diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ab42148ca5..fbaba4dec2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ Ref: https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/
   more accurate.
 * (app) [#483](https://github.com/crypto-org-chain/ethermint/pull/483) Make keyring-backend client config accessible in app.
 * (deps) [#489](https://github.com/crypto-org-chain/ethermint/pull/489) Update cosmos-sdk to `v0.50.7`.
+* (rpc) [#491](https://github.com/crypto-org-chain/ethermint/pull/491) Avoid unnecessary tx decode in tx listener.
 
 ## v0.21.x-cronos
 
diff --git a/app/ante/handler_options.go b/app/ante/handler_options.go
index 3bc4788430..2d50fcc3f6 100644
--- a/app/ante/handler_options.go
+++ b/app/ante/handler_options.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ type HandlerOptions struct {
 	DynamicFeeChecker bool
 	DisabledAuthzMsgs []string
 	ExtraDecorators   []sdk.AnteDecorator
+	PendingTxListener PendingTxListener
 }
 
 func (options HandlerOptions) validate() error {
@@ -131,10 +132,13 @@ func newEthAnteHandler(options HandlerOptions) sdk.AnteHandler {
 			return ctx, err
 		}
 
-		if len(options.ExtraDecorators) > 0 {
-			return sdk.ChainAnteDecorators(options.ExtraDecorators...)(ctx, tx, simulate)
+		extraDecorators := options.ExtraDecorators
+		if options.PendingTxListener != nil {
+			extraDecorators = append(extraDecorators, newTxListenerDecorator(options.PendingTxListener))
+		}
+		if len(extraDecorators) > 0 {
+			return sdk.ChainAnteDecorators(extraDecorators...)(ctx, tx, simulate)
 		}
-
 		return ctx, nil
 	}
 }
diff --git a/app/ante/tx_listener.go b/app/ante/tx_listener.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..43cbd5bbf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/ante/tx_listener.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package ante
+
+import (
+	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
+	evmtypes "github.com/evmos/ethermint/x/evm/types"
+)
+
+type PendingTxListener func(common.Hash)
+
+type TxListenerDecorator struct {
+	pendingTxListener PendingTxListener
+}
+
+// newTxListenerDecorator creates a new TxListenerDecorator with the provided PendingTxListener.
+// CONTRACT: must be put at the last of the chained decorators
+func newTxListenerDecorator(pendingTxListener PendingTxListener) TxListenerDecorator {
+	return TxListenerDecorator{pendingTxListener}
+}
+
+func (d TxListenerDecorator) AnteHandle(ctx sdk.Context, tx sdk.Tx, simulate bool, next sdk.AnteHandler) (sdk.Context, error) {
+	if ctx.IsReCheckTx() {
+		return next(ctx, tx, simulate)
+	}
+	if ctx.IsCheckTx() && !simulate && d.pendingTxListener != nil {
+		for _, msg := range tx.GetMsgs() {
+			if ethTx, ok := msg.(*evmtypes.MsgEthereumTx); ok {
+				d.pendingTxListener(ethTx.Hash())
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return next(ctx, tx, simulate)
+}
diff --git a/app/app.go b/app/app.go
index 6f2a77844d..df5399df18 100644
--- a/app/app.go
+++ b/app/app.go
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ import (
 
 	consensusparamkeeper "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/consensus/keeper"
 	consensusparamtypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/consensus/types"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 
 	// Force-load the tracer engines to trigger registration due to Go-Ethereum v1.10.15 changes
 	_ "github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/eth/tracers/js"
@@ -189,8 +190,6 @@ var (
 
 type GenesisState map[string]json.RawMessage
 
-type PendingTxListener func([]byte)
-
 // var _ server.Application (*EthermintApp)(nil)
 
 // EthermintApp implements an extended ABCI application. It is an application
@@ -207,7 +206,7 @@ type EthermintApp struct {
 
 	invCheckPeriod uint
 
-	pendingTxListeners []PendingTxListener
+	pendingTxListeners []ante.PendingTxListener
 
