diff --git a/uspv/eight333.go b/uspv/eight333.go
index 247d28153..d7fedbb37 100644
--- a/uspv/eight333.go
+++ b/uspv/eight333.go
@@ -394,21 +394,7 @@ func (s *SPVCon) IngestHeaders(m *wire.MsgHeaders) (bool, error) {
 		}
 	}
 	log.Printf("Headers to height %d OK.", tip)
-	// if we got post DB syncheight headers, get merkleblocks for them
-	// this is always true except for first pre-birthday sync
 
-	syncTip, err := s.TS.GetDBSyncHeight()
-	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
-	}
-
-	if syncTip < tip {
-		fmt.Printf("syncTip %d headerTip %d\n", syncTip, tip)
-		err = s.AskForMerkBlocks(syncTip, tip)
-		if err != nil {
-			return false, err
-		}
-	}
 	return true, nil
 }
 
@@ -492,7 +478,7 @@ func (s *SPVCon) AskForMerkBlocks(current, last int32) error {
 	s.SendFilter(filt)
 	fmt.Printf("sent filter %x\n", filt.MsgFilterLoad().Filter)
 
-	_, err = s.headerFile.Seek(int64(current*80), os.SEEK_SET)
+	_, err = s.headerFile.Seek(int64((current-1)*80), os.SEEK_SET)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -501,6 +487,7 @@ func (s *SPVCon) AskForMerkBlocks(current, last int32) error {
 		// load header from file
 		err = hdr.Deserialize(s.headerFile)
 		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("Deserialize err\n")
 			return err
 		}
 
@@ -518,10 +505,8 @@ func (s *SPVCon) AskForMerkBlocks(current, last int32) error {
 		s.mBlockQueue <- hah // push height and mroot of requested block on queue
 		current++
 	}
-	fmt.Printf("mblock reqs done, more headers\n")
-
 	// done syncing blocks known in header file, ask for new headers we missed
-	s.AskForHeaders()
-
+	//	s.AskForHeaders()
+	// don't need this -- will sync to end regardless
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/uspv/msghandler.go b/uspv/msghandler.go
index 88b6f4b1e..b0ccf99bd 100644
--- a/uspv/msghandler.go
+++ b/uspv/msghandler.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package uspv
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"os"
 
 	"github.com/btcsuite/btcd/wire"
 )
@@ -106,9 +107,33 @@ func (s *SPVCon) HeaderHandler(m *wire.MsgHeaders) {
 		log.Printf("Header error: %s\n", err.Error())
 		return
 	}
+	// if we got post DB syncheight headers, get merkleblocks for them
+	// this is always true except for first pre-birthday sync
+	syncTip, err := s.TS.GetDBSyncHeight()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("Header error: %s", err.Error())
+		return
+	}
+	endPos, err := s.headerFile.Seek(0, os.SEEK_END)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("Header error: %s", err.Error())
+		return
+	}
+	tip := int32(endPos/80) - 1 // move back 1 header length to read
+
+	// checked header lenght, start req for more if needed
 	if moar {
 		s.AskForHeaders()
 	}
+
+	if syncTip < tip {
+		fmt.Printf("syncTip %d headerTip %d\n", syncTip, tip)
+		err = s.AskForMerkBlocks(syncTip, tip)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("AskForMerkBlocks error: %s", err.Error())
+			return
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 func (s *SPVCon) TxHandler(m *wire.MsgTx) {
@@ -120,6 +145,9 @@ func (s *SPVCon) TxHandler(m *wire.MsgTx) {
 		log.Printf("tx %s had no hits, filter false positive.",
 			m.TxSha().String())
 		s.fPositives <- 1 // add one false positive to chan
+	} else {
+		log.Printf("tx %s ingested and matches utxo/adrs.",
+			m.TxSha().String())
 	}
 }
 
@@ -135,7 +163,10 @@ func (s *SPVCon) InvHandler(m *wire.MsgInv) {
 		if thing.Type == wire.InvTypeBlock { // new block, ingest
 			if len(s.mBlockQueue) == 0 {
 				// don't ask directly; instead ask for header
-				s.AskForHeaders()
+				fmt.Printf("asking for headers due to inv block\n")
+				//				s.AskForHeaders()
+			} else {
+				fmt.Printf("inv block but ignoring, not synched\n")
 			}
 		}
 	}