diff --git a/op-batcher/batcher/driver.go b/op-batcher/batcher/driver.go
index 39ebf2f25b24..7e62a1ac825b 100644
--- a/op-batcher/batcher/driver.go
+++ b/op-batcher/batcher/driver.go
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ const (
 func (l *BatchSubmitter) loop() {
 	defer l.wg.Done()
 
+	txDataCh := make(chan txData)
 	receiptsCh := make(chan txmgr.TxReceipt[txRef])
 	queue := txmgr.NewQueue[txRef](l.killCtx, l.Txmgr, l.Config.MaxPendingTransactions)
 
@@ -329,12 +330,41 @@ func (l *BatchSubmitter) loop() {
 			}
 		}
 	}()
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			select {
+			case txdata := <-txDataCh:
+				var candidate *txmgr.TxCandidate
+				var err error
+				if txdata.asBlob {
+					if candidate, err = l.blobTxCandidate(txdata); err != nil {
+						// We could potentially fall through and try a calldata tx instead, but this would
+						// likely result in the chain spending more in gas fees than it is tuned for, so best
+						// to just fail. We do not expect this error to trigger unless there is a serious bug
+						// or configuration issue.
+						l.state.TxFailed(txdata.ID())
+						l.Log.Error("could not create blob tx candidate: %w", err)
+					}
+				} else {
+					// sanity check
+					if nf := len(txdata.frames); nf != 1 {
+						l.Log.Crit("Unexpected number of frames in calldata tx", "num_frames", nf)
+					}
+					candidate = l.calldataTxCandidate(txdata.CallData())
+				}
+				l.queueTx(txdata, false, candidate, queue, receiptsCh)
+			case <-l.shutdownCtx.Done():
+				l.Log.Info("Shutting down tx sending loop")
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}()
 
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(l.Config.PollInterval)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
 
 	publishAndWait := func() {
-		l.publishStateToL1(queue, receiptsCh)
+		l.prepareStateToSubmitToL1(txDataCh)
 		if !l.Txmgr.IsClosed() {
 			queue.Wait()
 		} else {
@@ -369,7 +399,7 @@ func (l *BatchSubmitter) loop() {
 				l.clearState(l.shutdownCtx)
 				continue
 			}
-			l.publishStateToL1(queue, receiptsCh)
+			l.prepareStateToSubmitToL1(txDataCh)
 		case <-l.shutdownCtx.Done():
 			if l.Txmgr.IsClosed() {
 				l.Log.Info("Txmgr is closed, remaining channel data won't be sent")
@@ -424,22 +454,24 @@ func (l *BatchSubmitter) waitNodeSync() error {
 	return dial.WaitRollupSync(l.shutdownCtx, l.Log, rollupClient, l1TargetBlock, time.Second*12)
 }
 
-// publishStateToL1 queues up all pending TxData to be published to the L1, returning when there is
+// prepareStateToSubmitToL1 queues up all pending TxData to be published to the L1, returning when there is
 // no more data to queue for publishing or if there was an error queing the data.
-func (l *BatchSubmitter) publishStateToL1(queue *txmgr.Queue[txRef], receiptsCh chan txmgr.TxReceipt[txRef]) {
+func (l *BatchSubmitter) prepareStateToSubmitToL1(txDataCh chan<- txData) {
 	for {
 		// if the txmgr is closed, we stop the transaction sending
 		if l.Txmgr.IsClosed() {
 			l.Log.Info("Txmgr is closed, aborting state publishing")
 			return
 		}
-		err := l.publishTxToL1(l.killCtx, queue, receiptsCh)
+		txdata, err := l.prepareTxData(l.killCtx)
 		if err != nil {
 			if err != io.EOF {
 				l.Log.Error("Error publishing tx to l1", "err", err)
 			}
 			return
 		}
+		// send txdata to be published by the tx sending loop
+		txDataCh <- txdata
 	}
 }
 
@@ -482,13 +514,13 @@ func (l *BatchSubmitter) clearState(ctx context.Context) {
 	}
 }
 
-// publishTxToL1 submits a single state tx to the L1
-func (l *BatchSubmitter) publishTxToL1(ctx context.Context, queue *txmgr.Queue[txRef], receiptsCh chan txmgr.TxReceipt[txRef]) error {
+// prepareTxData prepares a single state tx to be sent to the L1
+func (l *BatchSubmitter) prepareTxData(ctx context.Context) (txData, error) {
 	// send all available transactions
 	l1tip, err := l.l1Tip(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		l.Log.Error("Failed to query L1 tip", "err", err)
-		return err
+		return txData{}, err
 	}
 	l.recordL1Tip(l1tip)
 
