diff --git a/nano/node/node.cpp b/nano/node/node.cpp
index 2df9363db9..35b4874ae4 100644
--- a/nano/node/node.cpp
+++ b/nano/node/node.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <nano/node/telemetry.hpp>
 #include <nano/node/transport/tcp_listener.hpp>
 #include <nano/node/vote_generator.hpp>
+#include <nano/node/vote_processor.hpp>
 #include <nano/node/websocket.hpp>
 #include <nano/secure/ledger.hpp>
 #include <nano/store/component.hpp>
@@ -178,7 +179,8 @@ nano::node::node (std::shared_ptr<boost::asio::io_context> io_ctx_a, std::filesy
 	active{ *active_impl },
 	rep_crawler (config.rep_crawler, *this),
 	rep_tiers{ ledger, network_params, online_reps, stats, logger },
-	vote_processor{ config.vote_processor, active, observers, stats, flags, logger, online_reps, rep_crawler, ledger, network_params, rep_tiers },
+	vote_processor_impl{ std::make_unique<nano::vote_processor> (config.vote_processor, active, observers, stats, flags, logger, online_reps, rep_crawler, ledger, network_params, rep_tiers) },
+	vote_processor{ *vote_processor_impl },
 	warmed_up (0),
 	online_reps (ledger, config),
 	history_impl{ std::make_unique<nano::local_vote_history> (config.network_params.voting) },
diff --git a/nano/node/node.hpp b/nano/node/node.hpp
index 53ba1f69a9..354ee8d114 100644
--- a/nano/node/node.hpp
+++ b/nano/node/node.hpp
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
 #include <nano/node/transport/tcp_server.hpp>
 #include <nano/node/unchecked_map.hpp>
 #include <nano/node/vote_cache.hpp>
-#include <nano/node/vote_processor.hpp>
 #include <nano/node/wallet.hpp>
 #include <nano/node/websocket.hpp>
 #include <nano/node/write_database_queue.hpp>
@@ -48,6 +47,7 @@ namespace nano
 class active_transactions;
 class confirming_set;
 class node;
+class vote_processor;
 class work_pool;
 
 namespace scheduler
@@ -175,7 +175,8 @@ class node final : public std::enable_shared_from_this<node>
 	nano::online_reps online_reps;
 	nano::rep_crawler rep_crawler;
 	nano::rep_tiers rep_tiers;
-	nano::vote_processor vote_processor;
+	std::unique_ptr<nano::vote_processor> vote_processor_impl;
+	nano::vote_processor & vote_processor;
 	unsigned warmed_up;
 	std::unique_ptr<nano::local_vote_history> history_impl;
 	nano::local_vote_history & history;