diff --git a/lib/services/block/index.js b/lib/services/block/index.js
index cc062564..1c6f98eb 100644
--- a/lib/services/block/index.js
+++ b/lib/services/block/index.js
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ inherits(BlockService, BaseService);
 
 BlockService.dependencies = [ 'p2p', 'db', 'header' ];
 
-BlockService.MAX_BLOCKS = 1;
+BlockService.MAX_BLOCKS = 3
 
 // --- public prototype functions
 BlockService.prototype.getAPIMethods = function() {
diff --git a/lib/services/header/index.js b/lib/services/header/index.js
index 79a4adef..f48ea3d6 100644
--- a/lib/services/header/index.js
+++ b/lib/services/header/index.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ var async = require('async');
 var BN = require('bn.js');
 var consensus = require('bcoin').consensus;
 var assert = require('assert');
+var constants = require('../../constants');
 
 var HeaderService = function(options) {
 
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ var HeaderService = function(options) {
 
   this.subscriptions = {};
   this.subscriptions.block = [];
+  this.GENESIS_HASH = constants.BITCOIN_GENESIS_HASH[this.node.getNetworkName()];
 };
 
 inherits(HeaderService, BaseService);
@@ -90,7 +92,23 @@ HeaderService.prototype.start = function(callback) {
     },
     function(tip, next) {
       self._tip = tip;
-      self._originalTip = Object.assign(self._tip, {});
+      if (self._tip.height === 0) {
+        self._headers.set(self.GENESIS_HASH, {
+          hash: self.GENESIS_HASH,
+          height: 0,
+          chainwork: HeaderService.STARTING_CHAINWORK,
+          version: 1,
+          prevHash: new Array(65).join('0'),
+          timestamp: 1231006505,
+          nonce: 2083236893,
+          bits: 0x1d00ffff,
+          merkleRoot: '4a5e1e4baab89f3a32518a88c31bc87f618f76673e2cc77ab2127b7afdeda33b'
+        });
+      }
+      self._originalTip = {
+        height: self._tip.height,
+        hash: self._tip.hash
+      };
       next();
     },
     function(next) {
@@ -121,12 +139,14 @@ HeaderService.prototype._startSubscriptions = function() {
   }
 
   this._subscribed = true;
+
   if (!this._bus) {
     this._bus = this.node.openBus({remoteAddress: 'localhost-header'});
   }
 
   this._bus.on('p2p/headers', this._onHeaders.bind(this));
   this._bus.on('p2p/block', this._onBlock.bind(this));
+
   this._bus.subscribe('p2p/headers');
   this._bus.subscribe('p2p/block');
 
@@ -215,7 +235,30 @@ HeaderService.prototype._onHeaders = function(headers, convert) {
   });
 
   self._db._store.batch(dbOps, function() {
-    self._sync();
+
+    if (self._tip.height < self._bestHeight) {
+      self._sync();
+      return;
+    }
+
+    log.debug('Header Service: download complete.');
+
+    // have we reorg'ed since we've been shutdown?
+    if (self._originalTip.height > 0) {
+
+      var headerHash = self._headers.getIndex(self._originalTip.height).hash;
+      console.log(headerHash, self._originalTip, self._tip, self._headers.getIndex(0));
+
+      if (self._originalTip.hash !== headerHash) {
+
+        self.emit('reorg', headerHash, self._headers);
+        return;
+
+      }
+    }
+
+
+    self.emit('headers', self._headers);
   });
 
 };
@@ -251,29 +294,12 @@ HeaderService.prototype._startSync = function() {
 HeaderService.prototype._sync = function() {
 
 
-  if (this._tip.height < this._bestHeight) {
 
     log.debug('Header Service: download progress: ' + this._tip.height + '/' +
-      this._numNeeded + '  (' + (this._tip.height / this._numNeeded*100).toFixed(2) + '%)');
+      this._bestHeight + '  (' + (this._tip.height / this._bestHeight*100).toFixed(2) + '%)');
 
     this._p2p.getHeaders({ startHash: this._tip.hash });
 
-    return;
-  }
-
-  log.debug('Header Service: download complete.');
-
-  // have we reorg'ed since we've been shutdown?
-  var headerHash = this._headers.getIndex(this._originalTip.height).hash;
-
-  if (this._originalTip.hash !== headerHash) {
-
-    this.emit('reorg', headerHash, this._headers);
-    return;
-
-  }
-
-  this.emit('headers', this._headers);
 
 };