diff --git a/blockchain/accept.go b/blockchain/accept.go
index 08828aae..a53a1d08 100644
--- a/blockchain/accept.go
+++ b/blockchain/accept.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright (c) 2013-2016 The btcsuite developers
+// Copyright (c) 2013-2017 The btcsuite developers
 // Use of this source code is governed by an ISC
 // license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ func (b *BlockChain) maybeAcceptBlock(block *btcutil.Block, flags BehaviorFlags)
 
 	// Get a block node for the block previous to this one.  Will be nil
 	// if this is the genesis block.
-	prevNode, err := b.getPrevNodeFromBlock(block)
+	prevNode, err := b.index.PrevNodeFromBlock(block)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Errorf("getPrevNodeFromBlock: %v", err)
+		log.Errorf("PrevNodeFromBlock: %v", err)
 		return false, err
 	}
 
diff --git a/blockchain/blockindex.go b/blockchain/blockindex.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c0bc7626
--- /dev/null
+++ b/blockchain/blockindex.go
@@ -0,0 +1,465 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2015-2017 The btcsuite developers
+// Use of this source code is governed by an ISC
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package blockchain
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"math/big"
+	"sort"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/btcsuite/btcd/chaincfg"
+	"github.com/btcsuite/btcd/chaincfg/chainhash"
+	"github.com/btcsuite/btcd/database"
+	"github.com/btcsuite/btcd/wire"
+	"github.com/btcsuite/btcutil"
+)
+
+// blockNode represents a block within the block chain and is primarily used to
+// aid in selecting the best chain to be the main chain.  The main chain is
+// stored into the block database.
+type blockNode struct {
+	// parent is the parent block for this node.
+	parent *blockNode
+
+	// children contains the child nodes for this node.  Typically there
+	// will only be one, but sometimes there can be more than one and that
+	// is when the best chain selection algorithm is used.
+	children []*blockNode
+
+	// hash is the double sha 256 of the block.
+	hash *chainhash.Hash
+
+	// parentHash is the double sha 256 of the parent block.  This is kept
+	// here over simply relying on parent.hash directly since block nodes
+	// are sparse and the parent node might not be in memory when its hash
+	// is needed.
+	parentHash *chainhash.Hash
+
+	// height is the position in the block chain.
+	height int32
+
+	// workSum is the total amount of work in the chain up to and including
+	// this node.
+	workSum *big.Int
+
+	// inMainChain denotes whether the block node is currently on the
+	// the main chain or not.  This is used to help find the common
+	// ancestor when switching chains.
+	inMainChain bool
+
+	// Some fields from block headers to aid in best chain selection and
+	// reconstructing headers from memory.  These must be treated as
+	// immutable and are intentionally ordered to avoid padding on 64-bit
+	// platforms.
+	version    int32
+	bits       uint32
+	nonce      uint32
+	timestamp  int64
+	merkleRoot chainhash.Hash
+}
+
+// newBlockNode returns a new block node for the given block header.  It is
+// completely disconnected from the chain and the workSum value is just the work
+// for the passed block.  The work sum is updated accordingly when the node is
+// inserted into a chain.
+func newBlockNode(blockHeader *wire.BlockHeader, blockHash *chainhash.Hash, height int32) *blockNode {
+	// Make a copy of the hash so the node doesn't keep a reference to part
+	// of the full block/block header preventing it from being garbage
+	// collected.
+	prevHash := blockHeader.PrevBlock
+	node := blockNode{
+		hash:       blockHash,
+		parentHash: &prevHash,
+		workSum:    CalcWork(blockHeader.Bits),
+		height:     height,
+		version:    blockHeader.Version,
+		bits:       blockHeader.Bits,
+		nonce:      blockHeader.Nonce,
+		timestamp:  blockHeader.Timestamp.Unix(),
+		merkleRoot: blockHeader.MerkleRoot,
+	}
+	return &node
+}
+
+// Header constructs a block header from the node and returns it.
+//
+// This function is safe for concurrent access.
+func (node *blockNode) Header() wire.BlockHeader {
+	// No lock is needed because all accessed fields are immutable.
+	return wire.BlockHeader{
+		Version:    node.version,
+		PrevBlock:  *node.parentHash,
+		MerkleRoot: node.merkleRoot,
+		Timestamp:  time.Unix(node.timestamp, 0),
+		Bits:       node.bits,
+		Nonce:      node.nonce,
+	}
+}
+
+// removeChildNode deletes node from the provided slice of child block
+// nodes.  It ensures the final pointer reference is set to nil to prevent
+// potential memory leaks.  The original slice is returned unmodified if node
+// is invalid or not in the slice.
+//
+// This function MUST be called with the block index lock held (for writes).
+func removeChildNode(children []*blockNode, node *blockNode) []*blockNode {
+	if node == nil {
+		return children
+	}
+
+	// An indexing for loop is intentionally used over a range here as range
+	// does not reevaluate the slice on each iteration nor does it adjust
+	// the index for the modified slice.
+	for i := 0; i < len(children); i++ {
+		if children[i].hash.IsEqual(node.hash) {
+			copy(children[i:], children[i+1:])
+			children[len(children)-1] = nil
+			return children[:len(children)-1]
+		}
+	}
+	return children
+}
+
+// blockIndex provides facilities for keeping track of an in-memory index of the
+// block chain.  Although the name block chain suggest a single chain of blocks,
+// it is actually a tree-shaped structure where any node can have multiple
+// children.  However, there can only be one active branch which does indeed
+// form a chain from the tip all the way back to the genesis block.
+type blockIndex struct {
+	// The following fields are set when the instance is created and can't
+	// be changed afterwards, so there is no need to protect them with a
+	// separate mutex.
+	db          database.DB
+	chainParams *chaincfg.Params
+
+	sync.RWMutex
+	index    map[chainhash.Hash]*blockNode
+	depNodes map[chainhash.Hash][]*blockNode
+}
+
+// newBlockIndex returns a new empty instance of a block index.  The index will
+// be dynamically populated as block nodes are loaded from the database and
+// manually added.
+func newBlockIndex(db database.DB, chainParams *chaincfg.Params) *blockIndex {
+	return &blockIndex{
