diff --git a/api/api.go b/api/api.go
index 8fcaadc5f..d99cfab0a 100644
--- a/api/api.go
+++ b/api/api.go
@@ -73,7 +73,9 @@ type FullNode interface {
 	ChainWaitMsg(context.Context, cid.Cid) (*MsgWait, error)
 	ChainGetBlock(context.Context, cid.Cid) (*types.BlockHeader, error)
 	ChainGetBlockMessages(context.Context, cid.Cid) ([]*types.SignedMessage, error)
-	ChainCall(context.Context, *types.Message) (*types.MessageReceipt, error)
+
+	// if tipset is nil, we'll use heaviest
+	ChainCall(context.Context, *types.Message, *types.TipSet) (*types.MessageReceipt, error)
 
 	// messages
 
diff --git a/api/struct.go b/api/struct.go
index b33701b8e..321376376 100644
--- a/api/struct.go
+++ b/api/struct.go
@@ -39,14 +39,14 @@ type FullNodeStruct struct {
 	CommonStruct
 
 	Internal struct {
-		ChainNotify           func(context.Context) (<-chan *store.HeadChange, error)              `perm:"read"`
-		ChainSubmitBlock      func(ctx context.Context, blk *chain.BlockMsg) error                 `perm:"write"`
-		ChainHead             func(context.Context) (*types.TipSet, error)                         `perm:"read"`
-		ChainGetRandomness    func(context.Context, *types.TipSet) ([]byte, error)                 `perm:"read"`
-		ChainWaitMsg          func(context.Context, cid.Cid) (*MsgWait, error)                     `perm:"read"`
-		ChainGetBlock         func(context.Context, cid.Cid) (*types.BlockHeader, error)           `perm:"read"`
-		ChainGetBlockMessages func(context.Context, cid.Cid) ([]*types.SignedMessage, error)       `perm:"read"`
-		ChainCall             func(context.Context, *types.Message) (*types.MessageReceipt, error) `perm:"read"`
+		ChainNotify           func(context.Context) (<-chan *store.HeadChange, error)                             `perm:"read"`
+		ChainSubmitBlock      func(ctx context.Context, blk *chain.BlockMsg) error                                `perm:"write"`
+		ChainHead             func(context.Context) (*types.TipSet, error)                                        `perm:"read"`
+		ChainGetRandomness    func(context.Context, *types.TipSet) ([]byte, error)                                `perm:"read"`
+		ChainWaitMsg          func(context.Context, cid.Cid) (*MsgWait, error)                                    `perm:"read"`
+		ChainGetBlock         func(context.Context, cid.Cid) (*types.BlockHeader, error)                          `perm:"read"`
+		ChainGetBlockMessages func(context.Context, cid.Cid) ([]*types.SignedMessage, error)                      `perm:"read"`
+		ChainCall             func(context.Context, *types.Message, *types.TipSet) (*types.MessageReceipt, error) `perm:"read"`
 
 		MpoolPending func(context.Context, *types.TipSet) ([]*types.SignedMessage, error) `perm:"read"`
 		MpoolPush    func(context.Context, *types.SignedMessage) error                    `perm:"write"`
@@ -156,8 +156,8 @@ func (c *FullNodeStruct) ChainWaitMsg(ctx context.Context, msgc cid.Cid) (*MsgWa
 	return c.Internal.ChainWaitMsg(ctx, msgc)
 }
 
-func (c *FullNodeStruct) ChainCall(ctx context.Context, msg *types.Message) (*types.MessageReceipt, error) {
-	return c.Internal.ChainCall(ctx, msg)
+func (c *FullNodeStruct) ChainCall(ctx context.Context, msg *types.Message, ts *types.TipSet) (*types.MessageReceipt, error) {
+	return c.Internal.ChainCall(ctx, msg, ts)
 }
 
 func (c *FullNodeStruct) WalletNew(ctx context.Context, typ string) (address.Address, error) {
diff --git a/node/impl/full.go b/node/impl/full.go
index 67ae2d8a6..9afd68e0e 100644
--- a/node/impl/full.go
+++ b/node/impl/full.go
@@ -86,14 +86,16 @@ func (a *FullNodeAPI) ChainGetBlockMessages(ctx context.Context, msg cid.Cid) ([
 	return a.Chain.MessagesForBlock(b)
 }
 
-func (a *FullNodeAPI) ChainCall(ctx context.Context, msg *types.Message) (*types.MessageReceipt, error) {
-	hts := a.Chain.GetHeaviestTipSet()
-	state, err := a.Chain.TipSetState(hts.Cids())
+func (a *FullNodeAPI) ChainCall(ctx context.Context, msg *types.Message, ts *types.TipSet) (*types.MessageReceipt, error) {
+	if ts == nil {
+		ts = a.Chain.GetHeaviestTipSet()
+	}
+	state, err := a.Chain.TipSetState(ts.Cids())
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	vmi, err := vm.NewVM(state, hts.Height(), hts.Blocks()[0].Miner, a.Chain)
+	vmi, err := vm.NewVM(state, ts.Height(), ts.Blocks()[0].Miner, a.Chain)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, xerrors.Errorf("failed to set up vm: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/storage/miner.go b/storage/miner.go
index f9eeb125a..2d99afa17 100644
--- a/storage/miner.go
+++ b/storage/miner.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ type storageMinerApi interface {
 	//ReadState(ctx context.Context, addr address.Address) (????, error)
 
 	// Call a read only method on actors (no interaction with the chain required)
-	ChainCall(ctx context.Context, msg *types.Message) (*types.MessageReceipt, error)
+	ChainCall(ctx context.Context, msg *types.Message, ts *types.TipSet) (*types.MessageReceipt, error)
 
 	MpoolPush(context.Context, *types.SignedMessage) error
 	MpoolGetNonce(context.Context, address.Address) (uint64, error)
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ func (m *Miner) getWorkerAddr(ctx context.Context) (address.Address, error) {
 		Params: actors.EmptyStructCBOR,
 	}
 
-	recpt, err := m.api.ChainCall(ctx, msg)
+	recpt, err := m.api.ChainCall(ctx, msg, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return address.Undef, errors.Wrapf(err, "calling getWorker(%s)", m.maddr)
 	}