diff --git a/core/blockchain.go b/core/blockchain.go
index d9c81b5a20..a1272336e3 100644
--- a/core/blockchain.go
+++ b/core/blockchain.go
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ func NewBlockChain(
 	// if txlookup limit is 0 (uindexing disabled), we don't need to repair the tx index tail.
 	if bc.cacheConfig.TransactionHistory != 0 {
 		latestStateSynced := rawdb.GetLatestSyncPerformed(bc.db)
-		bc.setTxIndexTail(latestStateSynced)
+		bc.repairTxIndexTail(latestStateSynced)
 	}
 
 	// Start processing accepted blocks effects in the background
@@ -2124,7 +2124,7 @@ func (bc *BlockChain) ResetToStateSyncedBlock(block *types.Block) error {
 
 	// if txlookup limit is 0 (uindexing disabled), we don't need to repair the tx index tail.
 	if bc.cacheConfig.TransactionHistory != 0 {
-		bc.setTxIndexTail(block.NumberU64())
+		bc.repairTxIndexTail(block.NumberU64())
 	}
 
 	// Update all in-memory chain markers
@@ -2160,18 +2160,12 @@ func (bc *BlockChain) CacheConfig() *CacheConfig {
 	return bc.cacheConfig
 }
 
-func (bc *BlockChain) setTxIndexTail(newTail uint64) error {
+func (bc *BlockChain) repairTxIndexTail(newTail uint64) error {
 	bc.txIndexTailLock.Lock()
 	defer bc.txIndexTailLock.Unlock()
 
-	tailP := rawdb.ReadTxIndexTail(bc.db)
-	var tailV uint64
-	if tailP != nil {
-		tailV = *tailP
-	}
-
-	if newTail > tailV {
-		log.Info("Repairing tx index tail", "old", tailV, "new", newTail)
+	if curr := rawdb.ReadTxIndexTail(bc.db); curr == nil || *curr < newTail {
+		log.Info("Repairing tx index tail", "old", curr, "new", newTail)
 		rawdb.WriteTxIndexTail(bc.db, newTail)
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/core/txindexer.go b/core/txindexer.go
index 85e492b06a..178f31d05f 100644
--- a/core/txindexer.go
+++ b/core/txindexer.go
@@ -85,12 +85,9 @@ func newTxIndexer(limit uint64, chain *BlockChain) *txIndexer {
 // possible, the done channel will be closed once the task is finished.
 func (indexer *txIndexer) run(tail *uint64, head uint64, stop chan struct{}, done chan struct{}) {
 	start := time.Now()
-	indexer.chain.txIndexTailLock.Lock()
 	defer func() {
 		txUnindexTimer.Inc(time.Since(start).Milliseconds())
-		indexer.chain.txIndexTailLock.Unlock()
 		close(done)
-		indexer.chain.wg.Done()
 	}()
 
 	// Short circuit if chain is empty and nothing to index.
@@ -99,13 +96,15 @@ func (indexer *txIndexer) run(tail *uint64, head uint64, stop chan struct{}, don
 	}
 
 	// Defensively ensure tail is not nil.
-	if tail == nil {
-		tail = new(uint64)
+	tailValue := uint64(0)
+	if tail != nil {
+		// use intermediate variable to avoid modifying the pointer
+		tailValue = *tail
 	}
 
-	if head-indexer.limit+1 >= *tail {
+	if head-indexer.limit+1 >= tailValue {
 		// Unindex a part of stale indices and forward index tail to HEAD-limit
-		rawdb.UnindexTransactions(indexer.db, *tail, head-indexer.limit+1, stop, false)
+		rawdb.UnindexTransactions(indexer.db, tailValue, head-indexer.limit+1, stop, false)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -113,19 +112,11 @@ func (indexer *txIndexer) run(tail *uint64, head uint64, stop chan struct{}, don
 // on the received chain event.
 func (indexer *txIndexer) loop(chain *BlockChain) {
 	defer close(indexer.closed)
-
-	// If the user just upgraded to a new version which supports transaction
-	// index pruning, write the new tail and remove anything older.
-	if rawdb.ReadTxIndexTail(indexer.db) == nil {
-		rawdb.WriteTxIndexTail(indexer.db, 0)
-	}
-
 	// Listening to chain events and manipulate the transaction indexes.
 	var (
-		stop     chan struct{}                       // Non-nil if background routine is active.
-		done     chan struct{}                       // Non-nil if background routine is active.
-		lastHead uint64                              // The latest announced chain head (whose tx indexes are assumed created)
-		lastTail = rawdb.ReadTxIndexTail(indexer.db) // The oldest indexed block, nil means nothing indexed
+		stop     chan struct{} // Non-nil if background routine is active.
+		done     chan struct{} // Non-nil if background routine is active.
+		lastHead uint64        // The latest announced chain head (whose tx indexes are assumed created)
 
 		headCh = make(chan ChainEvent)
 		sub    = chain.SubscribeChainAcceptedEvent(headCh)
@@ -145,7 +136,9 @@ func (indexer *txIndexer) loop(chain *BlockChain) {
 		done = make(chan struct{})
 		lastHead = head.Number.Uint64()
 		indexer.chain.wg.Add(1)
-		go indexer.run(rawdb.ReadTxIndexTail(indexer.db), head.Number.Uint64(), stop, done)
+		go func() {
+			indexer.lockedRun(head.Number.Uint64(), stop, done)
+		}()
 	}
 	for {
 		select {
@@ -159,15 +152,16 @@ func (indexer *txIndexer) loop(chain *BlockChain) {
 				stop = make(chan struct{})
 				done = make(chan struct{})
 				indexer.chain.wg.Add(1)
-				go indexer.run(rawdb.ReadTxIndexTail(indexer.db), head.Block.NumberU64(), stop, done)
+				go func() {
+					indexer.lockedRun(headNum, stop, done)
+				}()
 			}
 			lastHead = head.Block.NumberU64()
 		case <-done:
 			stop = nil
 			done = nil
-			lastTail = rawdb.ReadTxIndexTail(indexer.db)
 		case ch := <-indexer.progress:
-			ch <- indexer.report(lastHead, lastTail)
+			ch <- indexer.report(lastHead, rawdb.ReadTxIndexTail(indexer.db))
 		case ch := <-indexer.term:
 			if stop != nil {
 				close(stop)
@@ -213,3 +207,12 @@ func (indexer *txIndexer) close() {
 	case <-indexer.closed:
 	}
 }
+
+// lockedRun runs the indexing/unindexing task in a locked manner. It reads
+// the current tail index from the database.
+func (indexer *txIndexer) lockedRun(head uint64, stop chan struct{}, done chan struct{}) {
+	indexer.chain.txIndexTailLock.Lock()
+	indexer.run(rawdb.ReadTxIndexTail(indexer.db), head, stop, done)
+	indexer.chain.txIndexTailLock.Unlock()
+	indexer.chain.wg.Done()
+}