+		db:          db,
+		chainParams: chainParams,
+		index:       make(map[chainhash.Hash]*blockNode),
+		depNodes:    make(map[chainhash.Hash][]*blockNode),
+	}
+}
+
+// HaveBlock returns whether or not the block index contains the provided hash.
+//
+// This function is safe for concurrent access.
+func (bi *blockIndex) HaveBlock(hash *chainhash.Hash) bool {
+	bi.RLock()
+	_, hasBlock := bi.index[*hash]
+	bi.RUnlock()
+	return hasBlock
+}
+
+// loadBlockNode loads the block identified by hash from the block database,
+// creates a block node from it, and updates the block index accordingly.  It is
+// used mainly to dynamically load previous blocks from the database as they are
+// needed to avoid needing to put the entire block index in memory.
+//
+// This function MUST be called with the block index lock held (for writes).
+// The database transaction may be read-only.
+func (bi *blockIndex) loadBlockNode(dbTx database.Tx, hash *chainhash.Hash) (*blockNode, error) {
+	// Load the block header and height from the db.
+	blockHeader, err := dbFetchHeaderByHash(dbTx, hash)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	blockHeight, err := dbFetchHeightByHash(dbTx, hash)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// Create the new block node for the block and set the work.
+	node := newBlockNode(blockHeader, hash, blockHeight)
+	node.inMainChain = true
+
+	// Add the node to the chain.
+	// There are a few possibilities here:
+	//  1) This node is a child of an existing block node
+	//  2) This node is the parent of one or more nodes
+	//  3) Neither 1 or 2 is true which implies it's an orphan block and
+	//     therefore is an error to insert into the chain
+	prevHash := &blockHeader.PrevBlock
+	if parentNode, ok := bi.index[*prevHash]; ok {
+		// Case 1 -- This node is a child of an existing block node.
+		// Update the node's work sum with the sum of the parent node's
+		// work sum and this node's work, append the node as a child of
+		// the parent node and set this node's parent to the parent
+		// node.
+		node.workSum = node.workSum.Add(parentNode.workSum, node.workSum)
+		parentNode.children = append(parentNode.children, node)
+		node.parent = parentNode
+
+	} else if childNodes, ok := bi.depNodes[*hash]; ok {
+		// Case 2 -- This node is the parent of one or more nodes.
+		// Update the node's work sum by subtracting this node's work
+		// from the sum of its first child, and connect the node to all
+		// of its children.
+		node.workSum.Sub(childNodes[0].workSum, node.workSum)
+		for _, childNode := range childNodes {
+			childNode.parent = node
+			node.children = append(node.children, childNode)
+		}
+
+	} else {
+		// Case 3 -- The node doesn't have a parent and is not the
+		// parent of another node.  This means an arbitrary orphan block
+		// is trying to be loaded which is not allowed.
+		str := "loadBlockNode: attempt to insert orphan block %v"
+		return nil, AssertError(fmt.Sprintf(str, hash))
+	}
+
+	// Add the new node to the indices for faster lookups.
+	bi.index[*hash] = node
+	bi.depNodes[*prevHash] = append(bi.depNodes[*prevHash], node)
+
+	return node, nil
+}
+
+// PrevNodeFromBlock returns a block node for the block previous to the passed
+// block (the passed block's parent).  When it is already in the memory block
+// chain, it simply returns it.  Otherwise, it loads the previous block header
+// from the block database, creates a new block node from it, and returns it.
+// The returned node will be nil if the genesis block is passed.
+//
+// This function is safe for concurrent access.
+func (bi *blockIndex) PrevNodeFromBlock(block *btcutil.Block) (*blockNode, error) {
+	// Genesis block.
+	prevHash := &block.MsgBlock().Header.PrevBlock
+	if prevHash.IsEqual(zeroHash) {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	bi.Lock()
+	defer bi.Unlock()
+
+	// Return the existing previous block node if it's already there.
+	if bn, ok := bi.index[*prevHash]; ok {
+		return bn, nil
+	}
+
+	// Dynamically load the previous block from the block database, create
+	// a new block node for it, and update the memory chain accordingly.
+	var prevBlockNode *blockNode
+	err := bi.db.View(func(dbTx database.Tx) error {
+		var err error
+		prevBlockNode, err = bi.loadBlockNode(dbTx, prevHash)
+		return err
+	})
+	return prevBlockNode, err
+}
+
+// prevNodeFromNode returns a block node for the block previous to the
+// passed block node (the passed block node's parent).  When the node is already
+// connected to a parent, it simply returns it.  Otherwise, it loads the
+// associated block from the database to obtain the previous hash and uses that
+// to dynamically create a new block node and return it.  The memory block
+// chain is updated accordingly.  The returned node will be nil if the genesis
+// block is passed.
+//
+// This function MUST be called with the block index lock held (for writes).
+func (bi *blockIndex) prevNodeFromNode(node *blockNode) (*blockNode, error) {
+	// Return the existing previous block node if it's already there.
+	if node.parent != nil {
+		return node.parent, nil
+	}
+
+	// Genesis block.
+	if node.hash.IsEqual(bi.chainParams.GenesisHash) {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	// Dynamically load the previous block from the block database, create
+	// a new block node for it, and update the memory chain accordingly.
+	var prevBlockNode *blockNode
+	err := bi.db.View(func(dbTx database.Tx) error {
+		var err error
+		prevBlockNode, err = bi.loadBlockNode(dbTx, node.parentHash)
+		return err
+	})
+	return prevBlockNode, err
+}
+
+// PrevNodeFromNode returns a block node for the block previous to the
+// passed block node (the passed block node's parent).  When the node is already
+// connected to a parent, it simply returns it.  Otherwise, it loads the
+// associated block from the database to obtain the previous hash and uses that
+// to dynamically create a new block node and return it.  The memory block
+// chain is updated accordingly.  The returned node will be nil if the genesis
+// block is passed.
+//
+// This function is safe for concurrent access.
+func (bi *blockIndex) PrevNodeFromNode(node *blockNode) (*blockNode, error) {
+	bi.Lock()
+	node, err := bi.prevNodeFromNode(node)
+	bi.Unlock()
+	return node, err
+}
+
+// RelativeNode returns the ancestor block a relative 'distance' blocks before
