diff --git a/lib/scaffold/start.js b/lib/scaffold/start.js
index e1a4acf9..c4a2d981 100644
--- a/lib/scaffold/start.js
+++ b/lib/scaffold/start.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ var path = require('path');
 var BitcoreNode = require('../node');
 var index = require('../');
 var bitcore = require('bitcore-lib');
+var fs = require('fs');
 var _ = bitcore.deps._;
 var log = index.log;
 var shuttingDown = false;
@@ -135,17 +136,22 @@ function checkService(service) {
 function loadModule(req, service) {
   try {
     // first try in the built-in bitcore-node services directory
-    service.module = req(path.resolve(__dirname, '../services/' + service.name));
-  } catch(e) {
-    console.log(e);
-
-    // check if the package.json specifies a specific file to use
-    var servicePackage = req(service.name + '/package.json');
-    var serviceModule = service.name;
-    if (servicePackage.bitcoreNode) {
-      serviceModule = service.name + '/' + servicePackage.bitcoreNode;
+    var serviceFile = path.resolve(__dirname, '../services/' + service.name);
+    if (fs.existsSync(serviceFile + '.js')) {
+      // if the file exists, we can require it, then if there is a problem, catch and display the error
+      service.module = req(serviceFile);
+    } else {
+      // check if the package.json specifies a specific file to use
+      var servicePackage = req(service.name + '/package.json');
+      var serviceModule = service.name;
+      if (servicePackage.bitcoreNode) {
+        serviceModule = service.name + '/' + servicePackage.bitcoreNode;
+      }
+      service.module = req(serviceModule);
     }
-    service.module = req(serviceModule);
+  } catch(e) {
+    log.error(e.stack);
+    process.exit(-1);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/services/bitcoind.js b/lib/services/bitcoind.js
index f505d736..18fdf846 100644
--- a/lib/services/bitcoind.js
+++ b/lib/services/bitcoind.js
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ Bitcoin.DEFAULT_TRY_ALL_INTERVAL = 1000;
 Bitcoin.DEFAULT_REINDEX_INTERVAL = 10000;
 Bitcoin.DEFAULT_START_RETRY_INTERVAL = 5000;
 Bitcoin.DEFAULT_TIP_UPDATE_INTERVAL = 15000;
+Bitcoin.DEFAULT_ZMQ_DELAY_WARNING_MULTIPLIER = 5;
 Bitcoin.DEFAULT_TRANSACTION_CONCURRENCY = 5;
 Bitcoin.DEFAULT_CONFIG_SETTINGS = {
   server: 1,
@@ -114,6 +115,10 @@ Bitcoin.prototype._initDefaults = function(options) {
 
   // sync progress level when zmq subscribes to events
   this.zmqSubscribeProgress = options.zmqSubscribeProgress || Bitcoin.DEFAULT_ZMQ_SUBSCRIBE_PROGRESS;
+
+  // set the zmq delay warning multiplier
+  this.zmqDelayWarningMultiplier = options.zmqDelayWarningMultiplier || Bitcoin.DEFAULT_ZMQ_DELAY_WARNING_MULTIPLIER;
+  this.zmqDelayWarningMultiplierCouunt = 0;
 };
 
 Bitcoin.prototype._initCaches = function() {
@@ -726,7 +731,10 @@ Bitcoin.prototype._initZmqSubSocket = function(node, zmqUrl) {
   });
 
   node.zmqSubSocket.on('connect_delay', function(fd, endPoint) {
-    log.warn('ZMQ connection delay:', endPoint);
+    if (this.zmqDelayWarningMultiplierCouunt++ >= this.zmqDelayWarningMultiplier) {
+      log.warn('ZMQ connection delay:', endPoint);
+      this.zmqDelayWarningMultiplierCouunt = 0;
+    }
   });
 
   node.zmqSubSocket.on('disconnect', function(fd, endPoint) {
@@ -740,7 +748,8 @@ Bitcoin.prototype._initZmqSubSocket = function(node, zmqUrl) {
     }, 5000);
   });
 
-  node.zmqSubSocket.monitor(500, 0);
+  //monitors are polling and not event-driven
+  node.zmqSubSocket.monitor(100, 0);
   node.zmqSubSocket.connect(zmqUrl);
 };
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index c671afdb..268ce45c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
     "leveldown": "bitpay/leveldown#bitpay-1.4.4",
     "levelup": "^1.3.1",
     "liftoff": "^2.2.0",
+    "lmdb": "rvagg/lmdb#5ad819f77714925248dfecb0ba2174080dba949f",
     "lru-cache": "^4.0.1",
     "memdown": "^1.0.0",
     "mkdirp": "0.5.0",