diff --git a/ethapi/private_account.go b/ethapi/private_account.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8d51fd31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ethapi/private_account.go
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package ethapi
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/accounts"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common/hexutil"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/internal/ethapi"
+)
+
+type LimitedPersonalAPI struct {
+	privateAPI *ethapi.PrivateAccountAPI
+}
+
+func NewLimitedPersonalAPI(am *accounts.Manager) *LimitedPersonalAPI {
+	return &LimitedPersonalAPI{ethapi.NewSubsetOfPrivateAccountAPI(am)}
+}
+
+func (s *LimitedPersonalAPI) Sign(ctx context.Context, data hexutil.Bytes, addr common.Address, passwd string) (hexutil.Bytes, error) {
+	return s.privateAPI.Sign(ctx, data, addr, passwd)
+}
+
+func (s *LimitedPersonalAPI) EcRecover(ctx context.Context, data, sig hexutil.Bytes) (common.Address, error) {
+	return s.privateAPI.EcRecover(ctx, data, sig)
+}
diff --git a/internal/ethapi/api.go b/internal/ethapi/api.go
index 31408633..3cee8753 100644
--- a/internal/ethapi/api.go
+++ b/internal/ethapi/api.go
@@ -214,6 +214,14 @@ func NewPrivateAccountAPI(b Backend, nonceLock *AddrLocker) *PrivateAccountAPI {
 	}
 }
 
+func NewSubsetOfPrivateAccountAPI(am *accounts.Manager) *PrivateAccountAPI {
+	return &PrivateAccountAPI{
+		am:        am,
+		nonceLock: nil,
+		b:         nil,
+	}
+}
+
 // ListAccounts will return a list of addresses for accounts this node manages.
 func (s *PrivateAccountAPI) ListAccounts() []common.Address {
 	addresses := make([]common.Address, 0) // return [] instead of nil if empty
@@ -426,7 +434,7 @@ func (s *PrivateAccountAPI) Sign(ctx context.Context, data hexutil.Bytes, addr c
 	// Look up the wallet containing the requested signer
 	account := accounts.Account{Address: addr}
 
-	wallet, err := s.b.AccountManager().Find(account)
+	wallet, err := s.am.Find(account)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}