diff --git a/lib/bcoin/peer.js b/lib/bcoin/peer.js
index d54a80dc..ebde3c3a 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/peer.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/peer.js
@@ -601,12 +601,11 @@ Peer.prototype._handleInv = function handleInv(items) {
 };
 
 Peer.prototype._handleHeaders = function handleHeaders(headers) {
-  var self = this;
-
   headers = headers.map(function(header) {
+    header._hash = utils.dsha256(header._raw);
+    header.hash = utils.toHex(header._hash);
     header.prevBlock = utils.toHex(header.prevBlock);
     header.merkleRoot = utils.toHex(header.merkleRoot);
-    header.hash = utils.toHex(utils.dsha256(header._raw));
     return header;
   });
 
diff --git a/lib/bcoin/pool.js b/lib/bcoin/pool.js
index 71ed95e8..7bd0ecb0 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/pool.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/pool.js
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ function Pool(options) {
       options.headers = true;
   } else {
     if (options.headers == null)
-      options.headers = false;
+      options.headers = true;
   }
 
   this.syncing = false;
@@ -534,18 +534,20 @@ Pool.prototype._handleHeaders = function _handleHeaders(headers, peer) {
 
   this.chain.onFlush(function() {
     for (i = 0; i < headers.length; i++) {
-      block = bcoin.block(headers[i], 'header');
+      header = headers[i];
 
-      if (last && block.prevBlock !== last.hash('hex'))
+      if (last && header.prevBlock !== last.hash)
         break;
 
-      if (!block.verify())
+      if (!utils.testTarget(header.bits, header._hash)) {
+        utils.debug('Header failed POW test.');
         break;
+      }
 
-      if (!self.chain.has(block))
-        self.getData(peer, self.block.type, block.hash('hex'));
+      if (!self.chain.has(header.hash))
+        self.getData(peer, self.block.type, header.hash);
 
-      last = block;
+      last = header;
     }
 
     // Restart the getheaders process
@@ -556,7 +558,7 @@ Pool.prototype._handleHeaders = function _handleHeaders(headers, peer) {
     // simply tries to find the latest block in
     // the peer's chain.
     if (last && headers.length === 2000)
-      self.getHeaders(peer, last, null);
+      self.getHeaders(peer, last.hash, null);
   });
 
   // Reset interval to avoid calling getheaders unnecessarily
diff --git a/lib/bcoin/utils.js b/lib/bcoin/utils.js
index f82214cf..44d1c307 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/utils.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/utils.js
@@ -876,9 +876,7 @@ utils.testTarget = function testTarget(target, hash) {
   if (typeof hash === 'string')
     hash = new Buffer(hash, 'hex');
 
-  hash = Array.prototype.slice.call(hash);
-
-  return new bn(hash.slice().reverse()).cmp(target) < 0;
+  return new bn(hash, 'le').cmp(target) < 0;
 };
 
 utils.now = function now() {