diff --git a/op-service/txmgr/txmgr.go b/op-service/txmgr/txmgr.go
index fac48cf55ce0..ba4b8eaecfe9 100644
--- a/op-service/txmgr/txmgr.go
+++ b/op-service/txmgr/txmgr.go
@@ -232,9 +232,14 @@ type TxCandidate struct {
 //
 // NOTE: Send can be called concurrently, the nonce will be managed internally.
 func (m *SimpleTxManager) Send(ctx context.Context, candidate TxCandidate) (*types.Receipt, error) {
+	_, r, err := m.send(ctx, candidate)
+	return r, err
+}
+
+func (m *SimpleTxManager) send(ctx context.Context, candidate TxCandidate) (*types.Transaction, *types.Receipt, error) {
 	// refuse new requests if the tx manager is closed
 	if m.closed.Load() {
-		return nil, ErrClosed
+		return nil, nil, ErrClosed
 	}
 
 	m.metr.RecordPendingTx(m.pending.Add(1))
@@ -251,63 +256,27 @@ func (m *SimpleTxManager) Send(ctx context.Context, candidate TxCandidate) (*typ
 	tx, err := m.prepare(ctx, candidate)
 	if err != nil {
 		m.resetNonce()
-		return nil, err
+		return tx, nil, err
 	}
 	receipt, err := m.sendTx(ctx, tx)
 	if err != nil {
 		m.resetNonce()
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, nil, err
 	}
-	return receipt, err
+	return tx, receipt, err
 }
 
 func (m *SimpleTxManager) SendAsync(ctx context.Context, candidate TxCandidate, ch chan SendResponse) {
-	if cap(ch) == 0 {
-		panic("SendAsync: channel must be buffered")
-	}
-
-	// refuse new requests if the tx manager is closed
-	if m.closed.Load() {
-		ch <- SendResponse{
-			Receipt: nil,
-			Err:     ErrClosed,
-		}
-		return
-	}
-
-	m.metr.RecordPendingTx(m.pending.Add(1))
-
-	var cancel context.CancelFunc
-	if m.cfg.TxSendTimeout == 0 {
-		ctx, cancel = context.WithCancel(ctx)
-	} else {
-		ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(ctx, m.cfg.TxSendTimeout)
-	}
-
-	tx, err := m.prepare(ctx, candidate)
-	if err != nil {
-		m.resetNonce()
-		cancel()
-		m.metr.RecordPendingTx(m.pending.Add(-1))
-		ch <- SendResponse{
-			Receipt: nil,
-			Err:     err,
-		}
-		return
-	}
-
 	go func() {
-		defer m.metr.RecordPendingTx(m.pending.Add(-1))
-		defer cancel()
-		receipt, err := m.sendTx(ctx, tx)
-		if err != nil {
-			m.resetNonce()
-		}
-		ch <- SendResponse{
+		tx, receipt, err := m.send(ctx, candidate)
+		r := SendResponse{
 			Receipt: receipt,
-			Nonce:   tx.Nonce(),
 			Err:     err,
 		}
+		if tx != nil {
+			r.Nonce = tx.Nonce()
+		}
+		ch <- r
 	}()
 }
 
diff --git a/op-service/txmgr/txmgr_test.go b/op-service/txmgr/txmgr_test.go
index e451597cd129..945ae5a04b8c 100644
--- a/op-service/txmgr/txmgr_test.go
+++ b/op-service/txmgr/txmgr_test.go
@@ -351,7 +351,8 @@ func testSendVariants(t *testing.T, testFn func(t *testing.T, send testSendVaria
 
 	t.Run("SendAsync", func(t *testing.T) {
 		testFn(t, func(ctx context.Context, h *testHarness, tx TxCandidate) (*types.Receipt, error) {
-			ch := make(chan SendResponse, 1)
+			// unbuffered is ok, will be written to from a goroutine spawned inside SendAsync
+			ch := make(chan SendResponse)
 			h.mgr.SendAsync(ctx, tx, ch)
 			res := <-ch
 			return res.Receipt, res.Err
@@ -1588,12 +1589,3 @@ func TestMakeSidecar(t *testing.T) {
 		require.Equal(t, hashes[i], eth.KZGToVersionedHash(commit))
 	}
 }
-
-func TestSendAsyncUnbufferedChan(t *testing.T) {
-	conf := configWithNumConfs(2)
-	h := newTestHarnessWithConfig(t, conf)
-
-	require.Panics(t, func() {
-		h.mgr.SendAsync(context.Background(), TxCandidate{}, make(chan SendResponse))
-	})
-}