diff --git a/src/lib_base/protocol_environment.ml b/src/lib_base/protocol_environment.ml
index fabe9eae5..1cd452011 100644
--- a/src/lib_base/protocol_environment.ml
+++ b/src/lib_base/protocol_environment.ml
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ module type T = sig
     validation_state -> operation -> validation_state tzresult Lwt.t
   val finalize_block:
     validation_state -> validation_result tzresult Lwt.t
-  val rpc_services: rpc_context RPC_directory.t
+  val rpc_services: rpc_context Lwt.t RPC_directory.t
   val configure_sandbox:
     context -> Data_encoding.json option -> context tzresult Lwt.t
 end
diff --git a/src/lib_base/protocol_environment.mli b/src/lib_base/protocol_environment.mli
index 158b71c9c..0f24d0617 100644
--- a/src/lib_base/protocol_environment.mli
+++ b/src/lib_base/protocol_environment.mli
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ module type T = sig
     validation_state -> operation -> validation_state tzresult Lwt.t
   val finalize_block:
     validation_state -> validation_result tzresult Lwt.t
-  val rpc_services: rpc_context RPC_directory.t
+  val rpc_services: rpc_context Lwt.t RPC_directory.t
   val configure_sandbox:
     context -> Data_encoding.json option -> context tzresult Lwt.t
 end
diff --git a/src/lib_protocol_environment_client/fake_updater.ml b/src/lib_protocol_environment_client/fake_updater.ml
index 37dd8b496..43cac36c9 100644
--- a/src/lib_protocol_environment_client/fake_updater.ml
+++ b/src/lib_protocol_environment_client/fake_updater.ml
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ module Make(Context : Protocol_environment.CONTEXT) = struct
       validation_state -> operation -> validation_state tzresult Lwt.t
     val finalize_block:
       validation_state -> validation_result tzresult Lwt.t
-    val rpc_services: rpc_context RPC_directory.t
+    val rpc_services: rpc_context Lwt.t RPC_directory.t
     val configure_sandbox:
       Context.t -> Data_encoding.json option -> Context.t tzresult Lwt.t
   end
diff --git a/src/lib_protocol_environment_sigs/v1/updater.mli b/src/lib_protocol_environment_sigs/v1/updater.mli
index 2cf90b089..505feb6cc 100644
--- a/src/lib_protocol_environment_sigs/v1/updater.mli
+++ b/src/lib_protocol_environment_sigs/v1/updater.mli
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ module type PROTOCOL = sig
     validation_state -> validation_result tzresult Lwt.t
 
   (** The list of remote procedures exported by this implementation *)
-  val rpc_services: rpc_context RPC_directory.t
+  val rpc_services: rpc_context Lwt.t RPC_directory.t
 
   (** An ad-hoc context patcher. It used only for debugging protocol
       while running in the "sandbox" mode. This function is never used
diff --git a/src/lib_shell/node.ml b/src/lib_shell/node.ml
index 90a9d3423..b1965c221 100644
--- a/src/lib_shell/node.ml
+++ b/src/lib_shell/node.ml
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ module RPC = struct
     | Some rpc_context ->
         Context.get_protocol rpc_context.context >>= fun protocol_hash ->
         let (module Proto) = Registred_protocol.get_exn protocol_hash in
-        let dir = RPC_directory.map (fun () -> rpc_context) Proto.rpc_services in
+        let dir = RPC_directory.map (fun () -> Lwt.return rpc_context) Proto.rpc_services in
         Lwt.return (Some (RPC_directory.map (fun _ -> ()) dir))
 
   let heads node =
diff --git a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/services_registration.ml b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/services_registration.ml
index 05450170e..6d3b3477c 100644
--- a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/services_registration.ml
+++ b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/services_registration.ml
@@ -17,16 +17,16 @@ type rpc_context = {
   context: Tezos_context.t ;
 }
 
-let rpc_init
-    ({ block_hash ; block_header ;
-       operation_hashes ; operations ; context } : Updater.rpc_context) =
+let rpc_init (rpc_context : Updater.rpc_context Lwt.t) =
+  rpc_context >>= fun { block_hash ; block_header ;
+                        operation_hashes ; operations ; context } ->
   let level = Int32.succ block_header.shell.level in
   let timestamp = block_header.shell.timestamp in
   let fitness = block_header.shell.fitness in
   Tezos_context.init ~level ~timestamp ~fitness context >>=? fun context ->
   return { block_hash ; block_header ; operation_hashes ; operations ; context }
 
-let rpc_services = ref (RPC_directory.empty : Updater.rpc_context RPC_directory.t)
+let rpc_services = ref (RPC_directory.empty : Updater.rpc_context Lwt.t RPC_directory.t)
 
 let register0_fullctxt s f =
   rpc_services :=
diff --git a/src/proto_demo/lib_protocol/src/services.ml b/src/proto_demo/lib_protocol/src/services.ml
index bfa3700b5..9b77a9086 100644
--- a/src/proto_demo/lib_protocol/src/services.ml
+++ b/src/proto_demo/lib_protocol/src/services.ml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ let failing_service custom_root =
     ~output: Data_encoding.empty
     RPC_path.(custom_root / "failing")
 
-let rpc_services : Updater.rpc_context RPC_directory.t =
+let rpc_services : Updater.rpc_context Lwt.t RPC_directory.t =
   let dir = RPC_directory.empty in
   let dir =
     RPC_directory.register
diff --git a/src/proto_genesis/lib_protocol/src/services.ml b/src/proto_genesis/lib_protocol/src/services.ml
index 44b33995d..af6bbc8e3 100644
--- a/src/proto_genesis/lib_protocol/src/services.ml
+++ b/src/proto_genesis/lib_protocol/src/services.ml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ let int64_to_bytes i =
 let operations_hash =
   Operation_list_list_hash.compute []
 
-let rpc_services : Updater.rpc_context RPC_directory.t =
+let rpc_services : Updater.rpc_context Lwt.t RPC_directory.t =
   let dir = RPC_directory.empty in
   let dir =
     RPC_directory.register