diff --git a/swarm/storage/feed/handler.go b/swarm/storage/feed/handler.go
index 063d3e92a3..61124e2db6 100644
--- a/swarm/storage/feed/handler.go
+++ b/swarm/storage/feed/handler.go
@@ -176,21 +176,25 @@ func (h *Handler) Lookup(ctx context.Context, query *Query) (*cacheEntry, error)
 		return nil, NewError(ErrInit, "Call Handler.SetStore() before performing lookups")
 	}
 
-	var id ID
-	id.Feed = query.Feed
 	var readCount int
 
 	// Invoke the lookup engine.
 	// The callback will be called every time the lookup algorithm needs to guess
-	requestPtr, err := lookup.Lookup(timeLimit, query.Hint, func(epoch lookup.Epoch, now uint64) (interface{}, error) {
+	requestPtr, err := lookup.Lookup(ctx, timeLimit, query.Hint, func(ctx context.Context, epoch lookup.Epoch, now uint64) (interface{}, error) {
 		readCount++
-		id.Epoch = epoch
+		id := ID{
+			Feed:  query.Feed,
+			Epoch: epoch,
+		}
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, defaultRetrieveTimeout)
 		defer cancel()
 
 		chunk, err := h.chunkStore.Get(ctx, id.Addr())
-		if err != nil { // TODO: check for catastrophic errors other than chunk not found
-			return nil, nil
+		if err != nil {
+			if err == context.DeadlineExceeded { // chunk not found
+				return nil, nil
+			}
+			return nil, err //something else happened or context was cancelled.
 		}
 
 		var request Request
diff --git a/swarm/storage/feed/lookup/lookup.go b/swarm/storage/feed/lookup/lookup.go
index 2f862d81c4..1642c659a8 100644
--- a/swarm/storage/feed/lookup/lookup.go
+++ b/swarm/storage/feed/lookup/lookup.go
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ so they can be found
 */
 package lookup
 
+import "context"
+
 const maxuint64 = ^uint64(0)
 
 // LowestLevel establishes the frequency resolution of the lookup algorithm as a power of 2.
@@ -33,7 +35,7 @@ const HighestLevel = 25 // default is 25 (~1 year)
 const DefaultLevel = HighestLevel
 
 //Algorithm is the function signature of a lookup algorithm
-type Algorithm func(now uint64, hint Epoch, read ReadFunc) (value interface{}, err error)
+type Algorithm func(ctx context.Context, now uint64, hint Epoch, read ReadFunc) (value interface{}, err error)
 
 // Lookup finds the update with the highest timestamp that is smaller or equal than 'now'
 // It takes a hint which should be the epoch where the last known update was
@@ -48,7 +50,7 @@ var Lookup Algorithm = FluzCapacitorAlgorithm
 // It should return <nil> if a value is found, but its timestamp is higher than "now"
 // It should only return an error in case the handler wants to stop the
 // lookup process entirely.
-type ReadFunc func(epoch Epoch, now uint64) (interface{}, error)
+type ReadFunc func(ctx context.Context, epoch Epoch, now uint64) (interface{}, error)
 
 // NoClue is a hint that can be provided when the Lookup caller does not have
 // a clue about where the last update may be
@@ -128,7 +130,7 @@ var worstHint = Epoch{Time: 0, Level: 63}
 // or the epochs right below. If however, that lookup succeeds, then the update must be
 // that one or within the epochs right below.
 // see the guide for a more graphical representation
-func FluzCapacitorAlgorithm(now uint64, hint Epoch, read ReadFunc) (value interface{}, err error) {
+func FluzCapacitorAlgorithm(ctx context.Context, now uint64, hint Epoch, read ReadFunc) (value interface{}, err error) {
 	var lastFound interface{}
 	var epoch Epoch
 	if hint == NoClue {
@@ -139,7 +141,7 @@ func FluzCapacitorAlgorithm(now uint64, hint Epoch, read ReadFunc) (value interf
 
