diff --git a/src/blockchain_worker.erl b/src/blockchain_worker.erl
index c723c9771b..37181a5cb0 100644
--- a/src/blockchain_worker.erl
+++ b/src/blockchain_worker.erl
@@ -934,19 +934,26 @@ reset_ledger_to_snap(Hash, Height, State) ->
     snapshot_sync(State1#state{snapshot_info=SnapInfo}).
 
 start_sync(#state{blockchain = Chain, swarm_tid = SwarmTID} = State) ->
-    case get_random_peer(SwarmTID) of
+    case get_configured_or_random_peer(SwarmTID) of
         no_peers ->
             %% try again later when there's peers
             schedule_sync(State);
-        RandomPeer ->
-            {Pid, Ref} = start_block_sync(SwarmTID, Chain, RandomPeer, [], <<>>),
+        Peer ->
+            {Pid, Ref} = start_block_sync(SwarmTID, Chain, Peer, [], <<>>),
             lager:info("new block sync starting with Pid: ~p, Ref: ~p, Peer: ~p",
-                       [Pid, Ref, RandomPeer]),
+                       [Pid, Ref, Peer]),
             State#state{sync_pid = Pid, sync_ref = Ref}
     end.
 
+get_configured_or_random_peer(SwarmTID) ->
+    case get_configured_sync_peer(SwarmTID) of
+        undefined -> get_random_peer(SwarmTID);
+        P -> P
+    end.
+
 -spec get_random_peer(SwarmTID :: ets:tab()) -> no_peers | string().
 get_random_peer(SwarmTID) ->
+    lager:debug("Get random peer"),
     Peerbook = libp2p_swarm:peerbook(SwarmTID),
     %% limit peers to random connections with public addresses
     NetID = libp2p_swarm:network_id(SwarmTID),
@@ -963,9 +970,38 @@ get_random_peer(SwarmTID) ->
     case libp2p_peerbook:random(Peerbook, [], F, 100) of
         false -> no_peers;
         {Addr, _Peer} ->
-            "/p2p/" ++ libp2p_crypto:bin_to_b58(Addr)
+            libp2p_crypto:pubkey_bin_to_p2p(Addr)
+    end.
+
+-spec get_configured_sync_peer(ets:tab()) -> string() | undefined.
+get_configured_sync_peer(SwarmTID) ->
+    case application:get_env(blockchain, sync_peers, []) of
+        [] ->
+            lager:debug("No sync_peers configured"),
+            undefined;
+        ConfiguredPeers = [P|_] when is_list(P) ->
+            Peerbook = libp2p_swarm:peerbook(SwarmTID),
+            {Left, Right} = lists:split(rand:uniform(length(ConfiguredPeers)), ConfiguredPeers),
+            get_configured_sync_peer(SwarmTID, Peerbook, Right ++ Left);
+        _Invalid ->
+            lager:warning("Ignoring invalid sync_peers config:~p",[_Invalid]),
+            undefined
     end.
 
+get_configured_sync_peer(SwarmTID, Peerbook, [ Peer | RestPeers ]) ->
+    case libp2p_swarm:connect(SwarmTID, Peer) of
+        {ok, _Session} -> 
+            lager:debug("Connected to configured peer ~p",[Peer]),
+            Peer;
+        _Error ->
+            lager:debug("Failed to connect to configured peer ~p: ~p",[Peer, _Error]),
+            get_configured_sync_peer(SwarmTID, Peerbook, RestPeers)
+    end;
+get_configured_sync_peer(_SwarmTID, _, []) ->
+    % unable to connect to any of the provided peers
+    lager:debug("Failed to connect to any configured peer"),
+    undefined.
+
 reset_sync_timer(State)  ->
     lager:info("try again in ~p", [?SYNC_TIME]),
     erlang:cancel_timer(State#state.sync_timer),
@@ -1085,7 +1121,7 @@ grab_snapshot(Height, Hash) ->
     Chain = blockchain_worker:blockchain(),
     SwarmTID = blockchain_swarm:tid(),
 
-    case get_random_peer(SwarmTID) of
+    case get_configured_or_random_peer(SwarmTID) of
         no_peers -> {error, no_peers};
         Peer ->
             case libp2p_swarm:dial_framed_stream(SwarmTID,