diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index d131f510b8af05ee34f0566500bf377e97b1cceb..be06862e96171411a698c4df40571f698af74dee 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/eris-ltd/eris-db/account"
 	tendermint_client "github.com/eris-ltd/eris-db/rpc/tendermint/client"
+	rpc_types "github.com/eris-ltd/eris-db/rpc/tendermint/core/types"
 	"github.com/eris-ltd/eris-db/txs"
 )
 
@@ -30,6 +31,8 @@ type NodeClient interface {
 	Broadcast(transaction txs.Tx) (*txs.Receipt, error)
 
 	GetAccount(address []byte) (*account.Account, error)
+
+	Status() (*rpc_types.ResultStatus, error)
 }
 
 // NOTE [ben] Compiler check to ensure ErisClient successfully implements
@@ -80,3 +83,13 @@ func (erisClient *ErisNodeClient) GetAccount(address []byte) (*account.Account,
 
 	return account.Copy(), nil
 }
+
+func (erisClient *ErisNodeClient) Status() (*rpc_types.ResultStatus, error) {
+	client := rpcclient.NewClientURI(erisClient.broadcastRPC)
+	res, err := tendermint_client.Status(client)
+	if err != nil {
+		err = fmt.Errorf("Error connecting to node (%s) to get status: %s",
+			erisClient.broadcastRPC, err.Error())
+		return nil, err
+	}
+}
diff --git a/client/core/transaction_factory_test.go b/client/core/transaction_factory_test.go
index aa492b986d1bb70a525422b1d83f944118183b0c..f480fcaf57d68df6f1e99bfcc69977b1f7b7958b 100644
--- a/client/core/transaction_factory_test.go
+++ b/client/core/transaction_factory_test.go
@@ -150,4 +150,4 @@ func testTransactionFactoryPermissions(t *testing.T,
 		t.Fail()
 	}
 	// TODO: test content of Transaction
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/client/core/transaction_factory_util.go b/client/core/transaction_factory_util.go
index b5ed8250b4fc3affe355c85ac4d799c5f0086af6..6178da75f3b1a738117e6a24fbd41e3a8372e35e 100644
--- a/client/core/transaction_factory_util.go
+++ b/client/core/transaction_factory_util.go
@@ -170,4 +170,4 @@ func checkCommon(nodeClient client.NodeClient, keyClient keys.KeyClient, pubkey,
 	}
 
 	return
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/client/mock/client_mock.go b/client/mock/client_mock.go
index 0fc7e576753a3d123650e99ea27f0b839a47bdec..0b71e303301d71720c77e751d9097a2f3a5fc402 100644
--- a/client/mock/client_mock.go
+++ b/client/mock/client_mock.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package mock
 
 import (
 	"github.com/tendermint/go-crypto"
+	"github.com/tendermint/go-p2p"
 
 	acc "github.com/eris-ltd/eris-db/account"
 	. "github.com/eris-ltd/eris-db/client"
@@ -68,3 +69,29 @@ func (mock *MockNodeClient) MockAddAccount(account *acc.Account) {
 	addressString := string(account.Address[:])
 	mock.accounts[addressString] = account.Copy()
 }
+
+func (mock *MockNodeClient) Status() (*rpc_types.ResultStatus, error) {
+	// make zero account
+	var zero [32]byte
+	pub := crypto.PubKey(crypto.PubKeyEd25519(zero))
+
+	// create a status
+	nodeInfo := &p2p.NodeInfo{
+		PubKey:     pub,
+		Moniker:    "Mock",
+		Network:    "MockNet",
+		RemoteAddr: "127.0.0.1",
+		ListenAddr: "127.0.0.1",
+		Version:    "0.12.0",
+		Other:      []string{},
+	}
+
+	return &rpc_types.ResultStatus{
+		NodeInfo:          nodeInfo,
+		GenesisHash:       nil,
+		PubKey:            pub,
+		LatestBlockHash:   nil,
+		LatestBlockHeight: 1,
+		LatestBlockTime:   1,
+	}
+}