@@ -497,16 +529,17 @@ func (l *BatchSubmitter) publishTxToL1(ctx context.Context, queue *txmgr.Queue[t
 
 	if err == io.EOF {
 		l.Log.Trace("No transaction data available")
-		return err
+		return txData{}, err
 	} else if err != nil {
 		l.Log.Error("Unable to get tx data", "err", err)
-		return err
+		return txData{}, err
 	}
 
-	if err = l.sendTransaction(ctx, txdata, queue, receiptsCh); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("BatchSubmitter.sendTransaction failed: %w", err)
+	if err = l.publishToAltDAUpdateTxData(ctx, txdata); err != nil {
+		return txData{}, fmt.Errorf("BatchSubmitter.prepareAndQueueTxData failed: %w", err)
 	}
-	return nil
+
+	return txdata, nil
 }
 
 func (l *BatchSubmitter) safeL1Origin(ctx context.Context) (eth.BlockID, error) {
@@ -548,44 +581,28 @@ func (l *BatchSubmitter) cancelBlockingTx(queue *txmgr.Queue[txRef], receiptsCh
 	l.queueTx(txData{}, true, candidate, queue, receiptsCh)
 }
 
-// sendTransaction creates & queues for sending a transaction to the batch inbox address with the given `txData`.
+// publishToAltDAUpdateTxData creates & queues for sending a transaction to the batch inbox address with the given `txData`.
 // The method will block if the queue's MaxPendingTransactions is exceeded.
-func (l *BatchSubmitter) sendTransaction(ctx context.Context, txdata txData, queue *txmgr.Queue[txRef], receiptsCh chan txmgr.TxReceipt[txRef]) error {
-	var err error
-	// Do the gas estimation offline. A value of 0 will cause the [txmgr] to estimate the gas limit.
-
-	var candidate *txmgr.TxCandidate
-	if txdata.asBlob {
-		if candidate, err = l.blobTxCandidate(txdata); err != nil {
-			// We could potentially fall through and try a calldata tx instead, but this would
-			// likely result in the chain spending more in gas fees than it is tuned for, so best
-			// to just fail. We do not expect this error to trigger unless there is a serious bug
-			// or configuration issue.
-			return fmt.Errorf("could not create blob tx candidate: %w", err)
-		}
-	} else {
+func (l *BatchSubmitter) publishToAltDAUpdateTxData(ctx context.Context, txdata txData) error {
+	// if AltDA is enabled we post the txdata to the DA Provider and replace it with the commitment.
+	if l.Config.UseAltDA {
 		// sanity check
 		if nf := len(txdata.frames); nf != 1 {
 			l.Log.Crit("Unexpected number of frames in calldata tx", "num_frames", nf)
 		}
-		data := txdata.CallData()
-		// if AltDA is enabled we post the txdata to the DA Provider and replace it with the commitment.
-		if l.Config.UseAltDA {
-			comm, err := l.AltDA.SetInput(ctx, data)
-			if err != nil {
-				l.Log.Error("Failed to post input to Alt DA", "error", err)
-				// requeue frame if we fail to post to the DA Provider so it can be retried
-				l.recordFailedTx(txdata.ID(), err)
-				return nil
-			}
-			l.Log.Info("Set AltDA input", "commitment", comm, "tx", txdata.ID())
-			// signal AltDA commitment tx with TxDataVersion1
-			data = comm.TxData()
+		comm, err := l.AltDA.SetInput(ctx, txdata.CallData())
+		if err != nil {
+			l.Log.Error("Failed to post input to Alt DA", "error", err)
+			// requeue frame if we fail to post to the DA Provider so it can be retried
+			l.recordFailedTx(txdata.ID(), err)
+			return err
 		}
-		candidate = l.calldataTxCandidate(data)
+		l.Log.Info("Set AltDA input", "commitment", comm, "tx", txdata.ID())
+		// TODO: this is kind of weird... we're overwriting the frame's data with the commitment
+		// but keeping the same ID just so we can delete/requeue the frames on success/failure
+		txdata.frames[0].data = comm.TxData()
 	}
 
-	l.queueTx(txdata, false, candidate, queue, receiptsCh)
 	return nil
 }