diff --git a/bchain/coins/btc/bitcoinrpc.go b/bchain/coins/btc/bitcoinrpc.go
index f28cbe08..0abaad90 100644
--- a/bchain/coins/btc/bitcoinrpc.go
+++ b/bchain/coins/btc/bitcoinrpc.go
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ type Configuration struct {
 	ZeroMQBinding        string `json:"zeroMQBinding"`
 	Subversion           string `json:"subversion"`
 	BlockAddressesToKeep int    `json:"blockAddressesToKeep"`
+	MempoolWorkers       int    `json:"mempoolWorkers"`
+	MempoolSubWorkers    int    `json:"mempoolSubWorkers"`
 }
 
 // NewBitcoinRPC returns new BitcoinRPC instance.
@@ -56,6 +58,14 @@ func NewBitcoinRPC(config json.RawMessage, pushHandler func(bchain.NotificationT
 	if c.BlockAddressesToKeep < 100 {
 		c.BlockAddressesToKeep = 100
 	}
+	// at least 1 mempool worker/subworker for synchronous mempool synchronization
+	if c.MempoolWorkers < 1 {
+		c.MempoolWorkers = 1
+	}
+	if c.MempoolSubWorkers < 1 {
+		c.MempoolSubWorkers = 1
+	}
+
 	transport := &http.Transport{
 		Dial:                (&net.Dialer{KeepAlive: 600 * time.Second}).Dial,
 		MaxIdleConns:        100,
@@ -92,7 +102,7 @@ func (b *BitcoinRPC) GetChainInfoAndInitializeMempool(bc bchain.BlockChain) (str
 	}
 	b.mq = mq
 
-	b.Mempool = bchain.NewUTXOMempool(bc)
+	b.Mempool = bchain.NewUTXOMempool(bc, b.ChainConfig.MempoolWorkers, b.ChainConfig.MempoolSubWorkers)
 
 	return chainName, nil
 }
diff --git a/bchain/mempool_utxo.go b/bchain/mempool_utxo.go
index aca925c2..be91514b 100644
--- a/bchain/mempool_utxo.go
+++ b/bchain/mempool_utxo.go
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 )
 
-const numberOfSyncRoutines = 8
-
 // addrIndex and outpoint are used also in non utxo mempool
 type addrIndex struct {
 	addrID string
@@ -38,13 +36,13 @@ type UTXOMempool struct {
 
 // NewUTXOMempool creates new mempool handler.
 // For now there is no cleanup of sync routines, the expectation is that the mempool is created only once per process
-func NewUTXOMempool(chain BlockChain) *UTXOMempool {
+func NewUTXOMempool(chain BlockChain, workers int, subworkers int) *UTXOMempool {
 	m := &UTXOMempool{
 		chain:         chain,
 		chanTxid:      make(chan string, 1),
 		chanAddrIndex: make(chan txidio, 1),
 	}
-	for i := 0; i < numberOfSyncRoutines; i++ {
+	for i := 0; i < workers; i++ {
 		go func(i int) {
 			for txid := range m.chanTxid {
 				io, ok := m.getMempoolTxAddrs(txid)
@@ -55,7 +53,7 @@ func NewUTXOMempool(chain BlockChain) *UTXOMempool {
 			}
 		}(i)
 	}
-	glog.Info("mempool: starting with ", numberOfSyncRoutines, " sync workers")
+	glog.Info("mempool: starting with ", workers, "*", subworkers, " sync workers")
 	return m
 }
 
@@ -83,8 +81,27 @@ func (m *UTXOMempool) updateMappings(newTxToInputOutput map[string][]addrIndex,
 	m.addrIDToTx = newAddrIDToTx
 }
 
