diff --git a/core/peer/peer.go b/core/peer/peer.go
index 0179e8ea028..4c0ae33ab72 100644
--- a/core/peer/peer.go
+++ b/core/peer/peer.go
@@ -212,6 +212,10 @@ func CreateChainFromBlock(cb *common.Block) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if err := ledger.Commit(cb); err != nil {
+		peerLogger.Errorf("Unable to get genesis block committed into the ledger, chainID %v", cid)
+		return err
+	}
 	return createChain(cid, ledger, cb)
 }
 
diff --git a/gossip/state/state.go b/gossip/state/state.go
index b6c6b497f85..03d2fc91ea4 100644
--- a/gossip/state/state.go
+++ b/gossip/state/state.go
@@ -112,13 +112,6 @@ func NewGossipStateProvider(chainID string, g gossip.Gossip, committer committer
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	//if the ledger is empty, we need a block from orderer
-	//so don't expect height+1 but expect 0
-	next := height
-	if height > 0 {
-		next = height + 1
-	}
-
 	s := &GossipStateProviderImpl{
 		chainID: chainID,
 
@@ -133,7 +126,7 @@ func NewGossipStateProvider(chainID string, g gossip.Gossip, committer committer
 
 		stopFlag: 0,
 		// Create a queue for payload received
-		payloads: NewPayloadsBuffer(next),
+		payloads: NewPayloadsBuffer(height + 1),
 
 		committer: committer,
 
diff --git a/gossip/state/state_test.go b/gossip/state/state_test.go
index d25794fdcb7..7443cda6979 100644
--- a/gossip/state/state_test.go
+++ b/gossip/state/state_test.go
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ func TestNewGossipStateProvider_SendingManyMessages(t *testing.T) {
 
 	msgCount := 10
 
-	for i := 0; i < msgCount; i++ {
+	for i := 1; i <= msgCount; i++ {
 		rawblock := pcomm.NewBlock(uint64(i), []byte{})
 		if bytes, err := pb.Marshal(rawblock); err == nil {
 			payload := &proto.Payload{uint64(i), "", bytes}