+// the passed anchor block.  While iterating backwards through the chain, any
+// block nodes which aren't in the memory chain are loaded in dynamically.
+//
+// This function is safe for concurrent access.
+func (bi *blockIndex) RelativeNode(anchor *blockNode, distance uint32) (*blockNode, error) {
+	bi.Lock()
+	defer bi.Unlock()
+
+	iterNode := anchor
+	err := bi.db.View(func(dbTx database.Tx) error {
+		// Walk backwards in the chian until we've gone 'distance'
+		// steps back.
+		var err error
+		for i := distance; i > 0; i-- {
+			switch {
+			// If the parent of this node has already been loaded
+			// into memory, then we can follow the link without
+			// hitting the database.
+			case iterNode.parent != nil:
+				iterNode = iterNode.parent
+
+			// If this node is the genesis block, then we can't go
+			// back any further, so we exit immediately.
+			case iterNode.hash.IsEqual(bi.chainParams.GenesisHash):
+				return nil
+
+			// Otherwise, load the block node from the database,
+			// pulling it into the memory cache in the processes.
+			default:
+				iterNode, err = bi.loadBlockNode(dbTx,
+					iterNode.parentHash)
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return iterNode, nil
+}
+
+// AncestorNode returns the ancestor block node at the provided height by
+// following the chain backwards from the given node while dynamically loading
+// any pruned nodes from the database and updating the memory block chain as
+// needed.  The returned block will be nil when a height is requested that is
+// after the height of the passed node or is less than zero.
+//
+// This function is safe for concurrent access.
+func (bi *blockIndex) AncestorNode(node *blockNode, height int32) (*blockNode, error) {
+	// Nothing to do if the requested height is outside of the valid range.
+	if height > node.height || height < 0 {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	// Iterate backwards until the requested height is reached.
+	bi.Lock()
+	iterNode := node
+	for iterNode != nil && iterNode.height > height {
+		var err error
+		iterNode, err = bi.prevNodeFromNode(iterNode)
+		if err != nil {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	bi.Unlock()
+
+	return iterNode, nil
+}
+
+// AddNode adds the provided node to the block index.  Duplicate entries are not
+// checked so it is up to caller to avoid adding them.
+//
+// This function is safe for concurrent access.
+func (bi *blockIndex) AddNode(node *blockNode) {
+	bi.Lock()
+	bi.index[*node.hash] = node
+	if prevHash := node.parentHash; prevHash != nil && *prevHash != *zeroHash {
+		bi.depNodes[*prevHash] = append(bi.depNodes[*prevHash], node)
+	}
+	bi.Unlock()
+}
+
+// LookupNode returns the block node identified by the provided hash.  It will
+// return nil if there is no entry for the hash.
+//
+// This function is safe for concurrent access.
+func (bi *blockIndex) LookupNode(hash *chainhash.Hash) *blockNode {
+	bi.RLock()
+	node := bi.index[*hash]
+	bi.RUnlock()
+	return node
+}
+
+// CalcPastMedianTime calculates the median time of the previous few blocks
+// prior to, and including, the passed block node.
+//
+// This function is safe for concurrent access.
+func (bi *blockIndex) CalcPastMedianTime(startNode *blockNode) (time.Time, error) {
+	// Genesis block.
+	if startNode == nil {
+		return bi.chainParams.GenesisBlock.Header.Timestamp, nil
+	}
+
+	// Create a slice of the previous few block timestamps used to calculate
+	// the median per the number defined by the constant medianTimeBlocks.
+	timestamps := make([]int64, medianTimeBlocks)
+	numNodes := 0
+	iterNode := startNode
+	bi.Lock()
+	for i := 0; i < medianTimeBlocks && iterNode != nil; i++ {
+		timestamps[i] = iterNode.timestamp
+		numNodes++
+
+		// Get the previous block node.  This function is used over
+		// simply accessing iterNode.parent directly as it will
+		// dynamically create previous block nodes as needed.  This
+		// helps allow only the pieces of the chain that are needed
+		// to remain in memory.
+		var err error
+		iterNode, err = bi.prevNodeFromNode(iterNode)
+		if err != nil {
+			bi.Unlock()
+			log.Errorf("prevNodeFromNode: %v", err)
+			return time.Time{}, err
+		}
+	}
+	bi.Unlock()
+
+	// Prune the slice to the actual number of available timestamps which
+	// will be fewer than desired near the beginning of the block chain
+	// and sort them.
+	timestamps = timestamps[:numNodes]
+	sort.Sort(timeSorter(timestamps))
+
+	// NOTE: The consensus rules incorrectly calculate the median for even
+	// numbers of blocks.  A true median averages the middle two elements
+	// for a set with an even number of elements in it.   Since the constant
+	// for the previous number of blocks to be used is odd, this is only an
+	// issue for a few blocks near the beginning of the chain.  I suspect
+	// this is an optimization even though the result is slightly wrong for
+	// a few of the first blocks since after the first few blocks, there
+	// will always be an odd number of blocks in the set per the constant.
+	//
+	// This code follows suit to ensure the same rules are used, however, be
+	// aware that should the medianTimeBlocks constant ever be changed to an
+	// even number, this code will be wrong.
+	medianTimestamp := timestamps[numNodes/2]
+	return time.Unix(medianTimestamp, 0), nil
+}
diff --git a/blockchain/blocklocator.go b/blockchain/blocklocator.go
index 1182c9a3..612c3b27 100644
--- a/blockchain/blocklocator.go
+++ b/blockchain/blocklocator.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright (c) 2013-2016 The btcsuite developers
+// Copyright (c) 2013-2017 The btcsuite developers
 // Use of this source code is governed by an ISC
 // license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
@@ -38,14 +38,14 @@ type BlockLocator []*chainhash.Hash
 //  - If the passed hash is not currently known, the block locator will only
 //    consist of the passed hash
 //
-// This function MUST be called with the chain state lock held (for reads).
-func (b *BlockChain) blockLocatorFromHash(hash *chainhash.Hash) BlockLocator {
+// This function MUST be called with the block index lock held (for reads).
+func (bi *blockIndex) blockLocatorFromHash(hash *chainhash.Hash) BlockLocator {
 	// The locator contains the requested hash at the very least.
 	locator := make(BlockLocator, 0, wire.MaxBlockLocatorsPerMsg)
 	locator = append(locator, hash)
 