+func (m *UTXOMempool) getInputAddress(input *Vin) *addrIndex {
+	// TODO - possibly get from DB unspenttxs - however some output txs can be also in mempool
+	itx, err := m.chain.GetTransactionForMempool(input.Txid)
+	if err != nil {
+		glog.Error("cannot get transaction ", input.Txid, ": ", err)
+		return nil
+	}
+	if int(input.Vout) >= len(itx.Vout) {
+		glog.Error("Vout len in transaction ", input.Txid, " ", len(itx.Vout), " input.Vout=", input.Vout)
+		return nil
+	}
+	addrID, err := m.chain.GetChainParser().GetAddrIDFromVout(&itx.Vout[input.Vout])
+	if err != nil {
+		glog.Error("error in addrID in ", input.Txid, " ", input.Vout, ": ", err)
+		return nil
+	}
+	return &addrIndex{string(addrID), int32(^input.Vout)}
+
+}
+
 func (m *UTXOMempool) getMempoolTxAddrs(txid string) ([]addrIndex, bool) {
-	parser := m.chain.GetChainParser()
 	tx, err := m.chain.GetTransactionForMempool(txid)
 	if err != nil {
 		glog.Error("cannot get transaction ", txid, ": ", err)
@@ -93,7 +110,7 @@ func (m *UTXOMempool) getMempoolTxAddrs(txid string) ([]addrIndex, bool) {
 	glog.V(2).Info("mempool: gettxaddrs ", txid, ", ", len(tx.Vin), " inputs")
 	io := make([]addrIndex, 0, len(tx.Vout)+len(tx.Vin))
 	for _, output := range tx.Vout {
-		addrID, err := parser.GetAddrIDFromVout(&output)
+		addrID, err := m.chain.GetChainParser().GetAddrIDFromVout(&output)
 		if err != nil {
 			glog.Error("error in addrID in ", txid, " ", output.N, ": ", err)
 			continue
@@ -109,22 +126,10 @@ func (m *UTXOMempool) getMempoolTxAddrs(txid string) ([]addrIndex, bool) {
 		if input.Coinbase != "" {
 			continue
 		}
-		// TODO - possibly get from DB unspenttxs - however some output txs can be also in mempool
-		itx, err := m.chain.GetTransactionForMempool(input.Txid)
-		if err != nil {
-			glog.Error("cannot get transaction ", input.Txid, ": ", err)
-			continue
+		ai := m.getInputAddress(&input)
+		if ai != nil {
+			io = append(io, *ai)
 		}
-		if int(input.Vout) >= len(itx.Vout) {
-			glog.Error("Vout len in transaction ", input.Txid, " ", len(itx.Vout), " input.Vout=", input.Vout)
-			continue
-		}
-		addrID, err := parser.GetAddrIDFromVout(&itx.Vout[input.Vout])
-		if err != nil {
-			glog.Error("error in addrID in ", input.Txid, " ", input.Vout, ": ", err)
-			continue
-		}
-		io = append(io, addrIndex{string(addrID), int32(^input.Vout)})
 	}
 	return io, true
 }
diff --git a/configs/bch-testnet.json b/configs/bch-testnet.json
index f518fac2..51731adc 100644
--- a/configs/bch-testnet.json
+++ b/configs/bch-testnet.json
@@ -6,5 +6,7 @@
   "parse": true,
   "zeroMQBinding": "tcp://127.0.0.1:48331",
   "subversion": "/Bitcoin ABC:0.17.1/",
+  "mempoolWorkers": 8,
+  "mempoolSubWorkers": 2,
   "blockAddressesToKeep": 300
 }
diff --git a/configs/bch.json b/configs/bch.json
index 55993b90..31ecda0b 100644
--- a/configs/bch.json
+++ b/configs/bch.json
@@ -6,5 +6,7 @@
   "parse": true,
   "zeroMQBinding": "tcp://127.0.0.1:38331",
   "subversion": "/Bitcoin ABC:0.17.1/",
+  "mempoolWorkers": 8,
+  "mempoolSubWorkers": 2,
   "blockAddressesToKeep": 300
 }
diff --git a/configs/btc-testnet.json b/configs/btc-testnet.json
index 5b8beab3..4d1f9745 100644
--- a/configs/btc-testnet.json
+++ b/configs/btc-testnet.json
@@ -5,5 +5,7 @@
   "rpcTimeout": 25,
   "parse": true,
   "zeroMQBinding": "tcp://127.0.0.1:48330",
+  "mempoolWorkers": 8,
+  "mempoolSubWorkers": 2,
   "blockAddressesToKeep": 300
 }
diff --git a/configs/btc.json b/configs/btc.json
index 538dd217..8cbbc218 100644
--- a/configs/btc.json
+++ b/configs/btc.json
@@ -5,5 +5,7 @@
   "rpcTimeout": 25,
   "parse": true,
   "zeroMQBinding": "tcp://127.0.0.1:38330",
+  "mempoolWorkers": 8,
+  "mempoolSubWorkers": 2,
   "blockAddressesToKeep": 300
 }
diff --git a/configs/zec.json b/configs/zec.json
index 431e8f2a..b957b110 100644
--- a/configs/zec.json
+++ b/configs/zec.json
@@ -5,5 +5,7 @@
   "rpcTimeout": 25,
   "parse": true,
   "zeroMQBinding": "tcp://127.0.0.1:38332",
+  "mempoolWorkers": 4,
+  "mempoolSubWorkers": 8,
   "blockAddressesToKeep": 300
 }