 	for {
 		epoch = GetNextEpoch(hint, t)
-		value, err = read(epoch, now)
+		value, err = read(ctx, epoch, now)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -160,7 +162,7 @@ func FluzCapacitorAlgorithm(now uint64, hint Epoch, read ReadFunc) (value interf
 				return nil, nil
 			}
 			// check it out
-			value, err = read(hint, now)
+			value, err = read(ctx, hint, now)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
@@ -168,8 +170,9 @@ func FluzCapacitorAlgorithm(now uint64, hint Epoch, read ReadFunc) (value interf
 				return value, nil
 			}
 			// bad hint.
-			epoch = hint
+			t = hint.Base()
 			hint = worstHint
+			continue
 		}
 		base := epoch.Base()
 		if base == 0 {
diff --git a/swarm/storage/feed/lookup/lookup_test.go b/swarm/storage/feed/lookup/lookup_test.go
index 4652feacfc..0977348eb9 100644
--- a/swarm/storage/feed/lookup/lookup_test.go
+++ b/swarm/storage/feed/lookup/lookup_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package lookup_test
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/rand"
 	"testing"
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ const Year = Day * 365
 const Month = Day * 30
 
 func makeReadFunc(store Store, counter *int) lookup.ReadFunc {
-	return func(epoch lookup.Epoch, now uint64) (interface{}, error) {
+	return func(ctx context.Context, epoch lookup.Epoch, now uint64) (interface{}, error) {
 		*counter++
 		data := store[epoch.ID()]
 		var valueStr string
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ func TestLookup(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// try to get the last value
 
-	value, err := lookup.Lookup(now, lookup.NoClue, readFunc)
+	value, err := lookup.Lookup(context.Background(), now, lookup.NoClue, readFunc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ func TestLookup(t *testing.T) {
 	// reset the read count for the next test
 	readCount = 0
 	// Provide a hint to get a faster lookup. In particular, we give the exact location of the last update
-	value, err = lookup.Lookup(now, epoch, readFunc)
+	value, err = lookup.Lookup(context.Background(), now, epoch, readFunc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@ func TestLookup(t *testing.T) {
 
 	expectedTime := now - Year*3 + 6*Month
 
-	value, err = lookup.Lookup(expectedTime, lookup.NoClue, readFunc)
+	value, err = lookup.Lookup(context.Background(), expectedTime, lookup.NoClue, readFunc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -153,7 +154,7 @@ func TestOneUpdateAt0(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	update(store, epoch, 0, &data)
 
-	value, err := lookup.Lookup(now, lookup.NoClue, readFunc)
+	value, err := lookup.Lookup(context.Background(), now, lookup.NoClue, readFunc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -186,7 +187,7 @@ func TestBadHint(t *testing.T) {
 		Time:  1200000000,
 	}
 
-	value, err := lookup.Lookup(now, badHint, readFunc)
+	value, err := lookup.Lookup(context.Background(), now, badHint, readFunc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -206,7 +207,7 @@ func TestLookupFail(t *testing.T) {
 	// don't write anything and try to look up.
 	// we're testing we don't get stuck in a loop
 
-	value, err := lookup.Lookup(now, lookup.NoClue, readFunc)
+	value, err := lookup.Lookup(context.Background(), now, lookup.NoClue, readFunc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -242,7 +243,7 @@ func TestHighFreqUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 		lastData = &data
 	}
 
-	value, err := lookup.Lookup(lastData.Time, lookup.NoClue, readFunc)
+	value, err := lookup.Lookup(context.Background(), lastData.Time, lookup.NoClue, readFunc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -255,7 +256,7 @@ func TestHighFreqUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 	// reset the read count for the next test
 	readCount = 0
 	// Provide a hint to get a faster lookup. In particular, we give the exact location of the last update
-	value, err = lookup.Lookup(now, epoch, readFunc)
+	value, err = lookup.Lookup(context.Background(), now, epoch, readFunc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -270,7 +271,7 @@ func TestHighFreqUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for i := uint64(0); i <= 994; i++ {
 		T := uint64(now - 1000 + i) // update every second for the last 1000 seconds
-		value, err := lookup.Lookup(T, lookup.NoClue, readFunc)
+		value, err := lookup.Lookup(context.Background(), T, lookup.NoClue, readFunc)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
@@ -308,7 +309,7 @@ func TestSparseUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// try to get the last value
 
-	value, err := lookup.Lookup(now, lookup.NoClue, readFunc)
+	value, err := lookup.Lookup(context.Background(), now, lookup.NoClue, readFunc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -322,7 +323,7 @@ func TestSparseUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 	// reset the read count for the next test
 	readCount = 0
 	// Provide a hint to get a faster lookup. In particular, we give the exact location of the last update
-	value, err = lookup.Lookup(now, epoch, readFunc)
+	value, err = lookup.Lookup(context.Background(), now, epoch, readFunc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}