diff --git a/blockchain/pool.go b/blockchain/pool.go
index 348ba09b..47e59711 100644
--- a/blockchain/pool.go
+++ b/blockchain/pool.go
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ eg, L = latency = 0.1s
 */
 
 const (
-	requestIntervalMS         = 250
-	maxTotalRequesters        = 300
+	requestIntervalMS         = 100
+	maxTotalRequesters        = 1000
 	maxPendingRequests        = maxTotalRequesters
-	maxPendingRequestsPerPeer = 10
+	maxPendingRequestsPerPeer = 50
 	minRecvRate               = 10240 // 10Kb/s
 )
 
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ type BlockPool struct {
 	height     int   // the lowest key in requesters.
 	numPending int32 // number of requests pending assignment or block response
 	// peers
-	peers map[string]*bpPeer
+	peers         map[string]*bpPeer
+	maxPeerHeight int
 
 	requestsCh chan<- BlockRequest
 	timeoutsCh chan<- string
@@ -87,10 +88,12 @@ func (pool *BlockPool) OnStop() {}
 
 // Run spawns requesters as needed.
 func (pool *BlockPool) makeRequestersRoutine() {
+
 	for {
 		if !pool.IsRunning() {
 			break
 		}
+
 		_, numPending, lenRequesters := pool.GetStatus()
 		if numPending >= maxPendingRequests {
 			// sleep for a bit.
@@ -147,16 +150,10 @@ func (pool *BlockPool) IsCaughtUp() bool {
 		return false
 	}
 
-	maxPeerHeight := 0
-	for _, peer := range pool.peers {
-		maxPeerHeight = cmn.MaxInt(maxPeerHeight, peer.height)
-	}
-
 	// some conditions to determine if we're caught up
 	receivedBlockOrTimedOut := (pool.height > 0 || time.Since(pool.startTime) > 5*time.Second)
-	ourChainIsLongestAmongPeers := maxPeerHeight == 0 || pool.height >= maxPeerHeight
+	ourChainIsLongestAmongPeers := pool.maxPeerHeight == 0 || pool.height >= pool.maxPeerHeight
 	isCaughtUp := receivedBlockOrTimedOut && ourChainIsLongestAmongPeers
-	pool.Logger.Info(cmn.Fmt("IsCaughtUp: %v", isCaughtUp), "height", pool.height, "maxPeerHeight", maxPeerHeight)
 	return isCaughtUp
 }
 
@@ -235,6 +232,13 @@ func (pool *BlockPool) AddBlock(peerID string, block *types.Block, blockSize int
 	}
 }
 
+// MaxPeerHeight returns the heighest height reported by a peer
+func (pool *BlockPool) MaxPeerHeight() int {
+	pool.mtx.Lock()
+	defer pool.mtx.Unlock()
+	return pool.maxPeerHeight
+}
+
 // Sets the peer's alleged blockchain height.
 func (pool *BlockPool) SetPeerHeight(peerID string, height int) {
 	pool.mtx.Lock()
@@ -248,6 +252,10 @@ func (pool *BlockPool) SetPeerHeight(peerID string, height int) {
 		peer.setLogger(pool.Logger.With("peer", peerID))
 		pool.peers[peerID] = peer
 	}
+
+	if height > pool.maxPeerHeight {
+		pool.maxPeerHeight = height
+	}
 }
 
 func (pool *BlockPool) RemovePeer(peerID string) {
@@ -298,7 +306,7 @@ func (pool *BlockPool) makeNextRequester() {
 
 	nextHeight := pool.height + len(pool.requesters)
 	request := newBPRequester(pool, nextHeight)
-	request.SetLogger(pool.Logger.With("height", nextHeight))
+	// request.SetLogger(pool.Logger.With("height", nextHeight))
 
 	pool.requesters[nextHeight] = request
 	pool.numPending++
diff --git a/blockchain/reactor.go b/blockchain/reactor.go
index b46ad40f..9ac58031 100644
--- a/blockchain/reactor.go
+++ b/blockchain/reactor.go
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ const (
 	// BlockchainChannel is a channel for blocks and status updates (`BlockStore` height)
 	BlockchainChannel = byte(0x40)
 
