diff --git a/web3_proxy/src/config.rs b/web3_proxy/src/config.rs
index 944768e7..be6981ad 100644
--- a/web3_proxy/src/config.rs
+++ b/web3_proxy/src/config.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use sentry::types::Dsn;
 use serde::{de, Deserialize, Deserializer};
 use serde_inline_default::serde_inline_default;
 use std::fmt;
+use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::sync::atomic::AtomicU64;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::Duration;
@@ -392,21 +393,17 @@ impl From<BlockDataLimit> for AtomicU64 {
 #[serde_inline_default]
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Deserialize, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct Web3RpcConfig {
+    /// only use this rpc if everything else is lagging too far. this allows us to ignore fast but very low limit rpcs
+    #[serde(default = "Default::default")]
+    pub backup: bool,
+    /// block data limit. If None, will be queried
+    #[serde(default = "Default::default")]
+    pub block_data_limit: BlockDataLimit,
     /// simple way to disable a connection without deleting the row
     #[serde(default = "Default::default")]
     pub disabled: bool,
     /// a name used in /status and other user facing messages
     pub display_name: Option<String>,
-    /// while not absolutely required, a ws:// or wss:// connection will be able to subscribe to head blocks
-    pub ws_url: Option<String>,
-    /// while not absolutely required, a http:// or https:// connection will allow erigon to stream JSON
-    pub http_url: Option<String>,
-    /// block data limit. If None, will be queried
-    #[serde(default = "Default::default")]
-    pub block_data_limit: BlockDataLimit,
-    /// the requests per second at which the server starts slowing down
-    #[serde_inline_default(1u32)]
-    pub soft_limit: u32,
     /// the requests per period at which the server throws errors (rate limit or otherwise)
     pub hard_limit: Option<u64>,
     /// the number of seconds in a rate limiting period
@@ -416,13 +413,19 @@ pub struct Web3RpcConfig {
     /// if hard limits are applied per server or per endpoint. default is per server
     #[serde(default = "Default::default")]
     pub hard_limit_per_endpoint: bool,
-    /// only use this rpc if everything else is lagging too far. this allows us to ignore fast but very low limit rpcs
-    #[serde(default = "Default::default")]
-    pub backup: bool,
+    /// while not absolutely required, a http:// or https:// connection will allow erigon to stream JSON
+    pub http_url: Option<String>,
+    /// while not absolutely required, a ipc connection should be fastest
+    pub ipc_path: Option<PathBuf>,
+    /// the requests per second at which the server starts slowing down
+    #[serde_inline_default(1u32)]
+    pub soft_limit: u32,
     /// Subscribe to the firehose of pending transactions
     /// Don't do this with free rpcs
     #[serde(default = "Default::default")]
     pub subscribe_txs: bool,
+    /// while not absolutely required, a ws:// or wss:// connection will be able to subscribe to head blocks
+    pub ws_url: Option<String>,
     /// unknown config options get put here
     #[serde(flatten, default = "HashMap::default")]
     pub extra: HashMap<String, serde_json::Value>,
diff --git a/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/one.rs b/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/one.rs
index 400299c4..bda5c9e5 100644
--- a/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/one.rs
+++ b/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/one.rs
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ use std::borrow::Cow;
 use std::cmp::Reverse;
 use std::fmt;
 use std::hash::{Hash, Hasher};
+use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::sync::atomic::{self, AtomicBool, AtomicU32, AtomicU64, AtomicUsize};
 use std::{cmp::Ordering, sync::Arc};
 use tokio::select;
@@ -53,13 +54,16 @@ pub struct Web3Rpc {
     pub(super) block_map: Option<BlocksByHashCache>,
     /// created_at is only inside an Option so that the "Default" derive works. it will always be set.
     pub(super) created_at: Option<Instant>,
-    /// most all requests prefer use the http_provider
+    /// if no ipc_stream, most all requests prefer to use the http_provider
     pub(super) http_client: Option<reqwest::Client>,
     pub(super) http_url: Option<Url>,
     /// the websocket url is only used for subscriptions
     pub(super) ws_url: Option<Url>,
     /// the websocket provider is only used for subscriptions
     pub(super) ws_provider: ArcSwapOption<EthersWsProvider>,
+    /// most all requests prefer the ipc provider.
