diff --git a/lib/scaffold/start.js b/lib/scaffold/start.js
index 7a187541..2b78b36e 100644
--- a/lib/scaffold/start.js
+++ b/lib/scaffold/start.js
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ var log = index.log;
 var shuttingDown = false;
 var fs = require('fs');
 
-
 function start(options) {
 
   var fullConfig = _.clone(options.config);
diff --git a/lib/services/block/index.js b/lib/services/block/index.js
index b174aabf..d147cbf9 100644
--- a/lib/services/block/index.js
+++ b/lib/services/block/index.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ var BlockService = function(options) {
   this._subscriptions.block = [];
   this._subscriptions.reorg = [];
 
+  this._unprocessedBlocks = [];
   // in-memory full/raw block cache
   this._blockQueue = LRU({
     max: 50 * (1 * 1024 * 1024), // 50 MB of blocks,
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ inherits(BlockService, BaseService);
 
 BlockService.dependencies = [ 'p2p', 'db', 'header' ];
 
-BlockService.MAX_BLOCKS = 10;
+BlockService.MAX_BLOCKS = 1;
 
 // --- public prototype functions
 BlockService.prototype.getAPIMethods = function() {
@@ -201,24 +202,6 @@ BlockService.prototype._primeBlockQueue = function(callback) {
   }, callback);
 };
 
-// upon startup, has the chain reorg'ed from where we were when we shutdown?
-BlockService.prototype._detectInitialChainState = function(headers) {
-
-  if (this._tip.height === 0) {
-    return;
-  }
-
-  var index = this._tip.height - 1;
-  var record = headers.getIndex(index);
-
-  if (record.hash !== this._tip.hash) {
-    // reorg! we don't yet have the blocks to reorg to, so we'll rewind the chain back to
-    // to common ancestor, set the tip to the common ancestor and start the sync
-    this._chainTips.push(record.hash);
-    this._handleReorg(record.hash);
-  }
-};
-
 BlockService.prototype.stop = function(callback) {
   setImmediate(callback);
 };
@@ -542,27 +525,83 @@ BlockService.prototype._isOutOfOrder = function(block) {
 
 BlockService.prototype._onAllHeaders = function(headers) {
   this._bestHeight = headers.size;
-  this._detectInitialChainState(headers);
   this._startSync();
 };
 
+
+BlockService.prototype._processBlock = function() {
+  var operations = [];
+  var services = this.node.services;
+  var block = this._unprocessedBlocks.shift();
+  var self = this;
+  async.eachSeries(
+    services,
+    function(mod, next) {
+      if(mod.onBlock) {
+        mod.onBlock.call(mod, block, function(err, ops) {
+          if (err) {
+            return next(err);
+          }
+          if (ops) {
+            operations = operations.concat(ops);
+          }
+          next();
+        });
+      } else {
+        setImmediate(next);
+      }
+    },
+    function(err) {
+
+      if (err) {
+        log.error(err);
+        self.node.stop();
+        return;
+      }
+
+      self._tip.height++;
+      self._tip.hash = block.rhash();
+      var tipOps = utils.encodeTip(self._tip, self.name);
+
+      operations.push({
+        type: 'put',
+        key: tipOps.key,
+        value: tipOps.value
+      });
+
+      self._db._store.batch(operations, function(err) {
+
+        if (err) {
+          log.error(err);
+          self.node.stop();
+          return;
+        }
+        self._sync();
+      });
+    }
+  );
+};
+
 BlockService.prototype._onBlock = function(block) {
 
+  this._unprocessedBlocks.push(block);
+  this._processBlock();
+  return;
   // 1. have we already seen this block?
-  if (this._blockAlreadyProcessed(block)) {
-    return;
-  }
+  //if (this._blockAlreadyProcessed(block)) {
+  //  return;
+  //}
 
   // 2. log the reception
-  log.debug('New block received: ' + block.rhash());
+  //log.debug('New block received: ' + block.rhash());
 
   // 3. store the block for safe keeping
-  this._cacheBlock(block);
+  //this._cacheBlock(block);
 
   // 4. don't process any more blocks if we are currently in a reorg
-  if (this._reorging) {
-    return;
-  }
+  //if (this._reorging) {
+  //  return;
+  //}
   // 5. determine block state, reorg, outoforder, normal
   var blockState = this._determineBlockState(block);
 