 	// keys to access the substores
 	keys    map[string]*storetypes.KVStoreKey
@@ -820,6 +819,7 @@ func (app *EthermintApp) setAnteHandler(txConfig client.TxConfig, maxGasWanted u
 			sdk.MsgTypeURL(&evmtypes.MsgEthereumTx{}),
 			sdk.MsgTypeURL(&vestingtypes.MsgCreateVestingAccount{}),
 		},
+		PendingTxListener: app.onPendingTx,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
@@ -828,6 +828,12 @@ func (app *EthermintApp) setAnteHandler(txConfig client.TxConfig, maxGasWanted u
 	app.SetAnteHandler(anteHandler)
 }
 
+func (app *EthermintApp) onPendingTx(hash common.Hash) {
+	for _, listener := range app.pendingTxListeners {
+		listener(hash)
+	}
+}
+
 func (app *EthermintApp) setPostHandler() {
 	postHandler, err := posthandler.NewPostHandler(
 		posthandler.HandlerOptions{},
@@ -1067,21 +1073,11 @@ func (app *EthermintApp) GetStoreKey(name string) storetypes.StoreKey {
 	return app.okeys[name]
 }
 
-// RegisterPendingTxListener is used by json-rpc server to listen to pending transactions in CheckTx.
-func (app *EthermintApp) RegisterPendingTxListener(listener PendingTxListener) {
+// RegisterPendingTxListener is used by json-rpc server to listen to pending transactions callback.
+func (app *EthermintApp) RegisterPendingTxListener(listener ante.PendingTxListener) {
 	app.pendingTxListeners = append(app.pendingTxListeners, listener)
 }
 
-func (app *EthermintApp) CheckTx(req *abci.RequestCheckTx) (*abci.ResponseCheckTx, error) {
-	res, err := app.BaseApp.CheckTx(req)
-	if err == nil && res.Code == 0 && req.Type == abci.CheckTxType_New {
-		for _, listener := range app.pendingTxListeners {
-			listener(req.Tx)
-		}
-	}
-	return res, err
-}
-
 // RegisterSwaggerAPI registers swagger route with API Server
 func RegisterSwaggerAPI(_ client.Context, rtr *mux.Router) {
 	root, err := fs.Sub(docs.SwaggerUI, "swagger-ui")
diff --git a/rpc/stream/rpc.go b/rpc/stream/rpc.go
index 33d39a5fa4..d23388ada7 100644
--- a/rpc/stream/rpc.go
+++ b/rpc/stream/rpc.go
@@ -113,20 +113,8 @@ func (s *RPCStream) LogStream() *Stream[*ethtypes.Log] {
 }
 
 // ListenPendingTx is a callback passed to application to listen for pending transactions in CheckTx.
-func (s *RPCStream) ListenPendingTx(bytes []byte) {
-	tx, err := s.txDecoder(bytes)
-	if err != nil {
-		s.logger.Error("fail to decode tx", "error", err.Error())
-		return
-	}
-
-	var hashes []common.Hash
-	for _, msg := range tx.GetMsgs() {
-		if ethTx, ok := msg.(*evmtypes.MsgEthereumTx); ok {
-			hashes = append(hashes, ethTx.AsTransaction().Hash())
-		}
-	}
-	s.pendingTxStream.Add(hashes...)
+func (s *RPCStream) ListenPendingTx(hash common.Hash) {
+	s.pendingTxStream.Add(hash)
 }
 
 func (s *RPCStream) start(
diff --git a/server/json_rpc.go b/server/json_rpc.go
index ab7238eb14..9a18e14333 100644
--- a/server/json_rpc.go
+++ b/server/json_rpc.go
@@ -29,10 +29,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server"
 	ethlog "github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log"
 	ethrpc "github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rpc"
-	"github.com/evmos/ethermint/app"
+	"github.com/evmos/ethermint/app/ante"
 	"github.com/evmos/ethermint/rpc"
 	"github.com/evmos/ethermint/rpc/stream"
-
 	"github.com/evmos/ethermint/server/config"
 	ethermint "github.com/evmos/ethermint/types"
 )
@@ -43,7 +42,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 type AppWithPendingTxStream interface {
-	RegisterPendingTxListener(listener app.PendingTxListener)
+	RegisterPendingTxListener(listener ante.PendingTxListener)
 }
 
 // StartJSONRPC starts the JSON-RPC server