diff --git a/lib/bcoin/chain.js b/lib/bcoin/chain.js
index dfd04f23..07f7bebe 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/chain.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/chain.js
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ Chain.prototype._ensureGenesis = function _ensureGenesis(callback) {
 Chain.prototype._preload = function _preload(callback) {
   var self = this;
   var url = 'https://headers.electrum.org/blockchain_headers';
-  var chainHeight, buf, height, stream;
+  var buf, height, stream;
   var request;
 
   if (!this.options.preload)
@@ -289,114 +289,118 @@ Chain.prototype._preload = function _preload(callback) {
 
   utils.debug('Loading %s', url);
 
-  stream = request.get(url);
-  chainHeight = this.db.getSize() - 1;
-  height = 0;
-  buf = {
-    data: [],
-    size: 0
-  };
+  this.db.getChainHeight(function(err, chainHeight) {
+    if (err)
+      return callback(err);
 
-  stream.on('response', function(res) {
-    if (res.statusCode >= 400) {
-      stream.destroy();
-      return callback(new Error('Bad response code: ' + res.statusCode));
-    }
-  });
+    stream = request.get(url);
+    height = 0;
+    buf = {
+      data: [],
+      size: 0
+    };
 
-  stream.on('error', function(err) {
-    var start = Math.max(0, height - 2);
-    self.reset(start, function(e) {
-      if (e)
-        throw e;
-      return callback(err, start + 1);
+    stream.on('response', function(res) {
+      if (res.statusCode >= 400) {
+        stream.destroy();
+        return callback(new Error('Bad response code: ' + res.statusCode));
+      }
     });
-  });
 
-  stream.on('data', function(data) {
-    var blocks = [];
-    var need = 80 - buf.size;
-    var i, lastEntry;
-
-    while (data.length >= need) {
-      buf.data.push(data.slice(0, need));
-      blocks.push(Buffer.concat(buf.data));
-      buf.data.length = 0;
-      buf.size = 0;
-      data = data.slice(need);
-      need = 80 - buf.size;
-    }
-
-    if (data.length > 0) {
-      assert(data.length < 80);
-      buf.data.push(data);
-      buf.size += data.length;
-    }
-
-    if (blocks.length === 0)
-      return;
-
-    blocks.forEach(function(data) {
-      var entry = bcoin.chainblock.fromRaw(self, data);
-      var block, start;
-
-      entry.height = height;
-
-      block = bcoin.headers(entry);
-
-      // Do some paranoid checks.
-      if (lastEntry && entry.prevBlock !== lastEntry.hash) {
-        start = Math.max(0, height - 2);
-        stream.destroy();
-        return self.reset(start, function(err) {
-          if (err)
-            throw err;
-          return callback(new Error('Corrupt headers.'), start + 1);
-        });
-      }
-
-      // Verify the block headers. We don't want to
-      // trust an external centralized source completely.
-      if (!block.verifyHeaders()) {
-        start = Math.max(0, height - 2);
-        stream.destroy();
-        return self.reset(start, function(err) {
-          if (err)
-            throw err;
-          return callback(new Error('Bad headers.'), start + 1);
-        });
-      }
-
-      // Calculate chainwork.
-      delete entry.chainwork;
-      entry.chainwork = entry.getChainwork(lastEntry);
-
-      lastEntry = entry;
-
-      // Make sure the genesis block is correct.
-      if (height === 0 && entry.hash !== network.genesis.hash) {
-        stream.destroy();
-        return callback(new Error('Bad genesis block.'), 0);
-      }
-
-      // Filthy hack to avoid writing
-      // redundant blocks to disk!
-      if (height <= chainHeight) {
-        self.db.addCache(entry);
-        self.db.bloom(entry.hash, 'hex');
-      } else {
-        self.db.save(entry);
-      }
-
-      height++;
-
-      if ((height + 1) % 50000 === 0)
-        utils.debug('Received %d headers from electrum.org.', height + 1);
+    stream.on('error', function(err) {
+      var start = Math.max(0, height - 2);
+      self.reset(start, function(e) {
+        if (e)
+          throw e;
+        return callback(err, start + 1);
+      });
     });
-  });
 
-  stream.on('end', function() {
-    return callback(null, height + 1);
+    stream.on('data', function(data) {
+      var blocks = [];
+      var need = 80 - buf.size;
+      var i, lastEntry;
+
+      while (data.length >= need) {
+        buf.data.push(data.slice(0, need));
+        blocks.push(Buffer.concat(buf.data));
+        buf.data.length = 0;
+        buf.size = 0;
+        data = data.slice(need);
+        need = 80 - buf.size;
+      }
+
+      if (data.length > 0) {
+        assert(data.length < 80);
+        buf.data.push(data);
+        buf.size += data.length;
+      }
+
+      if (blocks.length === 0)
+        return;
+
+      blocks.forEach(function(data) {
+        var entry = bcoin.chainblock.fromRaw(self, data);
+        var block, start;
+
+        entry.height = height;
+
+        block = bcoin.headers(entry);
+
+        // Do some paranoid checks.
+        if (lastEntry && entry.prevBlock !== lastEntry.hash) {
+          start = Math.max(0, height - 2);
+          stream.destroy();
+          return self.reset(start, function(err) {
+            if (err)
+              throw err;
+            return callback(new Error('Corrupt headers.'), start + 1);
+          });
+        }
+
+        // Verify the block headers. We don't want to
+        // trust an external centralized source completely.
+        if (!block.verifyHeaders()) {
+          start = Math.max(0, height - 2);
+          stream.destroy();
+          return self.reset(start, function(err) {
+            if (err)
+              throw err;
+            return callback(new Error('Bad headers.'), start + 1);
+          });
+        }
+
+        // Calculate chainwork.
+        delete entry.chainwork;
+        entry.chainwork = entry.getChainwork(lastEntry);
+
+        lastEntry = entry;
+
+        // Make sure the genesis block is correct.
+        if (height === 0 && entry.hash !== network.genesis.hash) {
+          stream.destroy();
+          return callback(new Error('Bad genesis block.'), 0);
+        }
+
+        // Filthy hack to avoid writing
+        // redundant blocks to disk!
+        if (height <= chainHeight) {
+          self.db.addCache(entry);
+          self.db.bloom(entry.hash, 'hex');
+        } else {
+          self.db.save(entry);
+        }
+
+        height++;
+
+        if ((height + 1) % 50000 === 0)
+          utils.debug('Received %d headers from electrum.org.', height + 1);
+      });
+    });
+
+    stream.on('end', function() {
+      return callback(null, height + 1);
+    });
   });
 };