 	// Nothing more to do if a locator for the genesis hash was requested.
-	if hash.IsEqual(b.chainParams.GenesisHash) {
+	if hash.IsEqual(bi.chainParams.GenesisHash) {
 		return locator
 	}
 
@@ -54,13 +54,13 @@ func (b *BlockChain) blockLocatorFromHash(hash *chainhash.Hash) BlockLocator {
 	// which it forks from the main chain.
 	blockHeight := int32(-1)
 	forkHeight := int32(-1)
-	node, exists := b.index[*hash]
+	node, exists := bi.index[*hash]
 	if !exists {
 		// Try to look up the height for passed block hash.  Assume an
 		// error means it doesn't exist and just return the locator for
 		// the block itself.
 		var height int32
-		err := b.db.View(func(dbTx database.Tx) error {
+		err := bi.db.View(func(dbTx database.Tx) error {
 			var err error
 			height, err = dbFetchHeightByHash(dbTx, hash)
 			return err
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) blockLocatorFromHash(hash *chainhash.Hash) BlockLocator {
 	// could fail is if there is something wrong with the database which
 	// will be caught in short order anyways and it's also safe to ignore
 	// block locators.
-	_ = b.db.View(func(dbTx database.Tx) error {
+	_ = bi.db.View(func(dbTx database.Tx) error {
 		iterNode := node
 		increment := int32(1)
 		for len(locator) < wire.MaxBlockLocatorsPerMsg-1 {
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) blockLocatorFromHash(hash *chainhash.Hash) BlockLocator {
 			// height.
 			if forkHeight != -1 && blockHeight > forkHeight {
 				// Intentionally use parent field instead of the
-				// getPrevNodeFromNode function since we don't
+				// PrevNodeFromNode function since we don't
 				// want to dynamically load nodes when building
 				// block locators.  Side chain blocks should
 				// always be in memory already, and if they
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) blockLocatorFromHash(hash *chainhash.Hash) BlockLocator {
 	})
 
 	// Append the appropriate genesis block.
-	locator = append(locator, b.chainParams.GenesisHash)
+	locator = append(locator, bi.chainParams.GenesisHash)
 	return locator
 }
 
@@ -162,7 +162,9 @@ func (b *BlockChain) blockLocatorFromHash(hash *chainhash.Hash) BlockLocator {
 // This function is safe for concurrent access.
 func (b *BlockChain) BlockLocatorFromHash(hash *chainhash.Hash) BlockLocator {
 	b.chainLock.RLock()
-	locator := b.blockLocatorFromHash(hash)
+	b.index.RLock()
+	locator := b.index.blockLocatorFromHash(hash)
+	b.index.RUnlock()
 	b.chainLock.RUnlock()
 	return locator
 }
@@ -173,7 +175,9 @@ func (b *BlockChain) BlockLocatorFromHash(hash *chainhash.Hash) BlockLocator {
 // This function is safe for concurrent access.
 func (b *BlockChain) LatestBlockLocator() (BlockLocator, error) {
 	b.chainLock.RLock()
-	locator := b.blockLocatorFromHash(b.bestNode.hash)
+	b.index.RLock()
+	locator := b.index.blockLocatorFromHash(b.bestNode.hash)
+	b.index.RUnlock()
 	b.chainLock.RUnlock()
 	return locator, nil
 }
diff --git a/blockchain/chain.go b/blockchain/chain.go
index 264a9f6a..e0e947fc 100644
--- a/blockchain/chain.go
+++ b/blockchain/chain.go
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ package blockchain
 import (
 	"container/list"
 	"fmt"
-	"math/big"
-	"sort"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -26,88 +24,6 @@ const (
 	maxOrphanBlocks = 100
 )
 
-// blockNode represents a block within the block chain and is primarily used to
-// aid in selecting the best chain to be the main chain.  The main chain is
-// stored into the block database.
-type blockNode struct {
-	// parent is the parent block for this node.
-	parent *blockNode
-
-	// children contains the child nodes for this node.  Typically there
-	// will only be one, but sometimes there can be more than one and that
-	// is when the best chain selection algorithm is used.
-	children []*blockNode
-
-	// hash is the double sha 256 of the block.
-	hash *chainhash.Hash
-
-	// parentHash is the double sha 256 of the parent block.  This is kept
-	// here over simply relying on parent.hash directly since block nodes
-	// are sparse and the parent node might not be in memory when its hash
-	// is needed.
-	parentHash *chainhash.Hash
-
-	// height is the position in the block chain.
-	height int32
-
-	// workSum is the total amount of work in the chain up to and including
-	// this node.
-	workSum *big.Int
-
-	// inMainChain denotes whether the block node is currently on the
-	// the main chain or not.  This is used to help find the common
-	// ancestor when switching chains.
-	inMainChain bool
-
-	// Some fields from block headers to aid in best chain selection and
-	// reconstructing headers from memory.  These must be treated as
-	// immutable and are intentionally ordered to avoid padding on 64-bit
-	// platforms.
-	version    int32
-	bits       uint32
-	nonce      uint32
-	timestamp  int64
-	merkleRoot chainhash.Hash
-}
-
-// newBlockNode returns a new block node for the given block header.  It is
-// completely disconnected from the chain and the workSum value is just the work
-// for the passed block.  The work sum is updated accordingly when the node is
-// inserted into a chain.
-func newBlockNode(blockHeader *wire.BlockHeader, blockHash *chainhash.Hash, height int32) *blockNode {
-	// Make a copy of the hash so the node doesn't keep a reference to part
-	// of the full block/block header preventing it from being garbage
-	// collected.
-	prevHash := blockHeader.PrevBlock
-	node := blockNode{
-		hash:       blockHash,
-		parentHash: &prevHash,
-		workSum:    CalcWork(blockHeader.Bits),
-		height:     height,
-		version:    blockHeader.Version,
-		bits:       blockHeader.Bits,
-		nonce:      blockHeader.Nonce,
-		timestamp:  blockHeader.Timestamp.Unix(),
-		merkleRoot: blockHeader.MerkleRoot,
-	}
-	return &node
-}
-
-// Header constructs a block header from the node and returns it.
-//
-// This function is safe for concurrent access.
-func (node *blockNode) Header() wire.BlockHeader {
-	// No lock is needed because all accessed fields are immutable.
-	return wire.BlockHeader{
-		Version:    node.version,
-		PrevBlock:  *node.parentHash,
-		MerkleRoot: node.merkleRoot,
-		Timestamp:  time.Unix(node.timestamp, 0),
-		Bits:       node.bits,
-		Nonce:      node.nonce,
-	}
-}
-
 // orphanBlock represents a block that we don't yet have the parent for.  It
 // is a normal block plus an expiration time to prevent caching the orphan
 // forever.
@@ -116,30 +32,6 @@ type orphanBlock struct {
 	expiration time.Time
 }
 