-	defaultChannelCapacity = 100
-	trySyncIntervalMS      = 100
+	defaultChannelCapacity = 1000
+	trySyncIntervalMS      = 50
 	// stop syncing when last block's time is
 	// within this much of the system time.
 	// stopSyncingDurationMinutes = 10
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ const (
 type consensusReactor interface {
 	// for when we switch from blockchain reactor and fast sync to
 	// the consensus machine
-	SwitchToConsensus(*sm.State)
+	SwitchToConsensus(*sm.State, int)
 }
 
 // BlockchainReactor handles long-term catchup syncing.
@@ -110,8 +110,8 @@ func (bcR *BlockchainReactor) GetChannels() []*p2p.ChannelDescriptor {
 	return []*p2p.ChannelDescriptor{
 		&p2p.ChannelDescriptor{
 			ID:                BlockchainChannel,
-			Priority:          5,
-			SendQueueCapacity: 100,
+			Priority:          10,
+			SendQueueCapacity: 1000,
 		},
 	}
 }
@@ -194,8 +194,13 @@ func (bcR *BlockchainReactor) poolRoutine() {
 	statusUpdateTicker := time.NewTicker(statusUpdateIntervalSeconds * time.Second)
 	switchToConsensusTicker := time.NewTicker(switchToConsensusIntervalSeconds * time.Second)
 
+	blocksSynced := 0
+
 	chainID := bcR.state.ChainID
 
+	lastHundred := time.Now()
+	lastRate := 0.0
+
 FOR_LOOP:
 	for {
 		select {
@@ -223,14 +228,14 @@ FOR_LOOP:
 		case <-switchToConsensusTicker.C:
 			height, numPending, lenRequesters := bcR.pool.GetStatus()
 			outbound, inbound, _ := bcR.Switch.NumPeers()
-			bcR.Logger.Info("Consensus ticker", "numPending", numPending, "total", lenRequesters,
+			bcR.Logger.Debug("Consensus ticker", "numPending", numPending, "total", lenRequesters,
 				"outbound", outbound, "inbound", inbound)
 			if bcR.pool.IsCaughtUp() {
 				bcR.Logger.Info("Time to switch to consensus reactor!", "height", height)
 				bcR.pool.Stop()
 
 				conR := bcR.Switch.Reactor("CONSENSUS").(consensusReactor)
-				conR.SwitchToConsensus(bcR.state)
+				conR.SwitchToConsensus(bcR.state, blocksSynced)
 
 				break FOR_LOOP
 			}
@@ -271,6 +276,14 @@ FOR_LOOP:
 						// TODO This is bad, are we zombie?
 						cmn.PanicQ(cmn.Fmt("Failed to process committed block (%d:%X): %v", first.Height, first.Hash(), err))
 					}
+					blocksSynced += 1
+
+					if blocksSynced%100 == 0 {
+						lastRate = 0.9*lastRate + 0.1*(100/time.Since(lastHundred).Seconds())
+						bcR.Logger.Info("Fast Sync Rate", "height", bcR.pool.height,
+							"max_peer_height", bcR.pool.MaxPeerHeight(), "blocks/s", lastRate)
+						lastHundred = time.Now()
+					}
 				}
 			}
 			continue FOR_LOOP
diff --git a/consensus/byzantine_test.go b/consensus/byzantine_test.go
index 38dff406..c96ccf97 100644
--- a/consensus/byzantine_test.go
+++ b/consensus/byzantine_test.go
@@ -101,10 +101,10 @@ func TestByzantine(t *testing.T) {
 	// start the state machines
 	byzR := reactors[0].(*ByzantineReactor)
 	s := byzR.reactor.conS.GetState()
-	byzR.reactor.SwitchToConsensus(s)
+	byzR.reactor.SwitchToConsensus(s, 0)
 	for i := 1; i < N; i++ {
 		cr := reactors[i].(*ConsensusReactor)
-		cr.SwitchToConsensus(cr.conS.GetState())
+		cr.SwitchToConsensus(cr.conS.GetState(), 0)
 	}
 
