diff --git a/sim-rs/src/events.rs b/sim-rs/src/events.rs
index 3b86d832..9e27ffed 100644
--- a/sim-rs/src/events.rs
+++ b/sim-rs/src/events.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use std::{collections::BTreeMap, fs, path::PathBuf};
+use std::{collections::BTreeMap, fs, path::PathBuf, sync::Arc};
 
 use anyhow::Result;
 use serde::Serialize;
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ pub struct Block {
     pub slot: u64,
     pub publisher: NodeId,
     pub conflicts: Vec<NodeId>,
-    pub transactions: Vec<Transaction>,
+    pub transactions: Vec<Arc<Transaction>>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
diff --git a/sim-rs/src/sim.rs b/sim-rs/src/sim.rs
index bb4c9a95..7d33de45 100644
--- a/sim-rs/src/sim.rs
+++ b/sim-rs/src/sim.rs
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ pub struct Simulation {
     next_slot: u64,
     next_tx_id: u64,
     event_queue: BinaryHeap<FutureEvent>,
-    unpublished_txs: VecDeque<Transaction>,
+    unpublished_txs: VecDeque<Arc<Transaction>>,
+    txs: BTreeMap<u64, Arc<Transaction>>,
 }
 
 impl Simulation {
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ impl Simulation {
             next_tx_id: 0,
             event_queue: BinaryHeap::new(),
             unpublished_txs: VecDeque::new(),
+            txs: BTreeMap::new(),
         };
         sim.queue_event(SimulationEvent::NewSlot, Duration::ZERO);
         sim.queue_event(SimulationEvent::NewTransaction, Duration::ZERO);
@@ -83,12 +85,22 @@ impl Simulation {
         while let Some(event) = self.next_event().await {
             match event {
                 SimulationEvent::NewSlot => self.run_slot_lottery(&tracker)?,
-                SimulationEvent::NewTransaction => self.generate_tx(&tracker),
+                SimulationEvent::NewTransaction => self.generate_tx(&tracker)?,
                 SimulationEvent::NetworkMessage { from, to, msg } => {
                     let Some(target) = self.nodes.get_mut(&to) else {
                         bail!("unrecognized message target {to}");
                     };
                     match msg {
+                        SimulationMessage::AnnounceTx(id) => {
+                            target.receive_announce_tx(from, id)?;
+                        }
+                        SimulationMessage::RequestTx(id) => {
+                            let tx = self.txs.get(&id).expect("unexpected missing tx").clone();
+                            target.receive_request_tx(from, tx)?;
+                        }
+                        SimulationMessage::Tx(tx) => {
+                            target.receive_tx(from, tx)?;
+                        }
                         SimulationMessage::RollForward(slot) => {
                             target.receive_roll_forward(from, slot)?;
                         }
@@ -196,16 +208,17 @@ impl Simulation {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    fn generate_tx(&mut self, tracker: &EventTracker) {
+    fn generate_tx(&mut self, tracker: &EventTracker) -> Result<()> {
         let id = self.next_tx_id;
         let bytes = self
             .config
             .max_tx_size
             .min(self.config.transaction_size_bytes.sample(&mut self.rng) as u64);
-        let tx = Transaction { id, bytes };
+        let tx = Arc::new(Transaction { id, bytes });
 
         tracker.track_transaction(&tx);
-        self.unpublished_txs.push_back(tx);
+        self.unpublished_txs.push_back(tx.clone());
+        self.txs.insert(id, tx);
 
         self.next_tx_id += 1;
         let ms_until_tx = self.config.transaction_frequency_ms.sample(&mut self.rng) as u64;
@@ -213,6 +226,19 @@ impl Simulation {
             SimulationEvent::NewTransaction,
             Duration::from_millis(ms_until_tx),
         );
+
+        // any node could be the first to see a transaction
+        let publisher_id = self.choose_random_node();
+        let publisher = self
+            .nodes
+            .get_mut(&publisher_id)
+            .expect("chose nonexistent node");
+        publisher.propagate_tx(id)
+    }
+
+    fn choose_random_node(&mut self) -> NodeId {
+        let index = self.rng.gen_range(0..self.nodes.len());
+        NodeId::from_usize(index)
     }
 }
 
@@ -225,6 +251,7 @@ struct Node {
     peer_heads: BTreeMap<NodeId, u64>,
     blocks_seen: BTreeSet<u64>,
     blocks: BTreeMap<u64, Arc<Block>>,
+    txs_seen: BTreeSet<u64>,
 }
 
 impl Node {
@@ -250,9 +277,18 @@ impl Node {
             peer_heads: BTreeMap::new(),
             blocks_seen: BTreeSet::new(),
             blocks: BTreeMap::new(),
+            txs_seen: BTreeSet::new(),
         }
     }
 
+    fn propagate_tx(&mut self, id: u64) -> Result<()> {
+        for peer in &self.peers {
+            self.msg_sink
+                .send_to(*peer, SimulationMessage::AnnounceTx(id))?;
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     fn publish_block(&mut self, block: Arc<Block>) -> Result<()> {
         for peer in &self.peers {
             if !self.peer_heads.get(peer).is_some_and(|&s| s >= block.slot) {
@@ -265,6 +301,29 @@ impl Node {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    fn receive_announce_tx(&mut self, from: NodeId, id: u64) -> Result<()> {
+        if self.txs_seen.insert(id) {
+            self.msg_sink
+                .send_to(from, SimulationMessage::RequestTx(id))?;
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn receive_request_tx(&mut self, from: NodeId, tx: Arc<Transaction>) -> Result<()> {
+        self.msg_sink.send_to(from, SimulationMessage::Tx(tx))
+    }
+
+    fn receive_tx(&mut self, from: NodeId, tx: Arc<Transaction>) -> Result<()> {
+        for peer in &self.peers {
+            if *peer == from {
+                continue;
+            }
+            self.msg_sink
+                .send_to(*peer, SimulationMessage::AnnounceTx(tx.id))?;
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     fn receive_roll_forward(&mut self, from: NodeId, slot: u64) -> Result<()> {
         if self.blocks_seen.insert(slot) {
             self.msg_sink
@@ -353,6 +412,9 @@ enum SimulationEvent {
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 enum SimulationMessage {
+    AnnounceTx(u64),
+    RequestTx(u64),
+    Tx(Arc<Transaction>),
     RollForward(u64),
     RequestBlock(u64),
     Block(Arc<Block>),
@@ -361,6 +423,9 @@ enum SimulationMessage {
 impl HasBytesSize for SimulationMessage {
     fn bytes_size(&self) -> u64 {
         match self {
+            Self::AnnounceTx(_) => 8,
+            Self::RequestTx(_) => 8,
+            Self::Tx(tx) => tx.bytes,
             Self::RollForward(_) => 8,
             Self::RequestBlock(_) => 8,
             Self::Block(block) => block.transactions.iter().map(|t| t.bytes).sum(),