@@ -575,12 +614,14 @@ BlockService.prototype._onBlock = function(block) {
       // nothing to do, but wait until ancestor blocks come in
       break;
     case 'reorg':
-      this._handleReorg(block.hash);
-      break;
+      //this._handleReorg(block.hash);
+      //break;
     default:
       // send all unsent blocks now that we have a complete chain
-
-      this._sendDelta();
+      this._unprocessedBlocks.push(block);
+      this._processBlock();
+  return;
+      //this._sendDelta();
       break;
   }
 };
@@ -614,6 +655,7 @@ BlockService.prototype._selectActiveChain = function() {
 
 BlockService.prototype._sendDelta = function() {
 
+
   // when this function is called, we know, for sure, that we have a complete chain of unsent block(s).
   // our task is to send all blocks between active chain's tip and our tip.
   var activeChainTip = this._selectActiveChain();
@@ -665,13 +707,12 @@ BlockService.prototype._startSync = function() {
     return;
   }
 
-  log.info('Gathering: ' + this._numNeeded + ' ' + 'block(s) from the peer-to-peer network.');
+  log.info('Gathering: ' + this._numNeeded + ' block(s) from the peer-to-peer network.');
 
   this._sync();
 };
 
 BlockService.prototype._startSubscriptions = function() {
-
   if (this._subscribed) {
     return;
   }
@@ -681,8 +722,8 @@ BlockService.prototype._startSubscriptions = function() {
     this._bus = this.node.openBus({remoteAddress: 'localhost-block'});
   }
 
-  this._bus.on('p2p/block', this._onBlock.bind(this));
-  this._bus.subscribe('p2p/block');
+  this._bus.on('header/block', this._onBlock.bind(this));
+  this._bus.subscribe('header/block');
 };
 
 BlockService.prototype._sync = function() {
@@ -693,9 +734,10 @@ BlockService.prototype._sync = function() {
   if (this._tip.height < size) {
 
     log.info('Blocks download progress: ' + this._tip.height + '/' +
-      this._numNeeded + '  (' + (this._tip.height / this._numNeeded*100).toFixed(2) + '%)');
+      this._numNeeded + '  (' + (this._tip.height / this._bestHeight*100).toFixed(2) + '%)');
 
-    var endHash = headers.getIndex( Math.min(this._tip.height + BlockService.MAX_BLOCKS, size) ).hash;
+    var end = headers.getIndex(Math.min(this._tip.height + BlockService.MAX_BLOCKS, size));
+    var endHash = end ? end.hash : null;
 
     this._p2p.getBlocks({ startHash: this._tip.hash, endHash: endHash });
     return;
diff --git a/lib/services/header/index.js b/lib/services/header/index.js
index 8b16505c..51467ab9 100644
--- a/lib/services/header/index.js
+++ b/lib/services/header/index.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ var utils = require('../../utils');
 var async = require('async');
 var BN = require('bn.js');
 var consensus = require('bcoin').consensus;
+var assert = require('assert');
 
 var HeaderService = function(options) {
 
@@ -19,6 +20,9 @@ var HeaderService = function(options) {
   this._db = this.node.services.db;
   this._checkpoint = options.checkpoint || 0; // the # of header to look back on boot
   this._headers = new utils.SimpleMap();
+
+  this.subscriptions = {};
+  this.subscriptions.block = [];
 };
 
 inherits(HeaderService, BaseService);
@@ -29,6 +33,26 @@ HeaderService.MAX_CHAINWORK = new BN(1).ushln(256);
 HeaderService.STARTING_CHAINWORK = '0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000100010001';
 
 // --- public prototype functions
+HeaderService.prototype.subscribe = function(name, emitter) {
+
+console.log(this.subscriptions, name);
+  this.subscriptions[name].push(emitter);
+  log.info(emitter.remoteAddress, 'subscribe:', 'header/' + name, 'total:', this.subscriptions[name].length);
+
+};
+
+HeaderService.prototype.unsubscribe = function(name, emitter) {
+
+  var index = this.subscriptions[name].indexOf(emitter);
+
+  if (index > -1) {
+    this.subscriptions[name].splice(index, 1);
+  }
+
+  log.info(emitter.remoteAddress, 'unsubscribe:', 'header/' + name, 'total:', this.subscriptions[name].length);
+
+};
+
 HeaderService.prototype.getAPIMethods = function() {
 
   var methods = [
@@ -110,10 +134,32 @@ HeaderService.prototype._startSubscriptions = function() {
 
 };
 
