diff --git a/uspv/eight333.go b/uspv/eight333.go
index 2677c86de..41a83f690 100644
--- a/uspv/eight333.go
+++ b/uspv/eight333.go
@@ -111,6 +111,9 @@ func OpenSPV(remoteNode string, hfn string,
 	log.Printf("remote reports version %x (dec %d)\n",
 		mv.ProtocolVersion, mv.ProtocolVersion)
 
+	// set remote height
+	s.remoteHeight = mv.LastBlock
+
 	mva := wire.NewMsgVerAck()
 	n, err = wire.WriteMessageN(s.con, mva, s.localVersion, s.param.Net)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -118,9 +121,9 @@ func OpenSPV(remoteNode string, hfn string,
 	}
 	s.WBytes += uint64(n)
 
-	s.inMsgQueue = make(chan wire.Message)
+	s.inMsgQueue = make(chan wire.Message, 1)
 	go s.incomingMessageHandler()
-	s.outMsgQueue = make(chan wire.Message)
+	s.outMsgQueue = make(chan wire.Message, 1)
 	go s.outgoingMessageHandler()
 	s.mBlockQueue = make(chan RootAndHeight, 32) // queue depth 32 is a thing
 
@@ -353,11 +356,11 @@ func (s *SPVCon) IngestHeaders(m *wire.MsgHeaders) (bool, error) {
 // look them up from the disk.
 type RootAndHeight struct {
 	root   wire.ShaHash
-	height uint32
+	height int32
 }
 
 // NewRootAndHeight saves like 2 lines.
-func NewRootAndHeight(r wire.ShaHash, h uint32) (rah RootAndHeight) {
+func NewRootAndHeight(r wire.ShaHash, h int32) (rah RootAndHeight) {
 	rah.root = r
 	rah.height = h
 	return
@@ -366,8 +369,17 @@ func NewRootAndHeight(r wire.ShaHash, h uint32) (rah RootAndHeight) {
 // AskForMerkBlocks requests blocks from current to last
 // right now this asks for 1 block per getData message.
 // Maybe it's faster to ask for many in a each message?
-func (s *SPVCon) AskForMerkBlocks(current, last uint32) error {
+func (s *SPVCon) AskForMerkBlocks(current, last int32) error {
 	var hdr wire.BlockHeader
+	// if last is 0, that means go as far as we can
+	if last == 0 {
+		n, err := s.headerFile.Seek(-80, os.SEEK_END)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		last = int32(n / 80)
+	}
+
 	_, err := s.headerFile.Seek(int64(current*80), os.SEEK_SET)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/uspv/txstore.go b/uspv/txstore.go
index a71ce36c3..a0332ee5b 100644
--- a/uspv/txstore.go
+++ b/uspv/txstore.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 type TxStore struct {
-	OKTxids map[wire.ShaHash]uint32 // known good txids and their heights
+	OKTxids map[wire.ShaHash]int32 // known good txids and their heights
 
 	Utxos   []Utxo   // stacks on stacks
 	Sum     int64    // racks on racks
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ type TxStore struct {
 
 type Utxo struct { // cash money.
 	// combo of outpoint and txout which has all the info needed to spend
-	AtHeight uint32        // block height where this tx was confirmed, 0 for unconf
+	AtHeight int32         // block height where this tx was confirmed, 0 for unconf
 	KeyIdx   uint32        // index for private key needed to sign / spend
 	Op       wire.OutPoint // where
 	Txo      wire.TxOut    // what
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ type MyAdr struct { // an address I have the private key for
 
 func NewTxStore() TxStore {
 	var txs TxStore
-	txs.OKTxids = make(map[wire.ShaHash]uint32)
+	txs.OKTxids = make(map[wire.ShaHash]int32)
 	return txs
 }
 
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func (t *TxStore) AddAdr(a btcutil.Address, kidx uint32) {
 }
 
 // add txid of interest
-func (t *TxStore) AddTxid(txid *wire.ShaHash, height uint32) error {
+func (t *TxStore) AddTxid(txid *wire.ShaHash, height int32) error {
 	if txid == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("tried to add nil txid")
 	}
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func (t *TxStore) IngestTx(tx *wire.MsgTx) error {
 }
 
 // Absorb money into wallet from a tx
-func (t *TxStore) AbsorbTx(tx *wire.MsgTx, height uint32) error {
+func (t *TxStore) AbsorbTx(tx *wire.MsgTx, height int32) error {
 	if tx == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Tried to add nil tx")
 	}
diff --git a/uspv/utxodb.go b/uspv/utxodb.go
index ee787b80b..abfb2f94b 100644
--- a/uspv/utxodb.go
+++ b/uspv/utxodb.go
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ func (u *Utxo) SaveToDB(dbx *bolt.DB) error {
 }
 
 func (ts *TxStore) LoadUtxos() error {
-	var kc, vc []byte
 
 	err := ts.StateDB.View(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
 		duf := tx.Bucket(BKTUtxos)
@@ -42,11 +41,12 @@ func (ts *TxStore) LoadUtxos() error {
 		duf.ForEach(func(k, v []byte) error {
 			// have to copy these here, otherwise append will crash it.
 			// not quite sure why but append does weird stuff I guess.
-			copy(kc, k)
-			copy(vc, v)
-			if spent.Get(kc) == nil { // if it's not in the spent bucket
+			if spent.Get(k) == nil { // if it's not in the spent bucket
 				// create a new utxo
-				newU, err := UtxoFromBytes(append(kc, vc...))
+				x := make([]byte, len(k)+len(v))
+				copy(x, k)
+				copy(x[len(k):], v)
+				newU, err := UtxoFromBytes(x)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}