diff --git a/validator/src/main.rs b/validator/src/main.rs
index 01e051158..1da96609b 100644
--- a/validator/src/main.rs
+++ b/validator/src/main.rs
@@ -80,39 +80,25 @@ fn new_spinner_progress_bar() -> ProgressBar {
     progress_bar
 }
 
-fn download_tar_bz2(
-    rpc_addr: &SocketAddr,
-    archive_name: &str,
-    download_path: &Path,
-    is_snapshot: bool,
-) -> Result<(), String> {
-    let archive_path = download_path.join(archive_name);
-    if archive_path.is_file() {
-        return Ok(());
+fn download_file(url: &str, destination_file: &Path, not_found_ok: bool) -> Result<(), String> {
+    if destination_file.is_file() {
+        return Err(format!("{:?} already exists", destination_file));
     }
-    fs::create_dir_all(download_path).map_err(|err| err.to_string())?;
-
-    let temp_archive_path = {
-        let mut p = archive_path.clone();
-        p.set_extension(".tmp");
-        p
-    };
-
-    let url = format!("http://{}/{}", rpc_addr, archive_name);
     let download_start = Instant::now();
 
+    fs::create_dir_all(destination_file.parent().unwrap()).map_err(|err| err.to_string())?;
+
+    let temp_destination_file = destination_file.with_extension(".tmp");
+
     let progress_bar = new_spinner_progress_bar();
     progress_bar.set_message(&format!("{}Downloading {}...", TRUCK, url));
 
     let client = reqwest::blocking::Client::new();
-    let response = client
-        .get(url.as_str())
-        .send()
-        .map_err(|err| err.to_string())?;
+    let response = client.get(url).send().map_err(|err| err.to_string())?;
 
-    if is_snapshot && response.status() == reqwest::StatusCode::NOT_FOUND {
+    if response.status() == reqwest::StatusCode::NOT_FOUND && not_found_ok {
         progress_bar.finish_and_clear();
-        warn!("Snapshot not found at {}", url);
+        info!("Archive not found at {}", url);
         return Ok(());
     }
 
@@ -159,10 +145,10 @@ fn download_tar_bz2(
         response,
     };
 
-    let mut file = File::create(&temp_archive_path)
-        .map_err(|err| format!("Unable to create {:?}: {:?}", temp_archive_path, err))?;
+    let mut file = File::create(&temp_destination_file)
+        .map_err(|err| format!("Unable to create {:?}: {:?}", temp_destination_file, err))?;
     std::io::copy(&mut source, &mut file)
-        .map_err(|err| format!("Unable to write {:?}: {:?}", temp_archive_path, err))?;
+        .map_err(|err| format!("Unable to write {:?}: {:?}", temp_destination_file, err))?;
 
     source.progress_bar.finish_and_clear();
     info!(
@@ -176,28 +162,32 @@ fn download_tar_bz2(
         )
     );
 
-    if !is_snapshot {
-        info!("Extracting {:?}...", archive_path);
-        let extract_start = Instant::now();
-        let tar_bz2 = File::open(&temp_archive_path)
-            .map_err(|err| format!("Unable to open {}: {:?}", archive_name, err))?;
-        let tar = BzDecoder::new(std::io::BufReader::new(tar_bz2));
-        let mut archive = tar::Archive::new(tar);
-        archive
-            .unpack(download_path)
-            .map_err(|err| format!("Unable to unpack {}: {:?}", archive_name, err))?;
-        info!(
-            "Extracted {} in {:?}",
-            archive_name,
-            Instant::now().duration_since(extract_start)
-        );
-    }
-    std::fs::rename(temp_archive_path, archive_path)
+    std::fs::rename(temp_destination_file, destination_file)
         .map_err(|err| format!("Unable to rename: {:?}", err))?;
 
