diff --git a/zebrad/src/components/sync.rs b/zebrad/src/components/sync.rs
index 70965575f..4850d32e0 100644
--- a/zebrad/src/components/sync.rs
+++ b/zebrad/src/components/sync.rs
@@ -544,10 +544,7 @@ where
     async fn request_blocks(&mut self, hashes: HashSet<block::Hash>) -> Result<(), Report> {
         tracing::debug!(hashes.len = hashes.len(), "requesting blocks");
         for hash in hashes.into_iter() {
-            self.downloads
-                .download_and_verify(hash)
-                .await
-                .map_err(|e| eyre!(e))?;
+            self.downloads.download_and_verify(hash).await?;
         }
 
         Ok(())
diff --git a/zebrad/src/components/sync/downloads.rs b/zebrad/src/components/sync/downloads.rs
index fe5b983cb..9bda7744e 100644
--- a/zebrad/src/components/sync/downloads.rs
+++ b/zebrad/src/components/sync/downloads.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ use std::{
     task::{Context, Poll},
 };
 
+use color_eyre::eyre::{eyre, Report};
 use futures::{
     future::TryFutureExt,
     ready,
@@ -110,10 +111,9 @@ where
     /// only if the network service fails. It returns immediately after queuing
     /// the request.
     #[instrument(skip(self))]
-    pub async fn download_and_verify(&mut self, hash: block::Hash) -> Result<(), BoxError> {
+    pub async fn download_and_verify(&mut self, hash: block::Hash) -> Result<(), Report> {
         if self.cancel_handles.contains_key(&hash) {
-            tracing::debug!("skipping hash already queued for download");
-            return Ok(());
+            return Err(eyre!("duplicate hash queued for download"));
         }
 
         // We construct the block requests sequentially, waiting for the peer
@@ -127,7 +127,8 @@ where
         let block_req = self
             .network
             .ready_and()
-            .await?
+            .await
+            .map_err(|e| eyre!(e))?
             .call(zn::Request::BlocksByHash(std::iter::once(hash).collect()));
         tracing::debug!("requested block");