diff --git a/.fixme/log b/.fixme/log
index 900836af..d413e4aa 100644
--- a/.fixme/log
+++ b/.fixme/log
@@ -219,4 +219,6 @@ fixme-set "assigned" "voidlizard" "BhME2nDpbd"
 
 fixme-set "workflow" "test" "BhME2nDpbd"
 fixme-set "workflow" "wip" "39Fc5R5uXU"
-fixme-set "assigned" "voidlizard" "39Fc5R5uXU"
\ No newline at end of file
+fixme-set "assigned" "voidlizard" "39Fc5R5uXU"
+fixme-set "workflow" "test" "39Fc5R5uXU"
+fixme-set "workflow" "backlog" "HcrvggGcAs"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/hbs2-core/lib/HBS2/Net/Proto/BlockInfo.hs b/hbs2-core/lib/HBS2/Net/Proto/BlockInfo.hs
index 0c83e05e..85a1b07f 100644
--- a/hbs2-core/lib/HBS2/Net/Proto/BlockInfo.hs
+++ b/hbs2-core/lib/HBS2/Net/Proto/BlockInfo.hs
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ blockSizeProto getBlockSize evHasBlock =
 
     NoBlock h       -> do
       that <- thatPeer (Proxy @(BlockInfo e))
+      emit @e (BlockSizeEventKey h) (NoBlockEvent that)
       evHasBlock ( that, h, Nothing )
 
     BlockSize h sz  -> do
@@ -57,7 +58,9 @@ newtype instance EventKey e (BlockInfo e) =
 
 deriving  instance Hashable (EventKey e (BlockInfo e))
 
-newtype instance Event e (BlockInfo e) =
-  BlockSizeEvent (Peer e, Hash HbSync, Integer)
+data instance Event e (BlockInfo e) =
+    BlockSizeEvent (Peer e, Hash HbSync, Integer)
+  | NoBlockEvent (Peer e)
   deriving stock (Typeable)
 
+
diff --git a/hbs2-peer/app/BlockDownload.hs b/hbs2-peer/app/BlockDownload.hs
index 531778c9..9fc45e29 100644
--- a/hbs2-peer/app/BlockDownload.hs
+++ b/hbs2-peer/app/BlockDownload.hs
@@ -582,8 +582,12 @@ peerDownloadLoop peer = do
 
             r1 <- liftIO $ race ( pause defBlockInfoTimeout ) $ withPeerM e do
                       blksq <- liftIO newTQueueIO
-                      subscribe @e (BlockSizeEventKey h) $ \(BlockSizeEvent (_,_,s)) -> do
-                        liftIO $ atomically $ writeTQueue blksq s
+                      subscribe @e (BlockSizeEventKey h) $ \case
+                        (BlockSizeEvent (_,_,s)) -> do
+                          liftIO $ atomically $ writeTQueue blksq (Just s)
+                        (NoBlockEvent p) -> do
+                          debug $ "NoBlockEvent" <+> pretty p <+> pretty h
+                          liftIO $ atomically $ writeTQueue blksq Nothing
 
                       request peer (GetBlockSize @e h)
 
@@ -594,7 +598,10 @@ peerDownloadLoop peer = do
                 liftIO $ atomically $ modifyTVar downFail succ
                 addDownload h
 
-              Right size -> do
+              Right Nothing -> do
+                addDownload h -- this is a legit situation; it is handled above (block ban... etc).
+
+              Right (Just size) -> do
                 r2 <- liftIO $ race ( pause defBlockWaitMax )
                                   $ withPeerM e
                                   $ withDownload ee
diff --git a/hbs2-peer/app/DownloadQ.hs b/hbs2-peer/app/DownloadQ.hs
index fc59e314..02df5754 100644
--- a/hbs2-peer/app/DownloadQ.hs
+++ b/hbs2-peer/app/DownloadQ.hs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import PeerConfig
 import Data.Map qualified as Map
 import Data.Foldable
 import Control.Concurrent.STM
+import Control.Concurrent.STM.TSem
 import Data.ByteString.Char8 qualified as B8
 import Data.List (nub)
 import Data.Maybe
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ import Data.Functor
 import Data.Function
 import Control.Exception
 import Control.Monad
+import Control.Concurrent.Async
 import System.IO
 
 
@@ -46,42 +48,56 @@ downloadQueue conf denv = do
 
   sto <- getStorage
   hq <- liftIO newTQueueIO
+  fsem <- liftIO $ atomically $ newTSem 1
 
-  pause @'Seconds 1
+  pause @'Seconds 2
 
   let qfile' = cfgValue @PeerDownloadLogKey conf :: Maybe String
 
   subscribe @e DownloadReqKey $ \(DownloadReqData h) -> do
     liftIO $ atomically $ writeTQueue hq h
 
+  maybe1 qfile' noLogFile $ \fn -> do
+    void $ liftIO $ async $ forever $ do
+      pause @'Seconds 10
+      fromq <- liftIO $ atomically $ flushTQueue hq
+      unless (null fromq) do
+        atomically $ waitTSem fsem
+        catchAny ( B8.appendFile fn ( B8.unlines (fmap (B8.pack.show.pretty) fromq) ) )
+                 whimper
+        atomically $ signalTSem fsem
+
   maybe1 qfile' noLogFile $ \fn -> forever do
 
     debug $ "downloadQueue" <+> pretty fn
 
     liftIO do
 
+      -- FIXME: will-crash-on-big-logs
+      atomically $ waitTSem fsem
       r <- catchAny (B8.readFile fn) (\e -> whimper e >> pure "")
+      atomically $ signalTSem fsem
 
       let hashes = B8.lines r & mapMaybe (fromStringMay . B8.unpack) & nub :: [Hash HbSync]
 
       fromq <- liftIO $ atomically $ flushTQueue hq
       let hashesWip = nub ( hashes <> fromq )
 
-      errnum <- newTVarIO mempty
+      errnum <- newTQueueIO
 
       let walk h = walkMerkle h (getBlock sto) $ \(hr :: Either (Hash HbSync) [HashRef]) -> do
             case hr of
-              Left{} -> atomically $ modifyTVar errnum (mappend [(h,True)])
+              Left{} -> atomically $ writeTQueue errnum (h,True)
               Right (hrr :: [HashRef]) -> do
                  forM_ hrr $ \(HashRef hx) -> do
                      mblk <- hasBlock sto hx
                      case mblk of
-                       Nothing  -> atomically $ modifyTVar errnum (mappend [(h,True)])
+                       Nothing  -> atomically $ writeTQueue errnum (h,True)
                        _ -> pure ()
 
       for_ hashesWip walk
 
-      loosers <- readTVarIO errnum <&> Map.fromListWith (||) <&> Map.filter id
+      loosers <- atomically $ flushTQueue errnum <&> Map.fromListWith (||) <&> Map.filter id
 
       -- debug $ vcat (fmap pretty (Map.toList loosers))
 
@@ -89,8 +105,10 @@ downloadQueue conf denv = do
 
       for_ leftovers $ withDownload denv . addDownload
 
+      atomically $ waitTSem fsem
       catchAny ( B8.writeFile fn ( B8.unlines (fmap (B8.pack.show.pretty) leftovers) ) )
                whimper
+      atomically $ signalTSem fsem
 
     debug "downloadQueue okay"