     Ok(())
 }
 
+fn extract_archive(archive_filename: &Path, destination_dir: &Path) -> Result<(), String> {
+    info!("Extracting {:?}...", archive_filename);
+    let extract_start = Instant::now();
+
+    fs::create_dir_all(destination_dir).map_err(|err| err.to_string())?;
+    let tar_bz2 = File::open(&archive_filename)
+        .map_err(|err| format!("Unable to open {:?}: {:?}", archive_filename, err))?;
+    let tar = BzDecoder::new(std::io::BufReader::new(tar_bz2));
+    let mut archive = tar::Archive::new(tar);
+    archive
+        .unpack(destination_dir)
+        .map_err(|err| format!("Unable to unpack {:?}: {:?}", archive_filename, err))?;
+    info!(
+        "Extracted {:?} in {:?}",
+        archive_filename,
+        Instant::now().duration_since(extract_start)
+    );
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 fn get_shred_rpc_peers(
     cluster_info: &Arc<RwLock<ClusterInfo>>,
     expected_shred_version: Option<u16>,
@@ -296,23 +286,22 @@ fn get_rpc_node(
             .collect();
         let rpc_peers_blacklisted = rpc_peers_total - rpc_peers.len();
 
-        if rpc_peers_blacklisted == rpc_peers_total {
-            // If all nodes are blacklisted and no additional nodes are discovered after 60 seconds,
-            // remove the blacklist and try them all again
-            if blacklist_timeout.elapsed().as_secs() > 60 {
-                info!("Node blacklist timeout expired");
-                blacklisted_rpc_nodes.clear();
-                continue;
-            }
-        } else {
-            blacklist_timeout = Instant::now();
-        }
-
         info!(
             "Total {} RPC nodes found. {} blacklisted ",
             rpc_peers_total, rpc_peers_blacklisted
         );
 
+        if rpc_peers_blacklisted == rpc_peers_total {
+            // If all nodes are blacklisted and no additional nodes are discovered after 60 seconds,
+            // remove the blacklist and try them all again
+            if blacklist_timeout.elapsed().as_secs() > 60 {
+                info!("Blacklist timeout expired");
+                blacklisted_rpc_nodes.clear();
+            }
+            continue;
+        }
+        blacklist_timeout = Instant::now();
+
         let mut highest_snapshot_hash: Option<(Slot, Hash)> = None;
         let eligible_rpc_peers = if snapshot_not_required {
             rpc_peers
@@ -358,8 +347,14 @@ fn get_rpc_node(
                 }
                 Some(highest_snapshot_hash) => {
                     info!(
-                        "Highest available snapshot slot is {}, available from {:?}",
+                        "Highest available snapshot slot is {}, available from {} node{}: {:?}",
                         highest_snapshot_hash.0,
+                        eligible_rpc_peers.len(),
+                        if eligible_rpc_peers.len() > 1 {
+                            "s"
+                        } else {
+                            ""
+                        },
                         eligible_rpc_peers
                             .iter()
                             .map(|contact_info| contact_info.id)
@@ -452,38 +447,49 @@ fn check_vote_account(
 
 fn download_genesis(
     rpc_addr: &SocketAddr,
-    rpc_client: &RpcClient,
     ledger_path: &Path,
     validator_config: &mut ValidatorConfig,
 ) -> Result<(), String> {
-    let genesis_hash = rpc_client
-        .get_genesis_hash()
-        .map_err(|err| format!("Failed to get genesis hash: {}", err))?;
+    let genesis_package = ledger_path.join("genesis.tar.bz2");
 
