diff --git a/data/txDupCache.go b/data/txDupCache.go
index 834bdfc533..026a168578 100644
--- a/data/txDupCache.go
+++ b/data/txDupCache.go
@@ -111,15 +111,14 @@ type txSaltedCache struct {
 	ctx      context.Context
 }
 
-func makeSaltedCache(ctx context.Context, size int, refreshInterval time.Duration) *txSaltedCache {
-	c := &txSaltedCache{
-		digestCache: digestCache{
-			cur:     map[crypto.Digest]struct{}{},
-			maxSize: size,
-		},
-		ctx: ctx,
+func makeSaltedCache(size int) *txSaltedCache {
+	return &txSaltedCache{
+		digestCache: *makeDigestCache(size),
 	}
+}
 
+func (c *txSaltedCache) start(ctx context.Context, refreshInterval time.Duration) {
+	c.ctx = ctx
 	if refreshInterval != 0 {
 		go c.salter(refreshInterval)
 	}
@@ -127,8 +126,6 @@ func makeSaltedCache(ctx context.Context, size int, refreshInterval time.Duratio
 	c.mu.Lock()
 	defer c.mu.Unlock()
 	c.moreSalt()
-
-	return c
 }
 
 // salter is a goroutine refreshing the cache by schedule
diff --git a/data/txDupCache_test.go b/data/txDupCache_test.go
index ed3cb5bce2..e0bfac25a5 100644
--- a/data/txDupCache_test.go
+++ b/data/txDupCache_test.go
@@ -119,7 +119,8 @@ func TestTxHandlerSaltedCacheBasic(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
 	const size = 20
-	cache := makeSaltedCache(context.Background(), size, 0)
+	cache := makeSaltedCache(size)
+	cache.start(context.Background(), 0)
 	require.Zero(t, cache.Len())
 
 	// add some unique random
@@ -202,7 +203,8 @@ func TestTxHandlerSaltedCacheScheduled(t *testing.T) {
 
 	const size = 20
 	updateInterval := 1000 * time.Microsecond
-	cache := makeSaltedCache(context.Background(), size, updateInterval)
+	cache := makeSaltedCache(size)
+	cache.start(context.Background(), updateInterval)
 	require.Zero(t, cache.Len())
 
 	// add some unique random
@@ -226,7 +228,8 @@ func TestTxHandlerSaltedCacheManual(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
 	const size = 20
-	cache := makeSaltedCache(context.Background(), 2*size, 0)
+	cache := makeSaltedCache(2 * size)
+	cache.start(context.Background(), 0)
 	require.Zero(t, cache.Len())
 
 	// add some unique random
@@ -290,7 +293,9 @@ func (m digestCacheMaker) make(size int) cachePusher {
 	return &digestCachePusher{c: makeDigestCache(size)}
 }
 func (m saltedCacheMaker) make(size int) cachePusher {
-	return &saltedCachePusher{c: makeSaltedCache(context.Background(), size, 0)}
+	scp := &saltedCachePusher{c: makeSaltedCache(size)}
+	scp.c.start(context.Background(), 0)
+	return scp
 }
 
 type digestCachePusher struct {
diff --git a/data/txHandler.go b/data/txHandler.go
index 372c6aaaab..118f0979b3 100644
--- a/data/txHandler.go
+++ b/data/txHandler.go
@@ -123,7 +123,6 @@ func MakeTxHandler(opts TxHandlerOpts) *TxHandler {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	ctx, ctxCancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	handler := &TxHandler{
 		txPool:                opts.TxPool,
 		genesisID:             opts.GenesisID,
@@ -133,22 +132,17 @@ func MakeTxHandler(opts TxHandlerOpts) *TxHandler {
 		backlogQueue:          make(chan *txBacklogMsg, txBacklogSize),
 		postVerificationQueue: make(chan *txBacklogMsg, txBacklogSize),
 		net:                   opts.Net,
-		msgCache:              makeSaltedCache(ctx, 2*txBacklogSize, 60*time.Second),
+		msgCache:              makeSaltedCache(2 * txBacklogSize),
 		txCanonicalCache:      makeDigestCache(2 * txBacklogSize),
 		cacheConfig:           txHandlerConfig{opts.Config.TxFilterRawMsgEnabled(), opts.Config.TxFilterCanonicalEnabled()},
-		ctx:                   ctx,
-		ctxCancel:             ctxCancel,
 	}
 	return handler
 }
 
 // Start enables the processing of incoming messages at the transaction handler
 func (handler *TxHandler) Start() {
-	if handler.ctx.Err() != nil {
-		// existing context has gone, create a new one
-		handler.ctx, handler.ctxCancel = context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-		handler.msgCache = makeSaltedCache(handler.ctx, 2*txBacklogSize, 60*time.Second)
-	}
+	handler.ctx, handler.ctxCancel = context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	handler.msgCache.start(handler.ctx, 60*time.Second)
 	handler.net.RegisterHandlers([]network.TaggedMessageHandler{
 		{Tag: protocol.TxnTag, MessageHandler: network.HandlerFunc(handler.processIncomingTxn)},
 	})
diff --git a/data/txHandler_test.go b/data/txHandler_test.go
index 5efe1b3a30..dd9f5fea1f 100644
--- a/data/txHandler_test.go
+++ b/data/txHandler_test.go
@@ -725,12 +725,14 @@ func makeTestTxHandlerOrphanedWithContext(ctx context.Context, backlogSize int,
 	if cacheSize <= 0 {
 		cacheSize = txBacklogSize
 	}
-	return &TxHandler{
+	handler := &TxHandler{
 		backlogQueue:     make(chan *txBacklogMsg, backlogSize),
-		msgCache:         makeSaltedCache(ctx, cacheSize, refreshInterval),
+		msgCache:         makeSaltedCache(cacheSize),
 		txCanonicalCache: makeDigestCache(cacheSize),
 		cacheConfig:      txHandlerConfig{true, true},
 	}
+	handler.msgCache.start(ctx, refreshInterval)
+	return handler
 }
 
 func makeTestTxHandler(dl *Ledger, cfg config.Local) *TxHandler {