-// removeChildNode deletes node from the provided slice of child block
-// nodes.  It ensures the final pointer reference is set to nil to prevent
-// potential memory leaks.  The original slice is returned unmodified if node
-// is invalid or not in the slice.
-//
-// This function MUST be called with the chain state lock held (for writes).
-func removeChildNode(children []*blockNode, node *blockNode) []*blockNode {
-	if node == nil {
-		return children
-	}
-
-	// An indexing for loop is intentionally used over a range here as range
-	// does not reevaluate the slice on each iteration nor does it adjust
-	// the index for the modified slice.
-	for i := 0; i < len(children); i++ {
-		if children[i].hash.IsEqual(node.hash) {
-			copy(children[i:], children[i+1:])
-			children[len(children)-1] = nil
-			return children[:len(children)-1]
-		}
-	}
-	return children
-}
-
 // BestState houses information about the current best block and other info
 // related to the state of the main chain as it exists from the point of view of
 // the current best block.
@@ -156,7 +48,7 @@ type BestState struct {
 	BlockSize  uint64          // The size of the block.
 	NumTxns    uint64          // The number of txns in the block.
 	TotalTxns  uint64          // The total number of txns in the chain.
-	MedianTime time.Time       // Median time as per calcPastMedianTime.
+	MedianTime time.Time       // Median time as per CalcPastMedianTime.
 }
 
 // newBestState returns a new best stats instance for the given parameters.
@@ -213,11 +105,10 @@ type BlockChain struct {
 	// runtime.  They are protected by the chain lock.
 	noVerify bool
 
-	// These fields are related to the memory block index.  They are
-	// protected by the chain lock.
+	// These fields are related to the memory block index.  The best node
+	// is protected by the chain lock and the index has its own locks.
 	bestNode *blockNode
-	index    map[chainhash.Hash]*blockNode
-	depNodes map[chainhash.Hash][]*blockNode
+	index    *blockIndex
 
 	// These fields are related to handling of orphan blocks.  They are
 	// protected by a combination of the chain lock and the orphan lock.
@@ -434,264 +325,6 @@ func (b *BlockChain) addOrphanBlock(block *btcutil.Block) {
 	return
 }
 
