diff --git a/lib/services/header/index.js b/lib/services/header/index.js
index ee36840b..416337c6 100644
--- a/lib/services/header/index.js
+++ b/lib/services/header/index.js
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ HeaderService.prototype._queueBlock = function(block) {
       return self._handleError(err);
     }
 
-    log.info('Header Service: completed processing block: ' + block.rhash() + ' prev hash: ' + bcoin.util.revHex(block.prevBlock));
+    log.debug('Header Service: completed processing block: ' + block.rhash() + ' prev hash: ' + bcoin.util.revHex(block.prevBlock));
 
   });
 
@@ -289,18 +289,30 @@ HeaderService.prototype._processBlocks = function(block, callback) {
 
 };
 
+HeaderService.prototype._findCommonAncestor = function(block, callback) {
+  var self = this;
+  self.getBlockHeader(bcoin.util.revHex(block.prevBlock), function(err, header) {
+    if (err) {
+      return callback(err);
+    }
+    callback(null, header);
+  });
+};
+
 HeaderService.prototype._persistHeader = function(block, callback) {
 
   var self = this;
 
-  self._detectReorg(block, function(err, commonHeader) {
+  if (!self._detectReorg(block)) {
+    return self._syncBlock(block, callback);
+  }
 
-    if (err) {
-      return callback(err);
-    }
+  self._findCommonAncestor(block, function(err, commonHeader) {
 
-    if (!commonHeader) {
-      return self._syncBlock(block, callback);
+    if (err || !commonHeader) {
+      return callback(err ||
+        new Error('Header Service: a common header could not be found between the new block: ' +
+          block.rhash() + ' and the current tip: ' + self._tip.hash));
     }
 
     self._handleReorg(block, commonHeader, function(err) {
@@ -310,6 +322,7 @@ HeaderService.prototype._persistHeader = function(block, callback) {
       }
 
       self._syncBlock(block, callback);
+
     });
 
   });
@@ -335,7 +348,6 @@ HeaderService.prototype._syncBlock = function(block, callback) {
 
   var dbOps = self._getDBOpForLastHeader(header);
   dbOps = dbOps.concat(self._onHeader(header));
-  console.log(dbOps);
   self._saveHeaders(dbOps, callback);
 };
 
@@ -579,35 +591,8 @@ HeaderService.prototype._getHeader = function(height, hash, callback) {
 
 };
 
-HeaderService.prototype._detectReorg = function(block, callback) {
-
-  var self = this;
-
-  var prevHash = bcoin.util.revHex(block.prevBlock);
-  var nextBlock = prevHash === self._lastHeader.hash;
-
-  // common case
-  if (nextBlock) {
-    return callback(null, false);
-  }
-
-  self.getBlockHeader(prevHash, function(err, header) {
-
-    if (err) {
-      return callback(err);
-    }
-
-    if (header) {
-      return callback(null, header);
-    }
-
-    // this should be very rare
-    log.warn('Header Service: Block: ' + block.rhash() + ' references: ' + prevHash +
-      ' as its previous block, yet we have not stored this block in our data set, thus ignoring this block.');
-    callback(null, false);
-
-  });
-
+HeaderService.prototype._detectReorg = function(block) {
+  return bcoin.util.revHex(block.prevBlock) !== this._lastHeader.hash;
 };
 
 HeaderService.prototype._handleReorg = function(block, commonHeader, callback) {