diff --git a/chain/messagepool/provider.go b/chain/messagepool/provider.go
index 347e90044d5..5a6c751bce5 100644
--- a/chain/messagepool/provider.go
+++ b/chain/messagepool/provider.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package messagepool
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-cid"
 	pubsub "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-pubsub"
@@ -9,9 +10,16 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-address"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/stmgr"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/store"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/types"
 )
 
+var (
+	HeadChangeCoalesceMinDelay      = 2 * time.Second
+	HeadChangeCoalesceMaxDelay      = 6 * time.Second
+	HeadChangeCoalesceMergeInterval = time.Second
+)
+
 type Provider interface {
 	SubscribeHeadChanges(func(rev, app []*types.TipSet) error) *types.TipSet
 	PutMessage(m types.ChainMsg) (cid.Cid, error)
@@ -34,7 +42,13 @@ func NewProvider(sm *stmgr.StateManager, ps *pubsub.PubSub) Provider {
 }
 
 func (mpp *mpoolProvider) SubscribeHeadChanges(cb func(rev, app []*types.TipSet) error) *types.TipSet {
-	mpp.sm.ChainStore().SubscribeHeadChanges(cb)
+	mpp.sm.ChainStore().SubscribeHeadChanges(
+		store.WrapHeadChangeCoalescer(
+			cb,
+			HeadChangeCoalesceMinDelay,
+			HeadChangeCoalesceMaxDelay,
+			HeadChangeCoalesceMergeInterval,
+		))
 	return mpp.sm.ChainStore().GetHeaviestTipSet()
 }
 
