diff --git a/zebrad/src/components/inbound.rs b/zebrad/src/components/inbound.rs
index 786f10b17..d4233df83 100644
--- a/zebrad/src/components/inbound.rs
+++ b/zebrad/src/components/inbound.rs
@@ -123,7 +123,8 @@ impl Service<zn::Request> for Inbound {
 
         // Clean up completed download tasks
         if let Some(downloads) = self.downloads.as_mut() {
-            while let Poll::Ready(Some(_)) = Pin::new(downloads).poll_next(cx) {}
+            let downloads = Pin::new(downloads);
+            while let Poll::Ready(Some(_)) = downloads.poll_next(cx) {}
         }
 
         // Now report readiness based on readiness of the inner services, if they're available.
@@ -200,24 +201,10 @@ impl Service<zn::Request> for Inbound {
                 async { Ok(zn::Response::Nil) }.boxed()
             }
             zn::Request::AdvertiseBlock(hash) => {
-                // this sucks
-                let mut downloads = self.downloads.take().unwrap();
-                self.downloads = Some(Downloads::new(
-                    self.outbound.as_ref().unwrap().clone(),
-                    self.verifier.clone(),
-                    self.state.clone(),
-                ));
-
-                async move {
-                    if downloads.download_and_verify(hash).await? {
-                        tracing::info!(?hash, "queued download and verification of gossiped block");
-                    } else {
-                        tracing::debug!(?hash, "gossiped block already queued or verified");
-                    }
-
-                    Ok(zn::Response::Nil)
+                if let Some(downloads) = self.downloads.as_mut() {
+                    downloads.download_and_verify(hash);
                 }
-                .boxed()
+                async { Ok(zn::Response::Nil) }.boxed()
             }
             zn::Request::MempoolTransactions => {
                 debug!("ignoring unimplemented request");
diff --git a/zebrad/src/components/inbound/downloads.rs b/zebrad/src/components/inbound/downloads.rs
index be312865f..136c2959e 100644
--- a/zebrad/src/components/inbound/downloads.rs
+++ b/zebrad/src/components/inbound/downloads.rs
@@ -108,21 +108,23 @@ where
     #[instrument(skip(self))]
     pub fn download_and_verify(&mut self, hash: block::Hash) -> bool {
         if self.cancel_handles.contains_key(&hash) {
+            tracing::debug!("hash already queued for download");
             return false;
         }
 
         // This oneshot is used to signal cancellation to the download task.
         let (cancel_tx, mut cancel_rx) = oneshot::channel::<()>();
 
-        let mut state = self.state.clone();
-        let mut network = self.network.clone();
-        let mut verifier = self.verifier.clone();
+        let state = self.state.clone();
+        let network = self.network.clone();
+        let verifier = self.verifier.clone();
 
         let fut = async move {
             // Check if the block is already in the state.
             match state.oneshot(zs::Request::Depth(hash.into())).await {
                 Ok(zs::Response::Depth(None)) => Ok(()),
                 Ok(zs::Response::Depth(Some(_))) => Err("already present".into()),
+                Ok(_) => unreachable!("wrong response"),
                 Err(e) => Err(e),
             }?;
 
@@ -142,8 +144,8 @@ where
             verifier.oneshot(block).await
         }
         .map_ok(|hash| {
-            tracing::info!(?hash, "verified advertised block");
             metrics::counter!("gossip.verified.block.count", 1);
+            hash
         })
         // Tack the hash onto the error so we can remove the cancel handle
         // on failure as well as on success.
@@ -155,6 +157,7 @@ where
                 _ = &mut cancel_rx => {
                     tracing::trace!("task cancelled prior to completion");
                     metrics::counter!("gossip.cancelled.count", 1);
+                    Err(("canceled".into(), hash))
                 }
                 verification = fut => verification,
             }
@@ -167,6 +170,7 @@ where
             "blocks are only queued once"
         );
 
+        tracing::debug!("queued hash for download");
         true
     }
 }