-// loadBlockNode loads the block identified by hash from the block database,
-// creates a block node from it, and updates the memory block chain accordingly.
-// It is used mainly to dynamically load previous blocks from the database as
-// they are needed to avoid needing to put the entire block chain in memory.
-//
-// This function MUST be called with the chain state lock held (for writes).
-// The database transaction may be read-only.
-func (b *BlockChain) loadBlockNode(dbTx database.Tx, hash *chainhash.Hash) (*blockNode, error) {
-	// Load the block header and height from the db.
-	blockHeader, err := dbFetchHeaderByHash(dbTx, hash)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	blockHeight, err := dbFetchHeightByHash(dbTx, hash)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	// Create the new block node for the block and set the work.
-	node := newBlockNode(blockHeader, hash, blockHeight)
-	node.inMainChain = true
-
-	// Add the node to the chain.
-	// There are a few possibilities here:
-	//  1) This node is a child of an existing block node
-	//  2) This node is the parent of one or more nodes
-	//  3) Neither 1 or 2 is true which implies it's an orphan block and
-	//     therefore is an error to insert into the chain
-	prevHash := &blockHeader.PrevBlock
-	if parentNode, ok := b.index[*prevHash]; ok {
-		// Case 1 -- This node is a child of an existing block node.
-		// Update the node's work sum with the sum of the parent node's
-		// work sum and this node's work, append the node as a child of
-		// the parent node and set this node's parent to the parent
-		// node.
-		node.workSum = node.workSum.Add(parentNode.workSum, node.workSum)
-		parentNode.children = append(parentNode.children, node)
-		node.parent = parentNode
-
-	} else if childNodes, ok := b.depNodes[*hash]; ok {
-		// Case 2 -- This node is the parent of one or more nodes.
-		// Update the node's work sum by subtracting this node's work
-		// from the sum of its first child, and connect the node to all
-		// of its children.
-		node.workSum.Sub(childNodes[0].workSum, node.workSum)
-		for _, childNode := range childNodes {
-			childNode.parent = node
-			node.children = append(node.children, childNode)
-		}
-
-	} else {
-		// Case 3 -- The node doesn't have a parent and is not the
-		// parent of another node.  This means an arbitrary orphan block
-		// is trying to be loaded which is not allowed.
-		str := "loadBlockNode: attempt to insert orphan block %v"
-		return nil, AssertError(fmt.Sprintf(str, hash))
-	}
-
-	// Add the new node to the indices for faster lookups.
-	b.index[*hash] = node
-	b.depNodes[*prevHash] = append(b.depNodes[*prevHash], node)
-
-	return node, nil
-}
-
-// getPrevNodeFromBlock returns a block node for the block previous to the
-// passed block (the passed block's parent).  When it is already in the memory
-// block chain, it simply returns it.  Otherwise, it loads the previous block
-// header from the block database, creates a new block node from it, and returns
-// it.  The returned node will be nil if the genesis block is passed.
-//
-// This function MUST be called with the chain state lock held (for writes).
-func (b *BlockChain) getPrevNodeFromBlock(block *btcutil.Block) (*blockNode, error) {
-	// Genesis block.
-	prevHash := &block.MsgBlock().Header.PrevBlock
-	if prevHash.IsEqual(zeroHash) {
-		return nil, nil
-	}
-
-	// Return the existing previous block node if it's already there.
-	if bn, ok := b.index[*prevHash]; ok {
-		return bn, nil
-	}
-
-	// Dynamically load the previous block from the block database, create
-	// a new block node for it, and update the memory chain accordingly.
-	var prevBlockNode *blockNode
-	err := b.db.View(func(dbTx database.Tx) error {
-		var err error
-		prevBlockNode, err = b.loadBlockNode(dbTx, prevHash)
-		return err
-	})
-	return prevBlockNode, err
-}
-
-// getPrevNodeFromNode returns a block node for the block previous to the
-// passed block node (the passed block node's parent).  When the node is already
-// connected to a parent, it simply returns it.  Otherwise, it loads the
-// associated block from the database to obtain the previous hash and uses that
-// to dynamically create a new block node and return it.  The memory block
-// chain is updated accordingly.  The returned node will be nil if the genesis
-// block is passed.
-//
-// This function MUST be called with the chain state lock held (for writes).
-func (b *BlockChain) getPrevNodeFromNode(node *blockNode) (*blockNode, error) {
-	// Return the existing previous block node if it's already there.
-	if node.parent != nil {
-		return node.parent, nil
-	}
-
-	// Genesis block.
-	if node.hash.IsEqual(b.chainParams.GenesisHash) {
-		return nil, nil
-	}
-
-	// Dynamically load the previous block from the block database, create
-	// a new block node for it, and update the memory chain accordingly.
-	var prevBlockNode *blockNode
-	err := b.db.View(func(dbTx database.Tx) error {
-		var err error
-		prevBlockNode, err = b.loadBlockNode(dbTx, node.parentHash)
-		return err
-	})
-	return prevBlockNode, err
-}
-
-// relativeNode returns the ancestor block a relative 'distance' blocks before
-// the passed anchor block. While iterating backwards through the chain, any
-// block nodes which aren't in the memory chain are loaded in dynamically.
-//
-// This function MUST be called with the chain state lock held (for writes).
-func (b *BlockChain) relativeNode(anchor *blockNode, distance uint32) (*blockNode, error) {
-	var err error
-	iterNode := anchor
-
-	err = b.db.View(func(dbTx database.Tx) error {
-		// Walk backwards in the chian until we've gone 'distance'
-		// steps back.
-		for i := distance; i > 0; i-- {
-			switch {
-			// If the parent of this node has already been loaded
-			// into memory, then we can follow the link without
-			// hitting the database.
-			case iterNode.parent != nil:
-				iterNode = iterNode.parent
-
-			// If this node is the genesis block, then we can't go
-			// back any further, so we exit immediately.
-			case iterNode.hash.IsEqual(b.chainParams.GenesisHash):
-				return nil
-
-			// Otherwise, load the block node from the database,
-			// pulling it into the memory cache in the processes.
-			default:
-				iterNode, err = b.loadBlockNode(dbTx,
-					iterNode.parentHash)
-				if err != nil {
-					return err
-				}
-			}
-		}
-
-		return nil
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	return iterNode, nil
-}
-
-// ancestorNode returns the ancestor block node at the provided height by
-// following the chain backwards from the given node while dynamically loading
-// any pruned nodes from the database and updating the memory block chain as
-// needed.  The returned block will be nil when a height is requested that is
-// after the height of the passed node or is less than zero.
-//
-// This function MUST be called with the chain state lock held (for writes).
-func (b *BlockChain) ancestorNode(node *blockNode, height int32) (*blockNode, error) {
-	// Nothing to do if the requested height is outside of the valid range.
-	if height > node.height || height < 0 {
-		return nil, nil
-	}
-
-	// Iterate backwards until the requested height is reached.
-	iterNode := node
-	for iterNode != nil && iterNode.height > height {
-		// Get the previous block node.  This function is used over
-		// simply accessing iterNode.parent directly as it will
-		// dynamically create previous block nodes as needed.  This
-		// helps allow only the pieces of the chain that are needed
-		// to remain in memory.
-		var err error
-		iterNode, err = b.getPrevNodeFromNode(iterNode)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("getPrevNodeFromNode: %v", err)
-			return nil, err
-		}
-	}
-
-	return iterNode, nil
-}
-
-// calcPastMedianTime calculates the median time of the previous few blocks
-// prior to, and including, the passed block node.  It is primarily used to
-// validate new blocks have sane timestamps.
-//
-// This function MUST be called with the chain state lock held (for writes).
-func (b *BlockChain) calcPastMedianTime(startNode *blockNode) (time.Time, error) {
-	// Genesis block.
-	if startNode == nil {
-		return b.chainParams.GenesisBlock.Header.Timestamp, nil
-	}
-
-	// Create a slice of the previous few block timestamps used to calculate
-	// the median per the number defined by the constant medianTimeBlocks.
-	timestamps := make([]int64, medianTimeBlocks)
-	numNodes := 0
-	iterNode := startNode
-	for i := 0; i < medianTimeBlocks && iterNode != nil; i++ {
-		timestamps[i] = iterNode.timestamp
-		numNodes++
-
-		// Get the previous block node.  This function is used over
-		// simply accessing iterNode.parent directly as it will
-		// dynamically create previous block nodes as needed.  This
-		// helps allow only the pieces of the chain that are needed
-		// to remain in memory.
-		var err error
-		iterNode, err = b.getPrevNodeFromNode(iterNode)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("getPrevNodeFromNode: %v", err)
-			return time.Time{}, err
-		}
-	}
-
-	// Prune the slice to the actual number of available timestamps which
-	// will be fewer than desired near the beginning of the block chain
-	// and sort them.
-	timestamps = timestamps[:numNodes]
-	sort.Sort(timeSorter(timestamps))
-
-	// NOTE: bitcoind incorrectly calculates the median for even numbers of
-	// blocks.  A true median averages the middle two elements for a set
-	// with an even number of elements in it.   Since the constant for the
-	// previous number of blocks to be used is odd, this is only an issue
-	// for a few blocks near the beginning of the chain.  I suspect this is
-	// an optimization even though the result is slightly wrong for a few
-	// of the first blocks since after the first few blocks, there will
-	// always be an odd number of blocks in the set per the constant.
-	//
-	// This code follows suit to ensure the same rules are used as bitcoind
-	// however, be aware that should the medianTimeBlocks constant ever be
-	// changed to an even number, this code will be wrong.
-	medianTimestamp := timestamps[numNodes/2]
-	return time.Unix(medianTimestamp, 0), nil
-}
-
 // SequenceLock represents the converted relative lock-time in seconds, and
 // absolute block-height for a transaction input's relative lock-times.
 // According to SequenceLock, after the referenced input has been confirmed
@@ -789,7 +422,8 @@ func (b *BlockChain) calcSequenceLock(tx *btcutil.Tx, utxoView *UtxoViewpoint,
 			// the one which included this referenced output.
 			// TODO: caching should be added to keep this speedy
 			inputDepth := uint32(b.bestNode.height-inputHeight) + 1
-			blockNode, err := b.relativeNode(b.bestNode, inputDepth)
+			blockNode, err := b.index.RelativeNode(b.bestNode,
+				inputDepth)
 			if err != nil {
 				return sequenceLock, err
 			}
@@ -798,7 +432,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) calcSequenceLock(tx *btcutil.Tx, utxoView *UtxoViewpoint,
 			// memory, we can now finally calculate the MTP of the
 			// block prior to the one which included the output
 			// being spent.
-			medianTime, err := b.calcPastMedianTime(blockNode)
+			medianTime, err := b.index.CalcPastMedianTime(blockNode)
 			if err != nil {
 				return sequenceLock, err
 			}
@@ -953,7 +587,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) connectBlock(node *blockNode, block *btcutil.Block, view *U
 	}
 