-    if let Some(expected_genesis_hash) = validator_config.expected_genesis_hash {
-        if expected_genesis_hash != genesis_hash {
-            return Err(format!(
-                "Genesis hash mismatch: expected {} but local genesis hash is {}",
-                expected_genesis_hash, genesis_hash,
-            ));
+    let genesis_config = if !genesis_package.exists() {
+        let tmp_genesis_path = ledger_path.join("tmp-genesis");
+        let tmp_genesis_package = tmp_genesis_path.join("genesis.tar.bz2");
+
+        let _ignored = fs::remove_dir_all(&tmp_genesis_path);
+        download_file(
+            &format!("http://{}/{}", rpc_addr, "genesis.tar.bz2"),
+            &tmp_genesis_package,
+            false,
+        )?;
+        extract_archive(&tmp_genesis_package, &ledger_path)?;
+
+        let tmp_genesis_config = GenesisConfig::load(&ledger_path)
+            .map_err(|err| format!("Failed to load downloaded genesis config: {}", err))?;
+
+        if let Some(expected_genesis_hash) = validator_config.expected_genesis_hash {
+            if expected_genesis_hash != tmp_genesis_config.hash() {
+                return Err(format!(
+                    "Genesis hash mismatch: expected {} but downloaded genesis hash is {}",
+                    expected_genesis_hash,
+                    tmp_genesis_config.hash(),
+                ));
+            }
         }
+
+        std::fs::rename(tmp_genesis_package, genesis_package)
+            .map_err(|err| format!("Unable to rename: {:?}", err))?;
+        tmp_genesis_config
+    } else {
+        GenesisConfig::load(&ledger_path)
+            .map_err(|err| format!("Failed to load genesis config: {}", err))?
+    };
+
+    if validator_config.expected_genesis_hash.is_none() {
+        info!("Expected genesis hash set to {}", genesis_config.hash());
+        // If no particular genesis hash is expected use the one that's here
+        validator_config.expected_genesis_hash = Some(genesis_config.hash());
     }
-
-    download_tar_bz2(&rpc_addr, "genesis.tar.bz2", &ledger_path, false)
-        .map_err(|err| format!("Failed to download genesis config: {}", err))?;
-
-    let genesis_config = GenesisConfig::load(&ledger_path)
-        .map_err(|err| format!("Failed to load genesis config: {}", err))?;
-
-    if genesis_config.hash() != genesis_hash {
-        return Err(format!(
-            "Genesis hash mismatch: expected {} but downloaded genesis hash is {}",
-            genesis_hash,
-            genesis_config.hash(),
-        ));
-    }
-
-    validator_config.expected_genesis_hash = Some(genesis_hash);
     Ok(())
 }
 
@@ -501,13 +507,15 @@ fn download_snapshot(
         fs::remove_file(&snapshot_package)
             .map_err(|err| format!("error removing {:?}: {}", snapshot_package, err))?;
     }
-    download_tar_bz2(
-        rpc_addr,
-        snapshot_package.file_name().unwrap().to_str().unwrap(),
-        snapshot_package.parent().unwrap(),
+    download_file(
+        &format!(
+            "http://{}/{}",
+            rpc_addr,
+            snapshot_package.file_name().unwrap().to_str().unwrap()
+        ),
+        &snapshot_package,
         true,
-    )
-    .map_err(|err| format!("Failed to fetch snapshot: {:?}", err))?;
+    )?;
 
     Ok(())
 }
@@ -1117,11 +1125,25 @@ pub fn main() {
                 .and_then(|_| {
                     download_genesis(
                         &rpc_contact_info.rpc,
-                        &rpc_client,
                         &ledger_path,
                         &mut validator_config,
                     )
                 })
+                .and_then(|_| {
+                    if let Some(expected_genesis_hash) = validator_config.expected_genesis_hash {
+                        // Sanity check that the RPC node is using the expected genesis hash before
+                        // downloading a snapshot from it
+                        let rpc_genesis_hash = rpc_client
+                            .get_genesis_hash()
+                            .map_err(|err| format!("Failed to get genesis hash: {}", err))?;
+
+                        if expected_genesis_hash != rpc_genesis_hash {
+                            return Err(format!("Genesis hash mismatch: expected {} but RPC node genesis hash is {}",
+                                               expected_genesis_hash, rpc_genesis_hash));
+                        }
+                    }
+                    Ok(())
+                })
                 .and_then(|_| download_snapshot(&rpc_contact_info.rpc, &ledger_path, snapshot_hash))
                 .and_then(|_| {
                     if !validator_config.voting_disabled && !no_check_vote_account {