+    /// TODO: ArcSwapOption?
+    pub(super) ipc_path: Option<PathBuf>,
     /// keep track of hard limits
     /// hard_limit_until is only inside an Option so that the "Default" derive works. it will always be set.
     pub(super) hard_limit_until: Option<watch::Sender<Instant>>,
@@ -227,6 +231,7 @@ impl Web3Rpc {
             head_block_sender: Some(head_block),
             http_url,
             http_client,
+            ipc_path: config.ipc_path,
             max_head_block_age,
             name,
             peak_latency: Some(peak_latency),
diff --git a/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/request.rs b/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/request.rs
index d354cf30..89729ad2 100644
--- a/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/request.rs
+++ b/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/request.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use crate::errors::{Web3ProxyError, Web3ProxyErrorContext, Web3ProxyResult};
 use crate::frontend::authorization::{Authorization, AuthorizationType};
 use crate::globals::{global_db_conn, DB_CONN};
 use crate::jsonrpc::{
-    self, JsonRpcErrorData, JsonRpcResultData, ResponsePayload, ValidatedRequest,
+    self, JsonRpcErrorData, JsonRpcResultData, ParsedResponse, ResponsePayload, ValidatedRequest,
 };
 use anyhow::Context;
 use chrono::Utc;
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ use serde_json::json;
 use std::pin::Pin;
 use std::sync::atomic;
 use std::sync::Arc;
+use tokio::io::AsyncWriteExt;
+use tokio::net::UnixStream;
 use tokio::time::{Duration, Instant};
 use tracing::{debug, error, info, trace, warn, Level};
 
@@ -199,10 +201,36 @@ impl OpenRequestHandle {
     async fn _request<R: JsonRpcResultData + serde::Serialize>(
         &self,
     ) -> Web3ProxyResult<jsonrpc::SingleResponse<R>> {
-        // TODO: replace ethers-rs providers with our own that supports streaming the responses
-        // TODO: replace ethers-rs providers with our own that handles "id" being null
-        if let (Some(url), Some(ref client)) = (self.rpc.http_url.clone(), &self.rpc.http_client) {
-            // prefer the http provider
+        if let Some(ipc_path) = self.rpc.ipc_path.as_ref() {
+            // first, prefer the unix stream
+            let request = self
+                .web3_request
+                .inner
+                .jsonrpc_request()
+                .context("there should always be a request here")?;
+
+            // TODO: instead of connecting every time, use a connection pool
+            let mut ipc_stream = UnixStream::connect(ipc_path).await?;
+
+            ipc_stream.writable().await?;
+
+            let x = serde_json::to_vec(request)?;
+
+            let _ = ipc_stream.write(&x).await?;
+
+            ipc_stream.readable().await?;
+
+            let mut buf = Vec::new();
+
+            let n = ipc_stream.try_read(&mut buf)?;
+
+            let x: ParsedResponse<R> = serde_json::from_slice(&buf[..n])?;
+
+            Ok(x.into())
+        } else if let (Some(url), Some(ref client)) =
+            (self.rpc.http_url.clone(), &self.rpc.http_client)
+        {
+            // second, prefer the http provider
             let request = self
                 .web3_request
                 .inner
@@ -234,7 +262,7 @@ impl OpenRequestHandle {
             // cache 128kb responses
             jsonrpc::SingleResponse::read_if_short(response, 131_072, &self.web3_request).await
         } else if let Some(p) = self.rpc.ws_provider.load().as_ref() {
-            // use the websocket provider if no http provider is available
+            // use the websocket provider if no other provider is available
             let method = self.web3_request.inner.method();
             let params = self.web3_request.inner.params();