Levels of mRNAs depend on the balance of their synthesis and decay; this study reveals a way in which the two processes are intimately connected. Working in yeast, Haimovich et al. found that components of the cytoplasmic 5′ to 3′ decay pathway (collectively known as the 'decaysome') shuttle between the cytoplasm and nucleus. In the nucleus, they preferentially associated with chromatin near transcription start sites. The authors show that these factors stimulate transcription initiation and elongation and thus link transcription and decay.