diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index f46579c..8742fb1 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -29,4 +29,5 @@ tracing-subscriber = "0.3.17"
 
 [features]
 doc = []
+local = []
 
diff --git a/src/v037/server.rs b/src/v037/server.rs
index 9eb8403..8fa7cd6 100644
--- a/src/v037/server.rs
+++ b/src/v037/server.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ use std::convert::{TryFrom, TryInto};
 use futures::future::{FutureExt, TryFutureExt};
 use futures::sink::SinkExt;
 use futures::stream::{FuturesOrdered, StreamExt};
-use tokio::io::{AsyncReadExt, AsyncWriteExt};
+use futures::{Sink, Stream};
+use tokio::io::{AsyncRead, AsyncReadExt, AsyncWrite, AsyncWriteExt};
 use tokio::{
     net::{TcpListener, ToSocketAddrs},
     select,
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ use tendermint::v0_37::abci::{
     ConsensusRequest, ConsensusResponse, InfoRequest, InfoResponse, MempoolRequest,
     MempoolResponse, Request, Response, SnapshotRequest, SnapshotResponse,
 };
+use tendermint_proto::v0_37::abci as pb;
 
 /// An ABCI server which listens for connections and forwards requests to four
 /// component ABCI [`Service`]s.
@@ -185,28 +187,50 @@ where
         }
     }
 
-    pub async fn listen_channel<R, W>(self, mut channel: tokio::sync::mpsc::Receiver<(R, W)>)
-    where
-        R: AsyncReadExt + std::marker::Unpin + Send + 'static,
-        W: AsyncWriteExt + std::marker::Unpin + Send + 'static,
-    {
-        tracing::info!("ABCI server starting on tokio channel");
+    /// Connects to this server, using an in-memory connection.
+    #[cfg(feature = "local")]
+    pub fn connect_local(
+        &self,
+        max_buf_size: usize,
+    ) -> (
+        tokio::task::JoinHandle<Result<(), BoxError>>,
+        impl Stream<Item = Result<pb::Response, BoxError>>,
+        impl Sink<pb::Request>,
+    ) {
+        let (client, server) = tokio::io::duplex(max_buf_size);
 
-        match channel.recv().await {
-            Some((read, write)) => {
-                tracing::debug!("accepted new connection");
-                let conn = Connection {
-                    consensus: self.consensus.clone(),
-                    mempool: self.mempool.clone(),
-                    info: self.info.clone(),
-                    snapshot: self.snapshot.clone(),
-                };
-                tokio::spawn(async move { conn.run(read, write).await.unwrap() });
+        tracing::debug!("ABCI server listening on in-memory connection");
+        let (reader, writer) = tokio::io::split(server);
+        let conn = tokio::spawn(
+            Connection {
+                consensus: self.consensus.clone(),
+                mempool: self.mempool.clone(),
+                info: self.info.clone(),
+                snapshot: self.snapshot.clone(),
             }
-            None => {
-                tracing::trace!("channel closed");
-            }
-        }
+            .run(reader, writer),
+        );
+
+        let (reader, writer) = tokio::io::split(client);
+        let (response_stream, request_sink) = Self::client_io(reader, writer);
+
+        (conn, response_stream, request_sink)
+    }
+
+    /// Returns the client's reader and writer: a response stream and a request sink.
+    #[cfg(feature = "local")]
+    fn client_io(
+        read: impl AsyncRead,
+        write: impl AsyncWrite,
+    ) -> (
+        impl Stream<Item = Result<pb::Response, BoxError>>,
+        impl Sink<pb::Request>,
+    ) {
+        use crate::v037::codec::{Decode, Encode};
+        (
+            FramedRead::new(read, Decode::<pb::Response>::default()),
+            FramedWrite::new(write, Encode::<pb::Request>::default()),
+        )
     }
 }
 
@@ -237,8 +261,6 @@ where
     ) -> Result<(), BoxError> {
         tracing::info!("listening for requests");
 
-        use tendermint_proto::v0_37::abci as pb;
-
         let (mut request_stream, mut response_sink) = {
             use crate::v037::codec::{Decode, Encode};
             (