}
 	ck_runlock(&sdata->workbase_lock);
 
 	if (found)
-		return;
+		return false;
 
 	txn = ckzalloc(sizeof(txntable_t));
 	memcpy(txn->hash, hash, 65);
@@ -1182,6 +1182,8 @@ static void add_txn(ckpool_t *ckp, sdata_t *sdata, txntable_t **txns, const char
 	else
 		txn->refcount = 20;
 	HASH_ADD_STR(*txns, hash, txn);
+
+	return true;
 }
 
 static void send_node_transactions(ckpool_t *ckp, sdata_t *sdata, const json_t *txn_val)
@@ -1227,13 +1229,54 @@ static void send_node_transactions(ckpool_t *ckp, sdata_t *sdata, const json_t *
 	}
 }
 
+static void update_txns(ckpool_t *ckp, sdata_t *sdata, txntable_t *txns, bool local)
+{
+	json_t *val, *txn_array = json_array();
+	int added = 0, purged = 0;
+	txntable_t *tmp, *tmpa;
+
+	/* Find which transactions have their refcount decremented to zero
+	 * and remove them. */
+	ck_wlock(&sdata->workbase_lock);
+	HASH_ITER(hh, sdata->txns, tmp, tmpa) {
+		if (tmp->refcount-- > 0)
+			continue;
+		HASH_DEL(sdata->txns, tmp);
+		dealloc(tmp->data);
+		dealloc(tmp);
+		purged++;
+	}
+	/* Add the new transactions to the transaction table */
+	HASH_ITER(hh, txns, tmp, tmpa) {
+		json_t *txn_val;
+
+		/* Propagate transaction here */
+		JSON_CPACK(txn_val, "{ss,ss}", "hash", tmp->hash, "data", tmp->data);
+		json_array_append_new(txn_array, txn_val);
+		/* Move to the sdata transaction table */
+		HASH_DEL(txns, tmp);
+		HASH_ADD_STR(sdata->txns, hash, tmp);
+		added++;
+	}
+	ck_wunlock(&sdata->workbase_lock);
+
+	JSON_CPACK(val, "{so}", "transaction", txn_array);
+	send_node_transactions(ckp, sdata, val);
+	json_decref(val);
+
+	if (added || purged) {
+		LOGINFO("Stratifier added %d %stransactions and purged %d", added,
+			local ? "" : "remote ", purged);
+	}
+}
+
 /* Distill down a set of transactions into an efficient tree arrangement for
  * stratum messages and fast work assembly. */
 static void wb_merkle_bins(ckpool_t *ckp, sdata_t *sdata, workbase_t *wb, json_t *txn_array)
 {
-	int i, j, binleft, binlen, added = 0, purged = 0;
-	txntable_t *txns = NULL, *tmp, *tmpa;
-	json_t *arr_val, *val;
+	int i, j, binleft, binlen;
+	txntable_t *txns = NULL;
+	json_t *arr_val;
 	uchar *hashbin;
 
 	wb->txns = json_array_size(txn_array);
@@ -1276,7 +1319,7 @@ static void wb_merkle_bins(ckpool_t *ckp, sdata_t *sdata, workbase_t *wb, json_t
 				return;
 			}
 			txn = json_string_value(json_object_get(arr_val, "data"));
-			add_txn(ckp, sdata, &txns, hash, txn);
+			add_txn(ckp, sdata, &txns, hash, txn, true);
 			len = strlen(txn);
 			memcpy(wb->txn_data + ofs, txn, len);
 			ofs += len;
@@ -1312,39 +1355,7 @@ static void wb_merkle_bins(ckpool_t *ckp, sdata_t *sdata, workbase_t *wb, json_t
 	}
 	LOGNOTICE("Stored %d transactions", wb->txns);
 
-	txn_array = json_array();
-
-	/* Find which transactions have their refcount decremented to zero
-	 * and remove them. */
-	ck_wlock(&sdata->workbase_lock);
-	HASH_ITER(hh, sdata->txns, tmp, tmpa) {
-		if (tmp->refcount-- > 0)
-			continue;
-		HASH_DEL(sdata->txns, tmp);
-		dealloc(tmp->data);
-		dealloc(tmp);
-		purged++;
-	}
-	/* Add the new transactions to the transaction table */
-	HASH_ITER(hh, txns, tmp, tmpa) {
-		json_t *txn_val;
-
-		/* Propagate transaction here */
-		JSON_CPACK(txn_val, "{ss,ss}", "hash", tmp->hash, "data", tmp->data);
-		json_array_append_new(txn_array, txn_val);
-		/* Move to the sdata transaction table */
-		HASH_DEL(txns, tmp);
-		HASH_ADD_STR(sdata->txns, hash, tmp);
-		added++;
-	}
-	ck_wunlock(&sdata->workbase_lock);
-
-	JSON_CPACK(val, "{so}", "transaction", txn_array);
-	send_node_transactions(ckp, sdata, val);
-	json_decref(val);
-
-	if (added || purged)
-		LOGINFO("Stratifier added %d transactions and purged %d", added, purged);
+	update_txns(ckp, sdata, txns, true);
 }
 
 static const unsigned char witness_nonce[32] = {0};
@@ -6825,7 +6836,7 @@ static void send_remote_pong(sdata_t *sdata, stratum_instance_t *client)
 static void add_node_txns(ckpool_t *ckp, sdata_t *sdata, const json_t *val)
 {
 	json_t *txn_array, *txn_val, *data_val, *hash_val;
-	txntable_t *txn;
+	txntable_t *txns = NULL;
 	int i, arr_size;
 	int added = 0;
 
@@ -6845,33 +6856,16 @@ static void add_node_txns(ckpool_t *ckp, sdata_t *sdata, const json_t *val)
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		ck_rlock(&sdata->workbase_lock);
-		HASH_FIND_STR(sdata->txns, hash, txn);
-		if (txn) {
-			txn->refcount = 100;
-			ck_runlock(&sdata->workbase_lock);
+		if (!add_txn(ckp, sdata, &txns, hash, data, false))
 			continue;
-		}
-		ck_runlock(&sdata->workbase_lock);
 
+		/* Submit transactions if we haven't seen them before */
 		submit_transaction(ckp, data);
-		txn = ckzalloc(sizeof(txntable_t));
-		memcpy(txn->hash, hash, 65);
-		txn->data = strdup(data);
-		/* Set the refcount for node transactions greater than the
-		 * upstream pool to ensure we never age them faster than the
-		 * pool does. */
-		txn->refcount = 100;
-
-		ck_wlock(&sdata->workbase_lock);
-		HASH_ADD_STR(sdata->txns, hash, txn);
-		ck_wunlock(&sdata->workbase_lock);
-
 		added++;
 	}
 
 	if (added)
-		LOGINFO("Stratifier added %d remote transactions", added);
+		update_txns(ckp, sdata, txns, false);
 }
 
 void parse_remote_txns(ckpool_t *ckp, const json_t *val)