diff --git a/plugins/net_plugin/net_plugin.cpp b/plugins/net_plugin/net_plugin.cpp
index f1be989a1e1..e115b124fd4 100644
--- a/plugins/net_plugin/net_plugin.cpp
+++ b/plugins/net_plugin/net_plugin.cpp
@@ -160,7 +160,8 @@ namespace eosio {
       void sync_reset_lib_num( const connection_ptr& conn );
       void sync_reassign_fetch( const connection_ptr& c, go_away_reason reason );
       void rejected_block( const connection_ptr& c, uint32_t blk_num );
-      void sync_recv_block( const connection_ptr& c, const block_id_type& blk_id, uint32_t blk_num );
+      void sync_recv_block( const connection_ptr& c, const block_id_type& blk_id, uint32_t blk_num, bool blk_applied );
+      void sync_update_expected( const connection_ptr& c, const block_id_type& blk_id, uint32_t blk_num, bool blk_applied );
       void recv_handshake( const connection_ptr& c, const handshake_message& msg );
       void sync_recv_notice( const connection_ptr& c, const notice_message& msg );
    };
@@ -1739,20 +1740,12 @@ namespace eosio {
    }
 
    // called from connection strand
-   void sync_manager::sync_recv_block(const connection_ptr& c, const block_id_type& blk_id, uint32_t blk_num) {
-      fc_dlog( logger, "got block ${bn} from ${p}", ("bn", blk_num)( "p", c->peer_name() ) );
-      if( app().is_quiting() ) {
-         c->close( false, true );
-         return;
-      }
-      c->consecutive_rejected_blocks = 0;
+   void sync_manager::sync_update_expected( const connection_ptr& c, const block_id_type& blk_id, uint32_t blk_num, bool blk_applied ) {
       std::unique_lock<std::mutex> g_sync( sync_mtx );
-      stages state = sync_state;
-      fc_dlog( logger, "state ${s}", ("s", stage_str( state )) );
-      if( state == lib_catchup ) {
+      if( blk_num <= sync_last_requested_num ) {
          fc_dlog( logger, "sync_last_requested_num: ${r}, sync_next_expected_num: ${e}, sync_known_lib_num: ${k}, sync_req_span: ${s}",
                   ("r", sync_last_requested_num)("e", sync_next_expected_num)("k", sync_known_lib_num)("s", sync_req_span) );
-         if (blk_num != sync_next_expected_num) {
+         if (blk_num != sync_next_expected_num && !blk_applied) {
             auto sync_next_expected = sync_next_expected_num;
             g_sync.unlock();
             fc_dlog( logger, "expected block ${ne} but got ${bn}, from connection: ${p}",
@@ -1761,6 +1754,20 @@ namespace eosio {
          }
          sync_next_expected_num = blk_num + 1;
       }
+   }
+
+   // called from connection strand
+   void sync_manager::sync_recv_block(const connection_ptr& c, const block_id_type& blk_id, uint32_t blk_num, bool blk_applied) {
+      fc_dlog( logger, "got block ${bn} from ${p}", ("bn", blk_num)( "p", c->peer_name() ) );
+      if( app().is_quiting() ) {
+         c->close( false, true );
+         return;
+      }
+      c->consecutive_rejected_blocks = 0;
+      sync_update_expected( c, blk_id, blk_num, blk_applied );
+      std::unique_lock<std::mutex> g_sync( sync_mtx );
+      stages state = sync_state;
+      fc_dlog( logger, "state ${s}", ("s", stage_str( state )) );
       if( state == head_catchup ) {
          fc_dlog( logger, "sync_manager in head_catchup state" );
          sync_source.reset();
@@ -2155,7 +2162,7 @@ namespace eosio {
 
       connection_ptr c = shared_from_this();
 
-      if( consecutive_immediate_connection_close > def_max_consecutive_immediate_connection_close ) {
+      if( consecutive_immediate_connection_close > def_max_consecutive_immediate_connection_close || no_retry == benign_other ) {
          auto connector_period_us = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::microseconds>( my_impl->connector_period );
          std::lock_guard<std::mutex> g( c->conn_mtx );
          if( last_close == fc::time_point() || last_close > fc::time_point::now() - fc::microseconds( connector_period_us.count() ) ) {
@@ -2421,8 +2428,7 @@ namespace eosio {
             if( my_impl->dispatcher->have_block( blk_id ) ) {
                fc_dlog( logger, "canceling wait on ${p}, already received block ${num}, id ${id}...",
                         ("p", peer_name())("num", blk_num)("id", blk_id.str().substr(8,16)) );
-               if( my_impl->sync_master->syncing_with_peer() )
-                  my_impl->sync_master->sync_recv_block( shared_from_this(), blk_id, blk_num );
+               my_impl->sync_master->sync_recv_block( shared_from_this(), blk_id, blk_num, false );
                cancel_wait();
 
                pending_message_buffer.advance_read_ptr( message_length );
@@ -2650,6 +2656,7 @@ namespace eosio {
                         c->enqueue( go_away_message( forked ) );
                      } else if( unknown_block ) {
                         peer_ilog( c, "Peer asked for unknown block, sending: benign_other go away" );
+                        c->no_retry = benign_other;
                         c->enqueue( go_away_message( benign_other ) );
                      }
                   } );
@@ -2914,8 +2921,7 @@ namespace eosio {
             c->strand.post( [sync_master = my_impl->sync_master.get(),
                              dispatcher = my_impl->dispatcher.get(), c, blk_id, blk_num]() {
                dispatcher->add_peer_block( blk_id, c->connection_id );
-               if( my_impl->sync_master->syncing_with_peer() )
-                  sync_master->sync_recv_block( c, blk_id, blk_num );
+               sync_master->sync_recv_block( c, blk_id, blk_num, false );
             });
             return;
          }
@@ -2958,7 +2964,7 @@ namespace eosio {
          });
          c->strand.post( [sync_master = my_impl->sync_master.get(), dispatcher = my_impl->dispatcher.get(), c, blk_id, blk_num]() {
             dispatcher->recv_block( c, blk_id, blk_num );
-            sync_master->sync_recv_block( c, blk_id, blk_num );
+            sync_master->sync_recv_block( c, blk_id, blk_num, true );
          });
       } else {
          c->strand.post( [sync_master = my_impl->sync_master.get(), dispatcher = my_impl->dispatcher.get(), c, blk_id, blk_num]() {