diff --git a/consensus/replay.go b/consensus/replay.go
index aa06d468..e929847c 100644
--- a/consensus/replay.go
+++ b/consensus/replay.go
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) catchupReplay(height int) error {
 		} else if len(msgBytes) == 1 && msgBytes[0] == '\n' {
 			continue
 		}
-		// the first msg is (usually) the NewHeight event, so we can ignore it
+		// the first msg is the NewHeight event (if we're not at the beginning), so we can ignore it
 		if !beginning && i == 1 {
 			continue
 		}
diff --git a/consensus/state.go b/consensus/state.go
index eb710960..6fdda408 100644
--- a/consensus/state.go
+++ b/consensus/state.go
@@ -319,6 +319,9 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) startRoutines(maxSteps int) {
 
 func (cs *ConsensusState) OnStop() {
 	cs.QuitService.OnStop()
+	if cs.wal != nil {
+		cs.wal.Wait()
+	}
 }
 
 // Open file to log all consensus messages and timeouts for deterministic accountability
@@ -616,6 +619,19 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) receiveRoutine(maxSteps int) {
 			// go to the next step
 			cs.handleTimeout(ti, rs)
 		case <-cs.Quit:
+
+			// drain the internalMsgQueue in case we eg. signed a proposal but it didn't hit the wal
+		FLUSH:
+			for {
+				select {
+				case mi = <-cs.internalMsgQueue:
+					cs.wal.Save(mi)
+					cs.handleMsg(mi, rs)
+				default:
+					break FLUSH
+				}
+			}
+
 			// close wal now that we're done writing to it
 			if cs.wal != nil {
 				cs.wal.Close()
diff --git a/consensus/wal.go b/consensus/wal.go
index 46f7a9df..00536f9d 100644
--- a/consensus/wal.go
+++ b/consensus/wal.go
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ var _ = wire.RegisterInterface(
 type WAL struct {
 	fp     *os.File
 	exists bool // if the file already existed (restarted process)
+
+	done chan struct{}
 }
 
 func NewWAL(file string) (*WAL, error) {
@@ -51,6 +53,7 @@ func NewWAL(file string) (*WAL, error) {
 	return &WAL{
 		fp:     fp,
 		exists: walExists,
+		done:   make(chan struct{}),
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -72,6 +75,11 @@ func (wal *WAL) Close() {
 	if wal != nil {
 		wal.fp.Close()
 	}
+	wal.done <- struct{}{}
+}
+
+func (wal *WAL) Wait() {
+	<-wal.done
 }
 
 func (wal *WAL) SeekFromEnd(found func([]byte) bool) (nLines int, err error) {