diff --git a/src/middleware/messageStore.js b/src/middleware/messageStore.js
index 60c91869..827d3a35 100644
--- a/src/middleware/messageStore.js
+++ b/src/middleware/messageStore.js
@@ -8,13 +8,7 @@ import * as metrics from '../metrics'
 import * as transactions from '../model/transactions'
 import * as utils from '../utils'
 
-export const transactionStatus = {
-  PROCESSING: 'Processing',
-  SUCCESSFUL: 'Successful',
-  COMPLETED: 'Completed',
-  COMPLETED_W_ERR: 'Completed with error(s)',
-  FAILED: 'Failed'
-}
+const { transactionStatus } = transactions
 
 function copyMapWithEscapedReservedCharacters(map) {
   const escapedMap = {}
diff --git a/src/model/transactions.js b/src/model/transactions.js
index f1e2760b..9b21fc58 100644
--- a/src/model/transactions.js
+++ b/src/model/transactions.js
@@ -4,6 +4,14 @@ import {Schema} from 'mongoose'
 
 import {connectionAPI, connectionDefault} from '../config'
 
+export const transactionStatus = {
+  PROCESSING: 'Processing',
+  SUCCESSFUL: 'Successful',
+  COMPLETED: 'Completed',
+  COMPLETED_W_ERR: 'Completed with error(s)',
+  FAILED: 'Failed'
+}
+
 // Request Schema definition
 const RequestDef = {
   host: String,
@@ -94,13 +102,7 @@ const TransactionSchema = new Schema({
   status: {
     type: String,
     required: true,
-    enum: [
-      'Processing',
-      'Failed',
-      'Completed',
-      'Successful',
-      'Completed with error(s)'
-    ]
+    enum: Object.values(transactionStatus)
   }
 })
 
@@ -118,3 +120,26 @@ export const TransactionModel = connectionDefault.model(
   'Transaction',
   TransactionSchema
 )
+
+/**
+ * Resolve a transaction stuck in the processing state
+ *
+ * If OpenHIM crashes with an inflight transaction, that transaction's status will stay in processing
+ * So we run this function at start up and set all those transactions to failed 
+ *
+ */
+export const resolveStuckProcessingState = async () => {
+  TransactionModelAPI.find({ status: transactionStatus.PROCESSING })
+  .cursor()
+  .on('data', async (transaction) => {
+    try {
+      if (transaction.$isEmpty('response') && transaction.$isEmpty('error'))
+        TransactionModelAPI.findByIdAndUpdate(transaction.id, { 
+          status: transactionStatus.FAILED,
+          error: { message: 'OpenHIM crashed while still waiting for a response' },
+        }).exec()
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error(`Error updating transaction stuck in processing: ${err}`)
+    }
+  })
+}
diff --git a/src/server.js b/src/server.js
index 11267547..334832ab 100644
--- a/src/server.js
+++ b/src/server.js
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import * as upgradeDB from './upgradeDB'
 import {KeystoreModel} from './model/keystore'
 import {UserModel, createUser, updateTokenUser} from './model/users'
 import {appRoot, config, connectionAgenda} from './config'
+import { resolveStuckProcessingState } from './model/transactions'
 
 mongoose.Promise = Promise
 
@@ -886,6 +887,8 @@ if (cluster.isMaster && !module.parent) {
 
       return Promise.all(promises)
         .then(() => {
+          resolveStuckProcessingState()
+          
           let audit = atna.construct.appActivityAudit(
             true,
             himSourceID,
diff --git a/test/unit/transactionsTest.js b/test/unit/transactionsTest.js
index da332299..308e8c93 100644
--- a/test/unit/transactionsTest.js
+++ b/test/unit/transactionsTest.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 /* eslint-env mocha */
 
 import * as transactions from '../../src/api/transactions'
-import {TaskModel, TransactionModel} from '../../src/model'
+import {TaskModel, TransactionModel, resolveStuckProcessingState} from '../../src/model'
 import {ObjectId} from 'mongodb'
 
 describe('calculateTransactionBodiesByteLength()', () => {
@@ -89,3 +89,77 @@ describe('*createRerunTasks', () => {
     tasks.length.should.be.exactly(2)
   })
 })
+
+describe('TransactionModel tests', () => {
+  describe('.resolveStuckProcessingState()', () => {
+    const midFlightTransaction = Object.freeze({
+      status: 'Processing',
+      request: {
+        timestamp: new Date().toISOString()
+      },
+      updatedBy: {
+        id: new ObjectId(),
+        name: 'Test'
+      }
+    })
+  
+    const validProcessingTransaction = Object.freeze({
+      status: 'Processing',
+      request: {
+        timestamp: new Date().toISOString()
+      },
+      response: {
+        status: 200,
+        timestamp: new Date().toISOString()
+      },
+      updatedBy: {
+        id: new ObjectId(),
+        name: 'Test'
+      }
+    })
+
+    const errorProcessingTransaction = Object.freeze({
+      status: 'Processing',
+      request: {
+        timestamp: new Date().toISOString()
+      },
+      error: {
+        message: 'something bad happened',
+        stack: 'stack trace'
+      },
+      updatedBy: {
+        id: new ObjectId(),
+        name: 'Test'
+      }
+    })
+  
+    beforeEach(async () => {
+      await TransactionModel.deleteMany({})
+    })
+  
+    afterEach(async () => {
+      await TransactionModel.deleteMany({})
+    })
+
+    it('should update a processing transaction to failed if no response or error set', async () => {
+      await TransactionModel(midFlightTransaction).save()
+
+      resolveStuckProcessingState()
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(() => { resolve() }, 500))
+  
+      const transactions = await TransactionModel.find({ status: 'Processing' });
+      transactions.length.should.be.exactly(0);
+    })
+
+    it('should not update a transaction processing state if response or error set', async () => {
+      await TransactionModel(validProcessingTransaction).save()
+      await TransactionModel(errorProcessingTransaction).save()
+
+      resolveStuckProcessingState()
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(() => { resolve() }, 500))
+
+      const transactions = await TransactionModel.find({ status: 'Processing' });
+      transactions.length.should.be.exactly(2);
+    })
+  })
+})