diff --git a/zebra-consensus/src/verify.rs b/zebra-consensus/src/verify.rs
index 7a230d766f1..551ed022504 100644
--- a/zebra-consensus/src/verify.rs
+++ b/zebra-consensus/src/verify.rs
@@ -21,12 +21,27 @@ use zebra_chain::block::{Block, BlockHeaderHash};
 mod script;
 mod transaction;
 
+/// The trait constraints that we expect from `zebra_state::ZebraState` errors.
+type ZSE = Box<dyn error::Error + Send + Sync + 'static>;
+/// The trait constraints that we expect from the `zebra_state::ZebraState` service.
+/// `ZSF` is the `Future` type for `zebra_state::ZebraState`. This type is generic,
+/// because `tower::Service` function calls require a `Sized` future type.
+type ZS<ZSF> = Box<
+    dyn Service<zebra_state::Request, Response = zebra_state::Response, Error = ZSE, Future = ZSF>
+        + Send
+        + 'static,
+>;
+
 /// Block verification service.
 ///
 /// After verification, blocks and their associated transactions are added to
 /// `zebra_state::ZebraState`.
-#[derive(Default)]
-struct BlockVerifier {}
+struct BlockVerifier<ZSF>
+where
+    ZSF: Future<Output = Result<zebra_state::Response, ZSE>> + Send + 'static,
+{
+    state_service: ZS<ZSF>,
+}
 
 /// The result type for the BlockVerifier Service.
 type Response = BlockHeaderHash;
@@ -36,21 +51,20 @@ type Response = BlockHeaderHash;
 type Error = Box<dyn error::Error + Send + Sync + 'static>;
 
 /// The BlockVerifier service implementation.
-impl Service<Block> for BlockVerifier {
+impl<ZSF> Service<Block> for BlockVerifier<ZSF>
+where
+    ZSF: Future<Output = Result<zebra_state::Response, ZSE>> + Send + 'static,
+{
     type Response = Response;
     type Error = Error;
     type Future =
         Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Result<Self::Response, Self::Error>> + Send + 'static>>;
 
     fn poll_ready(&mut self, context: &mut Context<'_>) -> Poll<Result<(), Self::Error>> {
-        // TODO(teor): is this a shared state?
-        let mut state_service = zebra_state::in_memory::init();
-        state_service.poll_ready(context)
+        self.state_service.poll_ready(context)
     }
 
     fn call(&mut self, block: Block) -> Self::Future {
-        let mut state_service = zebra_state::in_memory::init();
-
         let header_hash: BlockHeaderHash = (&block).into();
 
         // Ignore errors for now.
@@ -58,7 +72,7 @@ impl Service<Block> for BlockVerifier {
         // TODO(teor):
         //   - handle chain reorgs, adjust state_service "unique block height" conditions
         //   - handle block validation errors (including errors in the block's transactions)
-        let _ = state_service.call(zebra_state::Request::AddBlock {
+        let _: ZSF = self.state_service.call(zebra_state::Request::AddBlock {
             block: block.into(),
         });
 
@@ -67,13 +81,18 @@ impl Service<Block> for BlockVerifier {
 }
 
 /// Initialise the BlockVerifier service.
-pub fn init() -> impl Service<
+pub fn init<ZSF>(
+    state_service: ZS<ZSF>,
+) -> impl Service<
     Block,
     Response = Response,
     Error = Error,
     Future = impl Future<Output = Result<Response, Error>>,
 > + Send
        + Clone
-       + 'static {
-    Buffer::new(BlockVerifier::default(), 1)
+       + 'static
+where
+    ZSF: Future<Output = Result<zebra_state::Response, ZSE>> + Send + 'static,
+{
+    Buffer::new(BlockVerifier::<ZSF> { state_service }, 1)
 }