 	// Calculate the median time for the block.
-	medianTime, err := b.calcPastMedianTime(node)
+	medianTime, err := b.index.CalcPastMedianTime(node)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -1023,11 +657,9 @@ func (b *BlockChain) connectBlock(node *blockNode, block *btcutil.Block, view *U
 	// now that the modifications have been committed to the database.
 	view.commit()
 
-	// Add the new node to the memory main chain indices for faster
-	// lookups.
+	// Add the new node to the memory main chain indices for faster lookups.
 	node.inMainChain = true
-	b.index[*node.hash] = node
-	b.depNodes[*prevHash] = append(b.depNodes[*prevHash], node)
+	b.index.AddNode(node)
 
 	// This node is now the end of the best chain.
 	b.bestNode = node
@@ -1066,13 +698,13 @@ func (b *BlockChain) disconnectBlock(node *blockNode, block *btcutil.Block, view
 	// accessing node.parent directly as it will dynamically create previous
 	// block nodes as needed.  This helps allow only the pieces of the chain
 	// that are needed to remain in memory.
-	prevNode, err := b.getPrevNodeFromNode(node)
+	prevNode, err := b.index.PrevNodeFromNode(node)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
 	// Calculate the median time for the previous block.
-	medianTime, err := b.calcPastMedianTime(prevNode)
+	medianTime, err := b.index.CalcPastMedianTime(prevNode)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -1371,7 +1003,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) reorganizeChain(detachNodes, attachNodes *list.List, flags
 
 	// Log the point where the chain forked.
 	firstAttachNode := attachNodes.Front().Value.(*blockNode)
-	forkNode, err := b.getPrevNodeFromNode(firstAttachNode)
+	forkNode, err := b.index.PrevNodeFromNode(firstAttachNode)
 	if err == nil {
 		log.Infof("REORGANIZE: Chain forks at %v", forkNode.hash)
 	}
@@ -1463,7 +1095,9 @@ func (b *BlockChain) connectBestChain(node *blockNode, block *btcutil.Block, fla
 	// We're extending (or creating) a side chain which may or may not
 	// become the main chain, but in either case the entry is needed in the
 	// index for future processing.
-	b.index[*node.hash] = node
+	b.index.Lock()
+	b.index.index[*node.hash] = node
+	b.index.Unlock()
 
 	// Connect the parent node to this node.
 	node.inMainChain = false
@@ -1477,7 +1111,9 @@ func (b *BlockChain) connectBestChain(node *blockNode, block *btcutil.Block, fla
 			children = removeChildNode(children, node)
 			node.parent.children = children
 
-			delete(b.index, *node.hash)
+			b.index.Lock()
+			delete(b.index.index, *node.hash)
+			b.index.Unlock()
 		}()
 	}
 
@@ -1587,10 +1223,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) BestSnapshot() *BestState {
 // if it doesn't exist.
 func (b *BlockChain) FetchHeader(hash *chainhash.Hash) (wire.BlockHeader, error) {
 	// Reconstruct the header from the block index if possible.
-	b.chainLock.RLock()
-	node, ok := b.index[*hash]
-	b.chainLock.RUnlock()
-	if ok {
+	if node := b.index.LookupNode(hash); node != nil {
 		return node.Header(), nil
 	}
 
@@ -1727,10 +1360,7 @@ func New(config *Config) (*BlockChain, error) {
 		minRetargetTimespan: targetTimespan / adjustmentFactor,
 		maxRetargetTimespan: targetTimespan * adjustmentFactor,
 		blocksPerRetarget:   int32(targetTimespan / targetTimePerBlock),
-		minMemoryNodes:      int32(targetTimespan / targetTimePerBlock),
-		bestNode:            nil,
-		index:               make(map[chainhash.Hash]*blockNode),
-		depNodes:            make(map[chainhash.Hash][]*blockNode),
+		index:               newBlockIndex(config.DB, params),
 		orphans:             make(map[chainhash.Hash]*orphanBlock),
 		prevOrphans:         make(map[chainhash.Hash][]*orphanBlock),
 		warningCaches:       newThresholdCaches(vbNumBits),
diff --git a/blockchain/chainio.go b/blockchain/chainio.go
index cc9c0303..bd92a389 100644
--- a/blockchain/chainio.go
+++ b/blockchain/chainio.go
@@ -1086,7 +1086,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) createChainState() error {
 	b.bestNode = node
 
 	// Add the new node to the index which is used for faster lookups.
-	b.index[*node.hash] = node
+	b.index.AddNode(node)
 
 	// Initialize the state related to the best block.  Since it is the
 	// genesis block, use its timestamp for the median time.
@@ -1186,13 +1186,11 @@ func (b *BlockChain) initChainState() error {
 		node.workSum = state.workSum
 		b.bestNode = node
 
-		// Add the new node to the indices for faster lookups.
-		prevHash := node.parentHash
-		b.index[*node.hash] = node
-		b.depNodes[*prevHash] = append(b.depNodes[*prevHash], node)
+		// Add the new node to the block index.
+		b.index.AddNode(node)
 