+HeaderService.prototype.getPublishEvents = function() {
+
+  return [
+    {
+      name: 'header/block',
+      scope: this,
+      subscribe: this.subscribe.bind(this, 'header'),
+      unsubscribe: this.unsubscribe.bind(this, 'header')
+    }
+  ];
+
+};
+
 HeaderService.prototype._onBlock = function(block) {
   // we just want the header to keep a running list
-  log.debug('Header Service: new block: ' + block.rhash());
+  var hash = block.rhash();
 
+  log.debug('Header Service: new block: ' + hash);
+
+  if (this._headers.get(hash)) {
+    for (var i = 0; i < this.subscriptions.length; i++) {
+      this.subscriptions[i].emit('header/block', block);
+    }
+    return;
+  }
+  log.debug('Header Service: new block has arrived: ' + hash);
   var header = block.toHeaders().toJSON();
   header.timestamp = header.ts;
   header.prevHash = header.prevBlock;
@@ -122,6 +168,7 @@ HeaderService.prototype._onBlock = function(block) {
 
 HeaderService.prototype._onHeaders = function(headers, convert) {
 
+  var self = this;
   if (!headers || headers.length < 1) {
     return;
   }
@@ -136,28 +183,36 @@ HeaderService.prototype._onHeaders = function(headers, convert) {
     });
   }
 
-  var runningHeight = this._tip.height;
-  var prevHeader = this._headers.getLastIndex();
+  var runningHeight = self._tip.height;
+  var prevHeader = self._headers.getLastIndex();
 
   var dbOps = [];
   for(var i = 0; i < headers.length; i++) {
     var header = headers[i];
     header.height = ++runningHeight;
-    header.chainwork = this._getChainwork(header, prevHeader).toString(16, 32);
+    header.chainwork = self._getChainwork(header, prevHeader).toString(16, 32);
     dbOps.push({
       type: 'put',
-      key: this._encoding.encodeHeaderKey(header.hash),
-      value: this._encoding.encodeHeaderValue(header)
+      key: self._encoding.encodeHeaderKey(header.height, header.hash),
+      value: self._encoding.encodeHeaderValue(header)
     });
     prevHeader = header;
-    this._headers.set(header.hash, header);
+    self._headers.set(header.hash, header);
   }
 
-  this._startingHash = this._tip.hash = newHeaders[newHeaders.length - 1].hash;
-  this._tip.height = this._tip.height + newHeaders.length;
+  self._startingHash = self._tip.hash = newHeaders[newHeaders.length - 1].hash;
+  self._tip.height = self._tip.height + newHeaders.length;
 
-  this._db.batch(dbOps);
-  this._sync();
+  var tipOps = utils.encodeTip(self._tip, self.name);
+  dbOps.push({
+    type: 'put',
+    key: tipOps.key,
+    value: tipOps.value
+  });
+
+  self._db._store.batch(dbOps, function() {
+    self._sync();
+  });
 
 };
 
@@ -168,6 +223,7 @@ HeaderService.prototype._setListeners = function() {
 };
 
 HeaderService.prototype._onBestHeight = function(height) {
+  assert(height >= this._tip.height, 'Our peer does not seem to be fully synced.');
   log.debug('Header Service: Best Height is: ' + height);
   this._bestHeight = height;
   this._startSync();
diff --git a/lib/services/mempool/index.js b/lib/services/mempool/index.js
index 9aa6d180..795266de 100644
--- a/lib/services/mempool/index.js
+++ b/lib/services/mempool/index.js
@@ -42,17 +42,17 @@ MempoolService.prototype._startSubscriptions = function() {
 
   this._subscribed = true;
   if (!this._bus) {
-    this._bus = this.node.openBus({remoteAddress: 'localhost'});
+    this._bus = this.node.openBus({remoteAddress: 'localhost-mempool'});
   }
 
-  this._bus.on('p2p/block', this._onBlock.bind(this));
+  //this._bus.on('p2p/block', this._onBlock.bind(this));
   this._bus.on('p2p/transaction', this._onTransaction.bind(this));
 
-  this._bus.subscribe('p2p/block');
+  //this._bus.subscribe('p2p/block');
   this._bus.subscribe('p2p/transaction');
 };
 
-MempoolService.prototype._onBlock = function(block) {
+MempoolService.prototype.onBlock = function(block, callback) {
   // remove this block's txs from mempool
   var self = this;
   var ops = block.txs.map(function(tx) {
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ MempoolService.prototype._onBlock = function(block) {
       key: self._encoding.encodeMempoolTransactionKey(tx.txid())
     };
   });
-  self._db.batch(ops);
+  setImmediate(callback);
 };
 
 MempoolService.prototype._onTransaction = function(tx) {