diff --git a/lib/bcoin/chain.js b/lib/bcoin/chain.js
index f90f5eb2..3ec97558 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/chain.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/chain.js
@@ -1883,7 +1883,7 @@ Chain.prototype.getLocator = function getLocator(start, callback, force) {
   if (start == null)
     start = this.tip.hash;
 
-  return this.db.get(start, function(err, entry) {
+  this.db.get(start, function(err, entry) {
     if (err)
       return callback(err);
 
@@ -1898,45 +1898,47 @@ Chain.prototype.getLocator = function getLocator(start, callback, force) {
       entry = self.tip;
     }
 
+    height = entry.height;
+
     entry.isMainChain(function(err, main) {
       if (err)
         return callback(err);
 
-      (function next(err, entry) {
+      (function next(err, hash) {
         if (err)
           return callback(err);
 
-        if (!entry)
+        if (!hash)
           return callback(null, hashes);
 
-        hashes.push(entry.hash);
+        hashes.push(hash);
 
-        if (entry.height === 0)
+        if (height === 0)
           return callback(null, hashes);
 
-        height = Math.max(entry.height - step, 0);
+        height = Math.max(height - step, 0);
 
         if (hashes.length > 10)
           step *= 2;
 
         if (height === 0)
-          return next(null, { hash: self.network.genesis.hash, height: 0 });
+          return next(null, self.network.genesis.hash);
 
-        if (!main)
-          return entry.getAncestorByHeight(height, next);
+        // If we're on the main chain, we can
+        // do a fast lookup of the hash.
+        if (main)
+          return self.db.getHash(height, next);
 
-        // If we're in the main chain, we can
-        // do an O(1) lookup of the hash.
-        self.db.getHash(height, function(err, hash) {
+        entry.getAncestorByHeight(height, function(err, entry) {
           if (err)
-            return next(err);
+            return callback(err);
 
-          if (!hash)
+          if (!entry)
             return next();
 
-          next(null, { hash: hash, height: height });
+          return next(null, entry.hash);
         });
-      })(null, entry);
+      })(null, entry.hash);
     });
   });
 };