 		// Calculate the median time for the block.
-		medianTime, err := b.calcPastMedianTime(node)
+		medianTime, err := b.index.CalcPastMedianTime(node)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -1910,7 +1908,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) initThresholdCaches() error {
 	// accessing b.bestNode.parent directly as it will dynamically create
 	// previous block nodes as needed.  This helps allow only the pieces of
 	// the chain that are needed to remain in memory.
-	prevNode, err := b.getPrevNodeFromNode(b.bestNode)
+	prevNode, err := b.index.PrevNodeFromNode(b.bestNode)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/blockchain/difficulty.go b/blockchain/difficulty.go
index f6a0689e..755e0979 100644
--- a/blockchain/difficulty.go
+++ b/blockchain/difficulty.go
@@ -207,9 +207,9 @@ func (b *BlockChain) findPrevTestNetDifficulty(startNode *blockNode) (uint32, er
 		// helps allow only the pieces of the chain that are needed
 		// to remain in memory.
 		var err error
-		iterNode, err = b.getPrevNodeFromNode(iterNode)
+		iterNode, err = b.index.PrevNodeFromNode(iterNode)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("getPrevNodeFromNode: %v", err)
+			log.Errorf("PrevNodeFromNode: %v", err)
 			return 0, err
 		}
 	}
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) calcNextRequiredDifficulty(lastNode *blockNode, newBlockTim
 		// helps allow only the pieces of the chain that are needed
 		// to remain in memory.
 		var err error
-		firstNode, err = b.getPrevNodeFromNode(firstNode)
+		firstNode, err = b.index.PrevNodeFromNode(firstNode)
 		if err != nil {
 			return 0, err
 		}
diff --git a/blockchain/process.go b/blockchain/process.go
index 143f555c..5a2e5ab1 100644
--- a/blockchain/process.go
+++ b/blockchain/process.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright (c) 2013-2016 The btcsuite developers
+// Copyright (c) 2013-2017 The btcsuite developers
 // Use of this source code is governed by an ISC
 // license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ const (
 //
 // This function MUST be called with the chain state lock held (for reads).
 func (b *BlockChain) blockExists(hash *chainhash.Hash) (bool, error) {
-	// Check memory chain first (could be main chain or side chain blocks).
-	if _, ok := b.index[*hash]; ok {
+	// Check block index first (could be main chain or side chain blocks).
+	if b.index.HaveBlock(hash) {
 		return true, nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/blockchain/thresholdstate.go b/blockchain/thresholdstate.go
index f1ca8d19..a4953bbd 100644
--- a/blockchain/thresholdstate.go
+++ b/blockchain/thresholdstate.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright (c) 2016 The btcsuite developers
+// Copyright (c) 2016-2017 The btcsuite developers
 // Use of this source code is governed by an ISC
 // license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) thresholdState(prevNode *blockNode, checker thresholdCondit
 	// window in order to get its threshold state.  This can be done because
 	// the state is the same for all blocks within a given window.
 	var err error
-	prevNode, err = b.ancestorNode(prevNode, prevNode.height-
+	prevNode, err = b.index.AncestorNode(prevNode, prevNode.height-
 		(prevNode.height+1)%confirmationWindow)
 	if err != nil {
 		return ThresholdFailed, err
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) thresholdState(prevNode *blockNode, checker thresholdCondit
 
 		// The start and expiration times are based on the median block
 		// time, so calculate it now.
-		medianTime, err := b.calcPastMedianTime(prevNode)
+		medianTime, err := b.index.CalcPastMedianTime(prevNode)
 		if err != nil {
 			return ThresholdFailed, err
 		}
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) thresholdState(prevNode *blockNode, checker thresholdCondit
 
 		// Get the ancestor that is the last block of the previous
 		// confirmation window.
-		prevNode, err = b.ancestorNode(prevNode, prevNode.height-
+		prevNode, err = b.index.AncestorNode(prevNode, prevNode.height-
 			confirmationWindow)
 		if err != nil {
 			return ThresholdFailed, err
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) thresholdState(prevNode *blockNode, checker thresholdCondit
 		case ThresholdDefined:
 			// The deployment of the rule change fails if it expires
 			// before it is accepted and locked in.
-			medianTime, err := b.calcPastMedianTime(prevNode)
+			medianTime, err := b.index.CalcPastMedianTime(prevNode)
 			if err != nil {
 				return ThresholdFailed, err
 			}
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) thresholdState(prevNode *blockNode, checker thresholdCondit
 		case ThresholdStarted:
 			// The deployment of the rule change fails if it expires
 			// before it is accepted and locked in.
-			medianTime, err := b.calcPastMedianTime(prevNode)
+			medianTime, err := b.index.CalcPastMedianTime(prevNode)
 			if err != nil {
 				return ThresholdFailed, err
 			}
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) thresholdState(prevNode *blockNode, checker thresholdCondit
 				// previous block nodes as needed.  This helps
 				// allow only the pieces of the chain that are
 				// needed to remain in memory.
-				countNode, err = b.getPrevNodeFromNode(countNode)
+				countNode, err = b.index.PrevNodeFromNode(countNode)
 				if err != nil {
 					return ThresholdFailed, err
 				}
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) thresholdState(prevNode *blockNode, checker thresholdCondit
 }
 
 // ThresholdState returns the current rule change threshold state of the given
-// deployment ID for the block AFTER then end of the current best chain.
+// deployment ID for the block AFTER the end of the current best chain.
 //
 // This function is safe for concurrent access.
 func (b *BlockChain) ThresholdState(deploymentID uint32) (ThresholdState, error) {
diff --git a/blockchain/validate.go b/blockchain/validate.go
index 822c1791..668036cb 100644
--- a/blockchain/validate.go
+++ b/blockchain/validate.go
@@ -671,9 +671,9 @@ func (b *BlockChain) checkBlockHeaderContext(header *wire.BlockHeader, prevNode
 
 		// Ensure the timestamp for the block header is after the
 		// median time of the last several blocks (medianTimeBlocks).
-		medianTime, err := b.calcPastMedianTime(prevNode)
+		medianTime, err := b.index.CalcPastMedianTime(prevNode)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("calcPastMedianTime: %v", err)
+			log.Errorf("CalcPastMedianTime: %v", err)
 			return err
 		}
 		if !header.Timestamp.After(medianTime) {
diff --git a/blockchain/versionbits.go b/blockchain/versionbits.go
index 4da737d9..cbf9e40c 100644
--- a/blockchain/versionbits.go
+++ b/blockchain/versionbits.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright (c) 2016 The btcsuite developers
+// Copyright (c) 2016-2017 The btcsuite developers
 // Use of this source code is governed by an ISC
 // license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ func (c bitConditionChecker) Condition(node *blockNode) (bool, error) {
 	// accessing node.parent directly as it will dynamically create previous
 	// block nodes as needed.  This helps allow only the pieces of the chain
 	// that are needed to remain in memory.
-	prevNode, err := c.chain.getPrevNodeFromNode(node)
+	prevNode, err := c.chain.index.PrevNodeFromNode(node)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) warnUnknownRuleActivations(node *blockNode) error {
 	// accessing node.parent directly as it will dynamically create previous
 	// block nodes as needed.  This helps allow only the pieces of the chain
 	// that are needed to remain in memory.
-	prevNode, err := b.getPrevNodeFromNode(node)
+	prevNode, err := b.index.PrevNodeFromNode(node)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ func (b *BlockChain) warnUnknownVersions(node *blockNode) error {
 		// simply accessing node.parent directly as it will dynamically
 		// create previous block nodes as needed.  This helps allow only
 		// the pieces of the chain that are needed to remain in memory.
-		node, err = b.getPrevNodeFromNode(node)
+		node, err = b.index.PrevNodeFromNode(node)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}