diff --git a/abci/client/client.go b/abci/client/client.go
index b1e4aaded..b6d34e422 100644
--- a/abci/client/client.go
+++ b/abci/client/client.go
@@ -64,14 +64,6 @@ type Client interface {
 	ApplySnapshotChunkSync(context.Context, types.RequestApplySnapshotChunk) (*types.ResponseApplySnapshotChunk, error)
 }
 
-//go:generate ../scripts/mockery_generate.sh ClientCreator
-
-// ClientCreator creates new ABCI clients.
-type ClientCreator interface {
-	// NewABCIClient returns a new ABCI client.
-	NewABCIClient() (Client, error)
-}
-
 //----------------------------------------
 
 // NewClient returns a new ABCI client of the specified transport type.
diff --git a/abci/client/creators.go b/abci/client/creators.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..02e765bc7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/abci/client/creators.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package abcicli
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/abci/types"
+	tmsync "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/internal/libs/sync"
+)
+
+//go:generate ../scripts/mockery_generate.sh ClientCreator
+
+// ClientCreator creates new ABCI clients.
+type ClientCreator interface {
+	// NewABCIClient returns a new ABCI client.
+	NewABCIClient() (Client, error)
+}
+
+//----------------------------------------------------
+// local proxy uses a mutex on an in-proc app
+
+type localClientCreator struct {
+	mtx *tmsync.RWMutex
+	app types.Application
+}
+
+// NewLocalClientCreator returns a ClientCreator for the given app,
+// which will be running locally.
+func NewLocalClientCreator(app types.Application) ClientCreator {
+	return &localClientCreator{
+		mtx: new(tmsync.RWMutex),
+		app: app,
+	}
+}
+
+func (l *localClientCreator) NewABCIClient() (Client, error) {
+	return NewLocalClient(l.mtx, l.app), nil
+}
+
+//---------------------------------------------------------------
+// remote proxy opens new connections to an external app process
+
+type remoteClientCreator struct {
+	addr        string
+	transport   string
+	mustConnect bool
+}
+
+// NewRemoteClientCreator returns a ClientCreator for the given address (e.g.
+// "192.168.0.1") and transport (e.g. "tcp"). Set mustConnect to true if you
+// want the client to connect before reporting success.
+func NewRemoteClientCreator(addr, transport string, mustConnect bool) ClientCreator {
+	return &remoteClientCreator{
+		addr:        addr,
+		transport:   transport,
+		mustConnect: mustConnect,
+	}
+}
+
+func (r *remoteClientCreator) NewABCIClient() (Client, error) {
+	remoteApp, err := NewClient(r.addr, r.transport, r.mustConnect)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to connect to proxy: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return remoteApp, nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/proxy/client.go b/internal/proxy/client.go
index 5563b4c98..f05ab7adc 100644
--- a/internal/proxy/client.go
+++ b/internal/proxy/client.go
@@ -1,65 +1,13 @@
 package proxy
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"io"
 
 	abcicli "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/abci/client"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/abci/example/kvstore"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/abci/types"
-	tmsync "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/internal/libs/sync"
 )
 
-//----------------------------------------------------
-// local proxy uses a mutex on an in-proc app
-
-type localClientCreator struct {
-	mtx *tmsync.RWMutex
-	app types.Application
-}
-
-// NewLocalClientCreator returns a ClientCreator for the given app,
-// which will be running locally.
-func NewLocalClientCreator(app types.Application) abcicli.ClientCreator {
-	return &localClientCreator{
-		mtx: new(tmsync.RWMutex),
-		app: app,
-	}
-}
-
-func (l *localClientCreator) NewABCIClient() (abcicli.Client, error) {
-	return abcicli.NewLocalClient(l.mtx, l.app), nil
-}
-
-//---------------------------------------------------------------
-// remote proxy opens new connections to an external app process
-
-type remoteClientCreator struct {
-	addr        string
-	transport   string
-	mustConnect bool
-}
-
-// NewRemoteClientCreator returns a ClientCreator for the given address (e.g.
-// "192.168.0.1") and transport (e.g. "tcp"). Set mustConnect to true if you
-// want the client to connect before reporting success.
-func NewRemoteClientCreator(addr, transport string, mustConnect bool) abcicli.ClientCreator {
-	return &remoteClientCreator{
-		addr:        addr,
-		transport:   transport,
-		mustConnect: mustConnect,
-	}
-}
-
-func (r *remoteClientCreator) NewABCIClient() (abcicli.Client, error) {
-	remoteApp, err := abcicli.NewClient(r.addr, r.transport, r.mustConnect)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to connect to proxy: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	return remoteApp, nil
-}
-
 // DefaultClientCreator returns a default ClientCreator, which will create a
 // local client if addr is one of: 'kvstore',
 // 'persistent_kvstore' or 'noop', otherwise - a remote client.
@@ -69,15 +17,15 @@ func (r *remoteClientCreator) NewABCIClient() (abcicli.Client, error) {
 func DefaultClientCreator(addr, transport, dbDir string) (abcicli.ClientCreator, io.Closer) {
 	switch addr {
 	case "kvstore":
-		return NewLocalClientCreator(kvstore.NewApplication()), noopCloser{}
+		return abcicli.NewLocalClientCreator(kvstore.NewApplication()), noopCloser{}
 	case "persistent_kvstore":
 		app := kvstore.NewPersistentKVStoreApplication(dbDir)
-		return NewLocalClientCreator(app), app
+		return abcicli.NewLocalClientCreator(app), app
 	case "noop":
-		return NewLocalClientCreator(types.NewBaseApplication()), noopCloser{}
+		return abcicli.NewLocalClientCreator(types.NewBaseApplication()), noopCloser{}
 	default:
 		mustConnect := false // loop retrying
-		return NewRemoteClientCreator(addr, transport, mustConnect), noopCloser{}
+		return abcicli.NewRemoteClientCreator(addr, transport, mustConnect), noopCloser{}
 	}
 }