diff --git a/ethcore/light/src/client/service.rs b/ethcore/light/src/client/service.rs
index 9672974fc..cb8965953 100644
--- a/ethcore/light/src/client/service.rs
+++ b/ethcore/light/src/client/service.rs
@@ -75,9 +75,8 @@ impl<T: ChainDataFetcher> Service<T> {
 			io_service.channel(),
 			cache,
 		)?);
-
-		io_service.register_handler(Arc::new(ImportBlocks(client.clone()))).map_err(Error::Io)?;
 		spec.engine.register_client(Arc::downgrade(&client) as _);
+		io_service.register_handler(Arc::new(ImportBlocks(client.clone()))).map_err(Error::Io)?;
 
 		Ok(Service {
 			client,
diff --git a/ethcore/service/src/service.rs b/ethcore/service/src/service.rs
index 176908056..60caefe9a 100644
--- a/ethcore/service/src/service.rs
+++ b/ethcore/service/src/service.rs
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ impl ClientService {
 			miner.clone(),
 			io_service.channel(),
 		)?;
+		spec.engine.register_client(Arc::downgrade(&client) as _);
 		miner.set_io_channel(io_service.channel());
 		miner.set_in_chain_checker(&client.clone());
 
@@ -148,8 +149,6 @@ impl ClientService {
 		});
 		io_service.register_handler(client_io)?;
 
-		spec.engine.register_client(Arc::downgrade(&client) as _);
-
 		Ok(ClientService {
 			io_service: Arc::new(io_service),
 			client: client,