diff --git a/state/core_access.go b/state/core_access.go
index 07747f5333..bbc3025fb9 100644
--- a/state/core_access.go
+++ b/state/core_access.go
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ type CoreAccessor struct {
 	keyring keyring.Keyring
 	client  *user.TxClient
 
-	// TODO: remove in scope of https://github.com/celestiaorg/celestia-node/issues/3515
 	defaultSignerAccount string
 	defaultSignerAddress AccAddress
 
@@ -90,9 +89,19 @@ func NewCoreAccessor(
 	prt.RegisterOpDecoder(storetypes.ProofOpIAVLCommitment, storetypes.CommitmentOpDecoder)
 	prt.RegisterOpDecoder(storetypes.ProofOpSimpleMerkleCommitment, storetypes.CommitmentOpDecoder)
 
+	rec, err := keyring.Key(keyname)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	addr, err := rec.GetAddress()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	ca := &CoreAccessor{
 		keyring:              keyring,
 		defaultSignerAccount: keyname,
+		defaultSignerAddress: addr,
 		getter:               getter,
 		prt:                  prt,
 		coreConn:             conn,
@@ -118,17 +127,15 @@ func (ca *CoreAccessor) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("wrong network in core.ip endpoint, expected %s, got %s", ca.network, defaultNetwork)
 	}
 
-	// set up signer to handle tx submission
-	ca.client, err = ca.setupTxClient(ctx, ca.defaultSignerAccount)
+	err = ca.setupTxClient(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Warnw("failed to set up signer, check if node's account is funded", "err", err)
+		log.Warn(err)
 	}
 
 	ca.minGasPrice, err = ca.queryMinimumGasPrice(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("querying minimum gas price: %w", err)
 	}
-
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -145,6 +152,11 @@ func (ca *CoreAccessor) SubmitPayForBlob(
 	libBlobs []*libshare.Blob,
 	cfg *TxConfig,
 ) (*TxResponse, error) {
+	client, err := ca.getTxClient(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	if len(libBlobs) == 0 {
 		return nil, errors.New("state: no blobs provided")
 	}
@@ -179,7 +191,7 @@ func (ca *CoreAccessor) SubmitPayForBlob(
 
 	accName := ca.defaultSignerAccount
 	if !signer.Equals(ca.defaultSignerAddress) {
-		account := ca.client.AccountByAddress(signer)
+		account := client.AccountByAddress(signer)
 		if account == nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("account for signer %s not found", signer)
 		}
@@ -193,7 +205,7 @@ func (ca *CoreAccessor) SubmitPayForBlob(
 			opts = append(opts, feeGrant)
 		}
 
-		response, err := ca.client.SubmitPayForBlobWithAccount(ctx, accName, libBlobs, opts...)
+		response, err := client.SubmitPayForBlobWithAccount(ctx, accName, libBlobs, opts...)
 		// Network min gas price can be updated through governance in app
 		// If that's the case, we parse the insufficient min gas price error message and update the gas price
 		if apperrors.IsInsufficientMinGasPrice(err) {
@@ -524,22 +536,31 @@ func (ca *CoreAccessor) queryMinimumGasPrice(
 	return coins.AmountOf(app.BondDenom).MustFloat64(), nil
 }
 
-func (ca *CoreAccessor) setupTxClient(ctx context.Context, keyName string) (*user.TxClient, error) {
+func (ca *CoreAccessor) setupTxClient(ctx context.Context) error {
+	if ca.client != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	encCfg := encoding.MakeConfig(app.ModuleEncodingRegisters...)
-	// explicitly set default address. Otherwise, there could be a mismatch between defaultKey and
-	// defaultAddress.
-	rec, err := ca.keyring.Key(keyName)
+	client, err := user.SetupTxClient(ctx, ca.keyring, ca.coreConn, encCfg,
+		user.WithDefaultAddress(ca.defaultSignerAddress),
+	)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to setup a tx client: %w", err)
 	}
-	addr, err := rec.GetAddress()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+
+	ca.client = client
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (ca *CoreAccessor) getTxClient(ctx context.Context) (*user.TxClient, error) {
+	if ca.client == nil {
+		err := ca.setupTxClient(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
-	ca.defaultSignerAddress = addr
-	return user.SetupTxClient(ctx, ca.keyring, ca.coreConn, encCfg,
-		user.WithDefaultAccount(keyName), user.WithDefaultAddress(addr),
-	)
+	return ca.client, nil
 }
 
 func (ca *CoreAccessor) submitMsg(
@@ -547,13 +568,16 @@ func (ca *CoreAccessor) submitMsg(
 	msg sdktypes.Msg,
 	cfg *TxConfig,
 ) (*TxResponse, error) {
+	client, err := ca.getTxClient(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	txConfig := make([]user.TxOption, 0)
-	var (
-		gas = cfg.GasLimit()
-		err error
-	)
+	gas := cfg.GasLimit()
+
 	if gas == 0 {
-		gas, err = estimateGas(ctx, ca.client, msg)
+		gas, err = estimateGas(ctx, client, msg)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("estimating gas: %w", err)
 		}
@@ -574,7 +598,7 @@ func (ca *CoreAccessor) submitMsg(
 		txConfig = append(txConfig, user.SetFeeGranter(granter))
 	}
 
-	resp, err := ca.client.SubmitTx(ctx, []sdktypes.Msg{msg}, txConfig...)
+	resp, err := client.SubmitTx(ctx, []sdktypes.Msg{msg}, txConfig...)
 	return convertToSdkTxResponse(resp), err
 }
 
diff --git a/state/core_access_test.go b/state/core_access_test.go
index cde4e8182f..33c467a9fe 100644
--- a/state/core_access_test.go
+++ b/state/core_access_test.go
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ func TestSubmitPayForBlob(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Cleanup(func() {
 		_ = ca.Stop(ctx)
 	})
+	// explicitly reset client to nil to ensure
+	// that retry mechanism works.
+	ca.client = nil
 
 	ns, err := libshare.NewV0Namespace([]byte("namespace"))
 	require.NoError(t, err)