diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/api/api_admin.py b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/api/api_admin.py
index f7c5fb8c..eb08934f 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/api/api_admin.py
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/api/api_admin.py
@@ -39,9 +39,8 @@ class AdminApi:
     :param queue: Name of worker queue to submit tasks to
     :type queue: str
     """
-    def __init__(self, rpc_client, queue='cic-eth'):
-        self.rpc_client = rpc_client
-        self.w3 = rpc_client.w3
+    def __init__(self, rpc, queue='cic-eth'):
+        self.rpc = rpc
         self.queue = queue
 
 
@@ -80,7 +79,7 @@ class AdminApi:
         return s_lock.apply_async().get()
 
 
-    def tag_account(self, tag, address_hex):
+    def tag_account(self, tag, address_hex, chain_spec):
         """Persistently associate an address with a plaintext tag.
 
         Some tags are known by the system and is used to resolve addresses to use for certain transactions. 
@@ -91,14 +90,18 @@ class AdminApi:
         :type address_hex: str, 0x-hex
         :raises ValueError: Invalid checksum address
         """
-        #if not web3.Web3.isChecksumAddress(address_hex):
-        if not to_checksum_address(address_hex):
-            raise ValueError('invalid address')
-        session = SessionBase.create_session()
-        role = AccountRole.set(tag, address_hex) 
-        session.add(role)
-        session.commit()
-        session.close()
+        s_tag = celery.signature(
+            'cic_eth.eth.account.set_role',
+            [
+                tag,
+                address_hex,
+                chain_spec.asdict(),
+                ],
+            queue=self.queue,
+            )
+        t = s_tag.apply_async()
+        logg.debug('taaag {}'.format(t))
+        return t.get()
 
 
     def have_account(self, address_hex, chain_str):
diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/account.py b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/account.py
index 23073087..1242898b 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/account.py
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/account.py
@@ -230,10 +230,23 @@ def have(self, account, chain_spec_dict):
         logg.debug('cannot sign with {}: {}'.format(account, e))
         conn.disconnect()
         return None
-    
+   
+
+@celery_app.task(bind=True, base=CriticalSQLAlchemyTask)
+def set_role(self, tag, address, chain_spec_dict):
+    logg.debug('foo fooofoo')
+    if not to_checksum_address(address):
+        raise ValueError('invalid checksum address {}'.format(address))
+    session = SessionBase.create_session()
+    role = AccountRole.set(tag, address, session=session) 
+    session.add(role)
+    session.commit()
+    session.close()
+    return tag
+
 
 @celery_app.task(bind=True, base=BaseTask)
-def role(self, account, chain_str):
+def role(self, address, chain_spec_dict):
     """Return account role for address
 
     :param account: Account to check
@@ -244,7 +257,7 @@ def role(self, account, chain_str):
     :rtype: Varies
     """
     session = self.create_session()
-    role_tag =  AccountRole.role_for(account, session=session)
+    role_tag =  AccountRole.role_for(address, session=session)
     session.close()
     return role_tag
 
diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/runnable/create.py b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/runnable/create.py
index 4c2b19cb..66ba619f 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/runnable/create.py
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/runnable/create.py
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ import json
 import argparse
 
 # external imports
+import celery
 import confini
 import redis
-import celery
 from xdg.BaseDirectory import xdg_config_home
 
 # local imports
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ args_override = {
         'REDIS_DB': getattr(args, 'redis_db'),
         }
 config.dict_override(args_override, 'cli')
+
 celery_app = celery.Celery(broker=config.get('CELERY_BROKER_URL'), backend=config.get('CELERY_RESULT_URL'))
 
 
diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/runnable/tag.py b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/runnable/tag.py
index c1df1e30..ea171303 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/runnable/tag.py
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/runnable/tag.py
@@ -5,14 +5,14 @@ import logging
 import argparse
 import re
 
-# third-party imports
-import web3
-from web3 import HTTPProvider, WebsocketProvider
+# external imports
+import celery
 import confini
+from chainlib.chain import ChainSpec
+from xdg.BaseDirectory import xdg_config_home
 
 # local imports
 from cic_eth.api import AdminApi
-from cic_eth.eth import RpcClient
 from cic_eth.db import dsn_from_config
 from cic_eth.db.models.base import SessionBase
 
@@ -48,29 +48,14 @@ config.censor('PASSWORD', 'DATABASE')
 config.censor('PASSWORD', 'SSL')
 logg.debug('config loaded from {}\n{}'.format(args.c, config))
 
+chain_spec = ChainSpec.from_chain_str(args.i)
 
-dsn = dsn_from_config(config)
-SessionBase.connect(dsn)
+celery_app = celery.Celery(broker=config.get('CELERY_BROKER_URL'), backend=config.get('CELERY_RESULT_URL'))
 
-re_websocket = re.compile('^wss?://')
-re_http = re.compile('^https?://')
-blockchain_provider = config.get('ETH_PROVIDER')
-if re.match(re_websocket, blockchain_provider) != None:
-    blockchain_provider = WebsocketProvider(blockchain_provider)
-elif re.match(re_http, blockchain_provider) != None:
-    blockchain_provider = HTTPProvider(blockchain_provider)
-else:
-    raise ValueError('unknown provider url {}'.format(blockchain_provider))
-
-def web3_constructor():
-    w3 = web3.Web3(blockchain_provider)
-    return (blockchain_provider, w3)
-RpcClient.set_constructor(web3_constructor)
-c = RpcClient(config.get('CIC_CHAIN_SPEC'))
 
 def main():
-    api = AdminApi(c)
-    api.tag_account(args.tag, args.address)
+    api = AdminApi(None)
+    api.tag_account(args.tag, args.address, chain_spec)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':