diff --git a/chain/store/coalescer.go b/chain/store/coalescer.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..443359c8a06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chain/store/coalescer.go
@@ -0,0 +1,214 @@
+package store
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/types"
+)
+
+// WrapHeadChangeCoalescer wraps a ReorgNotifee with a head change coalescer.
+// minDelay is the minimum coalesce delay; when a head change is first received, the coalescer will
+//  wait for that long to coalesce more head changes.
+// maxDelay is the maximum coalesce delay; the coalescer will not delay delivery of a head change
+//  more than that.
+// mergeInterval is the interval that triggers additional coalesce delay; if the last head change was
+//  within the merge interval when the coalesce timer fires, then the coalesce time is extended
+//  by min delay and up to max delay total.
+func WrapHeadChangeCoalescer(fn ReorgNotifee, minDelay, maxDelay, mergeInterval time.Duration) ReorgNotifee {
+	c := NewHeadChangeCoalescer(fn, minDelay, maxDelay, mergeInterval)
+	return c.HeadChange
+}
+
+// HeadChangeCoalescer is a stateful reorg notifee which coalesces incoming head changes
+// with pending head changes to reduce state computations from head change notifications.
+type HeadChangeCoalescer struct {
+	notify ReorgNotifee
+
+	ctx    context.Context
+	cancel func()
+
+	eventq chan headChange
+
+	revert []*types.TipSet
+	apply  []*types.TipSet
+}
+
+type headChange struct {
+	revert, apply []*types.TipSet
+}
+
+// NewHeadChangeCoalescer creates a HeadChangeCoalescer.
+func NewHeadChangeCoalescer(fn ReorgNotifee, minDelay, maxDelay, mergeInterval time.Duration) *HeadChangeCoalescer {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	c := &HeadChangeCoalescer{
+		notify: fn,
+		ctx:    ctx,
+		cancel: cancel,
+		eventq: make(chan headChange),
+	}
+
+	go c.background(minDelay, maxDelay, mergeInterval)
+
+	return c
+}
+
+// HeadChange is the ReorgNotifee callback for the stateful coalescer; it receives an incoming
+// head change and schedules dispatch of a coalesced head change in the background.
+func (c *HeadChangeCoalescer) HeadChange(revert, apply []*types.TipSet) error {
+	select {
+	case c.eventq <- headChange{revert: revert, apply: apply}:
+		return nil
+	case <-c.ctx.Done():
+		return c.ctx.Err()
+	}
+}
+
+// Close closes the coalescer and cancels the background dispatch goroutine.
+// Any further notification will result in an error.
+func (c *HeadChangeCoalescer) Close() error {
+	select {
+	case <-c.ctx.Done():
+	default:
+		c.cancel()
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Implementation details
+
+func (c *HeadChangeCoalescer) background(minDelay, maxDelay, mergeInterval time.Duration) {
+	var timerC <-chan time.Time
+	var first, last time.Time
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case evt := <-c.eventq:
+			c.coalesce(evt.revert, evt.apply)
+
+			now := time.Now()
+			last = now
+			if first.IsZero() {
+				first = now
+			}
+
+			if timerC == nil {
+				timerC = time.After(minDelay)
+			}
+
+		case now := <-timerC:
+			sinceFirst := now.Sub(first)
+			sinceLast := now.Sub(last)
+
+			if sinceLast < mergeInterval && sinceFirst < maxDelay {
+				// coalesce some more
+				maxWait := maxDelay - sinceFirst
+				wait := minDelay
+				if maxWait < wait {
+					wait = maxWait
+				}
+
+				timerC = time.After(wait)
+			} else {
+				// dispatch
+				c.dispatch()
+
+				first = time.Time{}
+				last = time.Time{}
+				timerC = nil
+			}
+
+		case <-c.ctx.Done():
+			if c.revert != nil || c.apply != nil {
+				c.dispatch()
+			}
+			return
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (c *HeadChangeCoalescer) coalesce(revert, apply []*types.TipSet) {
+	// newly reverted tipsets cancel out with pending applys.
+	// similarly, newly applied tipsets cancel out with pending reverts.
+
+	// pending tipsets
+	pendRevert := make(map[types.TipSetKey]struct{}, len(c.revert))
+	for _, ts := range c.revert {
+		pendRevert[ts.Key()] = struct{}{}
+	}
+
+	pendApply := make(map[types.TipSetKey]struct{}, len(c.apply))
+	for _, ts := range c.apply {
+		pendApply[ts.Key()] = struct{}{}
+	}
+
+	// incoming tipsets
+	reverting := make(map[types.TipSetKey]struct{}, len(revert))
+	for _, ts := range revert {
+		reverting[ts.Key()] = struct{}{}
+	}
+
+	applying := make(map[types.TipSetKey]struct{}, len(apply))
+	for _, ts := range apply {
+		applying[ts.Key()] = struct{}{}
+	}
+
+	// coalesced revert set
+	// - pending reverts are cancelled by incoming applys
+	// - incoming reverts are cancelled by pending applys
+	newRevert := make([]*types.TipSet, 0, len(c.revert)+len(revert))
+	for _, ts := range c.revert {
+		_, cancel := applying[ts.Key()]
+		if cancel {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		newRevert = append(newRevert, ts)
+	}
+
+	for _, ts := range revert {
+		_, cancel := pendApply[ts.Key()]
+		if cancel {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		newRevert = append(newRevert, ts)
+	}
+
+	// coalesced apply set
+	// - pending applys are cancelled by incoming reverts
+	// - incoming applys are cancelled by pending reverts
+	newApply := make([]*types.TipSet, 0, len(c.apply)+len(apply))
+	for _, ts := range c.apply {
+		_, cancel := reverting[ts.Key()]
+		if cancel {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		newApply = append(newApply, ts)
+	}
+
+	for _, ts := range apply {
+		_, cancel := pendRevert[ts.Key()]
+		if cancel {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		newApply = append(newApply, ts)
+	}
+
+	// commit the coalesced sets
+	c.revert = newRevert
+	c.apply = newApply
+}
+
+func (c *HeadChangeCoalescer) dispatch() {
+	err := c.notify(c.revert, c.apply)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("error dispatching coalesced head change notification: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	c.revert = nil
+	c.apply = nil
+}
diff --git a/chain/store/coalescer_test.go b/chain/store/coalescer_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d462851086e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chain/store/coalescer_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+package store
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/types"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/types/mock"
+)
+
+func TestHeadChangeCoalescer(t *testing.T) {
+	notif := make(chan headChange, 1)
+	c := NewHeadChangeCoalescer(func(revert, apply []*types.TipSet) error {
+		notif <- headChange{apply: apply, revert: revert}
+		return nil
+	},
+		100*time.Millisecond,
+		200*time.Millisecond,
+		10*time.Millisecond,
+	)
+	defer c.Close() //nolint
+
+	b0 := mock.MkBlock(nil, 0, 0)
+	root := mock.TipSet(b0)
+	bA := mock.MkBlock(root, 1, 1)
+	tA := mock.TipSet(bA)
+	bB := mock.MkBlock(root, 1, 2)
+	tB := mock.TipSet(bB)
+	tAB := mock.TipSet(bA, bB)
+	bC := mock.MkBlock(root, 1, 3)
+	tABC := mock.TipSet(bA, bB, bC)
+	bD := mock.MkBlock(root, 1, 4)
+	tABCD := mock.TipSet(bA, bB, bC, bD)
+	bE := mock.MkBlock(root, 1, 5)
+	tABCDE := mock.TipSet(bA, bB, bC, bD, bE)
+
+	c.HeadChange(nil, []*types.TipSet{tA})                      //nolint
+	c.HeadChange(nil, []*types.TipSet{tB})                      //nolint
+	c.HeadChange([]*types.TipSet{tA, tB}, []*types.TipSet{tAB}) //nolint
+	c.HeadChange([]*types.TipSet{tAB}, []*types.TipSet{tABC})   //nolint
+
+	change := <-notif
+
+	if len(change.revert) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected empty revert set but got %d elements", len(change.revert))
+	}
+	if len(change.apply) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected single element apply set but got %d elements", len(change.apply))
+	}
+	if change.apply[0] != tABC {
+		t.Fatalf("expected to apply tABC")
+	}
+
+	c.HeadChange([]*types.TipSet{tABC}, []*types.TipSet{tABCD})   //nolint
+	c.HeadChange([]*types.TipSet{tABCD}, []*types.TipSet{tABCDE}) //nolint
+
+	change = <-notif
+
+	if len(change.revert) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected single element revert set but got %d elements", len(change.revert))
+	}
+	if change.revert[0] != tABC {
+		t.Fatalf("expected to revert tABC")
+	}
+	if len(change.apply) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected single element apply set but got %d elements", len(change.apply))
+	}
+	if change.apply[0] != tABCDE {
+		t.Fatalf("expected to revert tABC")
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/node/test/builder.go b/node/test/builder.go
index 46efb90742c..cf38792daaa 100644
--- a/node/test/builder.go
+++ b/node/test/builder.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/actors/policy"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/gen"
 	genesis2 "github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/gen/genesis"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/messagepool"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/types"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/wallet"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/cmd/lotus-seed/seed"
@@ -53,6 +54,9 @@ import (
 
 func init() {
 	chain.BootstrapPeerThreshold = 1
+	messagepool.HeadChangeCoalesceMinDelay = time.Microsecond
+	messagepool.HeadChangeCoalesceMaxDelay = 2 * time.Microsecond
+	messagepool.HeadChangeCoalesceMergeInterval = 100 * time.Nanosecond
 }
 
 func CreateTestStorageNode(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, waddr address.Address, act address.Address, pk crypto.PrivKey, tnd test.TestNode, mn mocknet.Mocknet, opts node.Option) test.TestStorageNode {