diff --git a/core/tx_pool.go b/core/tx_pool.go
index 47ec340f9e..fc78d5e8b7 100644
--- a/core/tx_pool.go
+++ b/core/tx_pool.go
@@ -831,7 +831,7 @@ func (pool *TxPool) promoteSpecialTx(addr common.Address, tx *types.Transaction)
 	go func() {
 		for _, btx := range broadcastTxs {
 			pool.specialTxFeed.Send(TxPreEvent{btx})
-			log.Debug("Pooled new special transaction", "hash", tx.Hash(), "from", addr, "to", tx.To(), "nonce", tx.Nonce())
+			log.Trace("Pooled new special transaction", "hash", tx.Hash(), "from", addr, "to", tx.To(), "nonce", tx.Nonce())
 		}
 	}()
 	return true, nil
diff --git a/eth/fetcher/fetcher.go b/eth/fetcher/fetcher.go
index 318e3b5848..9b846ef76a 100644
--- a/eth/fetcher/fetcher.go
+++ b/eth/fetcher/fetcher.go
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ func (f *Fetcher) rescheduleComplete(complete *time.Timer) {
 func (f *Fetcher) enqueue(peer string, block *types.Block) {
 	hash := block.Hash()
 	if f.knowns.Contains(hash) {
-		log.Debug("Discarded propagated block, knowns block", "peer", peer, "number", block.Number(), "hash", hash, "limit", blockLimit)
+		log.Debug("Discarded propagated block, known block", "peer", peer, "number", block.Number(), "hash", hash, "limit", blockLimit)
 		return
 	}
 	// Ensure the peer isn't DOSing us
diff --git a/eth/handler.go b/eth/handler.go
index efb0d4ab58..2cae0a0e6c 100644
--- a/eth/handler.go
+++ b/eth/handler.go
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) Start(maxPeers int) {
 	pm.txSub = pm.txpool.SubscribeTxPreEvent(pm.txCh)
 	go pm.txBroadcastLoop()
 
-    // broadcast special transactions
+	// broadcast special transactions
 	pm.specialTxCh = make(chan core.TxPreEvent, txChanSize)
 	pm.specialTxSub = pm.txpool.SubscribeSpecialTxPreEvent(pm.specialTxCh)
 	go pm.specialTxBroadcastLoop()
@@ -651,14 +651,17 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) handleMsg(p *peer) error {
 			trueTD   = new(big.Int).Sub(request.TD, request.Block.Difficulty())
 		)
 		// Update the peers total difficulty if better than the previous
-		if _, td := p.Head(); trueTD.Cmp(td) > 0 {
+		_, td := p.Head()
+		currentBlock := pm.blockchain.CurrentBlock()
+		currentTd := pm.blockchain.GetTd(currentBlock.Hash(), currentBlock.NumberU64())
+		log.Debug("NewBlockMsg", "p", p, "number", request.Block.NumberU64(), "trueTD", trueTD, "td", td, "currentTd", currentTd)
+		if trueTD.Cmp(td) > 0 {
 			p.SetHead(trueHead, trueTD)
 
 			// Schedule a sync if above ours. Note, this will not fire a sync for a gap of
 			// a singe block (as the true TD is below the propagated block), however this
 			// scenario should easily be covered by the fetcher.
-			currentBlock := pm.blockchain.CurrentBlock()
-			if trueTD.Cmp(pm.blockchain.GetTd(currentBlock.Hash(), currentBlock.NumberU64())) > 0 {
+			if trueTD.Cmp(currentTd) > 0 {
 				go pm.synchronise(p)
 			}
 		}
@@ -705,7 +708,7 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) BroadcastBlock(block *types.Block, propagate bool) {
 			return
 		}
 		// Send the block to a subset of our peers
-		for _, peer := range peers {	
+		for _, peer := range peers {
 			peer.SendNewBlock(block, td)
 		}
 		log.Trace("Propagated block", "hash", hash, "recipients", len(peers), "duration", common.PrettyDuration(time.Since(block.ReceivedAt)))
@@ -739,7 +742,7 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) BroadcastSpecialTx(hash common.Hash, tx *types.Transa
 	for _, peer := range peers {
 		peer.SendSpecialTransactions(tx)
 	}
-	log.Debug("Broadcast special transaction", "hash", hash, "recipients", len(peers))
+	log.Trace("Broadcast special transaction", "hash", hash, "recipients", len(peers))
 }
 
 // Mined broadcast loop
diff --git a/eth/sync.go b/eth/sync.go
index e49e40087e..79c594f726 100644
--- a/eth/sync.go
+++ b/eth/sync.go
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) synchronise(peer *peer) {
 	td := pm.blockchain.GetTd(currentBlock.Hash(), currentBlock.NumberU64())
 
 	pHead, pTd := peer.Head()
+	log.Debug("ProtocolManager synchronise ", "p", peer, "pTd", pTd, "currentTd", td)
 	if pTd.Cmp(td) <= 0 {
 		return
 	}