 	// byz proposer sends one block to peers[0]
diff --git a/consensus/reactor.go b/consensus/reactor.go
index 48041e2f..e6849992 100644
--- a/consensus/reactor.go
+++ b/consensus/reactor.go
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func (conR *ConsensusReactor) OnStop() {
 
 // SwitchToConsensus switches from fast_sync mode to consensus mode.
 // It resets the state, turns off fast_sync, and starts the consensus state-machine
-func (conR *ConsensusReactor) SwitchToConsensus(state *sm.State) {
+func (conR *ConsensusReactor) SwitchToConsensus(state *sm.State, blocksSynced int) {
 	conR.Logger.Info("SwitchToConsensus")
 	conR.conS.reconstructLastCommit(state)
 	// NOTE: The line below causes broadcastNewRoundStepRoutine() to
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@ func (conR *ConsensusReactor) SwitchToConsensus(state *sm.State) {
 	conR.fastSync = false
 	conR.mtx.Unlock()
 
+	if blocksSynced > 0 {
+		// dont bother with the WAL if we fast synced
+		conR.conS.doWALCatchup = false
+	}
 	conR.conS.Start()
 }
 
diff --git a/consensus/reactor_test.go b/consensus/reactor_test.go
index 623a6541..ed8fa87b 100644
--- a/consensus/reactor_test.go
+++ b/consensus/reactor_test.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func startConsensusNet(t *testing.T, css []*ConsensusState, N int, subscribeEven
 	// we'd block when the cs fires NewBlockEvent and the peers are trying to start their reactors
 	for i := 0; i < N; i++ {
 		s := reactors[i].conS.GetState()
-		reactors[i].SwitchToConsensus(s)
+		reactors[i].SwitchToConsensus(s, 0)
 	}
 	return reactors, eventChans
 }
diff --git a/consensus/state.go b/consensus/state.go
index e01c2ab2..e5b7641f 100644
--- a/consensus/state.go
+++ b/consensus/state.go
@@ -97,8 +97,9 @@ type ConsensusState struct {
 
 	// a Write-Ahead Log ensures we can recover from any kind of crash
 	// and helps us avoid signing conflicting votes
-	wal        *WAL
-	replayMode bool // so we don't log signing errors during replay
+	wal          *WAL
+	replayMode   bool // so we don't log signing errors during replay
+	doWALCatchup bool // determines if we even try to do the catchup
 
 	// for tests where we want to limit the number of transitions the state makes
 	nSteps int
@@ -123,6 +124,7 @@ func NewConsensusState(config *cfg.ConsensusConfig, state *sm.State, proxyAppCon
 		internalMsgQueue: make(chan msgInfo, msgQueueSize),
 		timeoutTicker:    NewTimeoutTicker(),
 		done:             make(chan struct{}),
+		doWALCatchup:     true,
 	}
 	// set function defaults (may be overwritten before calling Start)
 	cs.decideProposal = cs.defaultDecideProposal
@@ -226,10 +228,12 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) OnStart() error {
 
 	// we may have lost some votes if the process crashed
 	// reload from consensus log to catchup
-	if err := cs.catchupReplay(cs.Height); err != nil {
-		cs.Logger.Error("Error on catchup replay. Proceeding to start ConsensusState anyway", "err", err.Error())
-		// NOTE: if we ever do return an error here,
-		// make sure to stop the timeoutTicker
+	if cs.doWALCatchup {
+		if err := cs.catchupReplay(cs.Height); err != nil {
+			cs.Logger.Error("Error on catchup replay. Proceeding to start ConsensusState anyway", "err", err.Error())
+			// NOTE: if we ever do return an error here,
+			// make sure to stop the timeoutTicker
+		}
 	}
 
 	// now start the receiveRoutine