diff --git a/eth_p2p.nim b/eth_p2p.nim
index 5d6a674..03d6343 100644
--- a/eth_p2p.nim
+++ b/eth_p2p.nim
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
 #
 
 import
-  tables, deques, macros, sets, algorithm, hashes, times, random, options,
+  tables, deques, macros, sets, algorithm, hashes, times,
+  random, options, sequtils,
   asyncdispatch2, asyncdispatch2/timer,
   rlp, ranges/[stackarrays, ptr_arith], nimcrypto, chronicles,
   eth_keys, eth_common,
@@ -488,7 +489,7 @@ proc waitSingleMsg(peer: Peer, MsgType: type): Future[MsgType] {.async.} =
     if nextMsgId == wantedId:
       return nextMsgData.read(MsgType)
 
-proc nextMsg*(peer: Peer, MsgType: type): Future[MsgType] {.async.} =
+proc nextMsg*(peer: Peer, MsgType: type): Future[MsgType] =
   ## This procs awaits a specific RLPx message.
   ## Any messages received while waiting will be dispatched to their
   ## respective handlers. The designated message handler will also run
@@ -542,10 +543,11 @@ template supports*(peer: Peer, Protocol: type): bool =
   ## Checks whether a Peer supports a particular protocol
   peer.dispatcher.protocolOffsets[Protocol.protocolInfo.index] != -1
 
-template state*(connection: Peer, Protocol: type): untyped =
+template state*(peer: Peer, Protocol: type): untyped =
   ## Returns the state object of a particular protocol for a
   ## particular connection.
-  cast[ref Protocol.State](connection.getState(Protocol.protocolInfo))
+  bind getState
+  cast[ref Protocol.State](getState(peer, Protocol.protocolInfo))
 
 proc getNetworkState(peer: Peer, proto: ProtocolInfo): RootRef =
   peer.network.protocolStates[proto.index]
@@ -985,8 +987,11 @@ rlpxProtocol p2p, 0:
     discard
 
 proc disconnect*(peer: Peer, reason: DisconnectionReason) {.async.} =
-  await peer.sendDisconnectMsg(reason)
-  # TODO: Any other clean up required?
+  if peer.connectionState notin {Disconnecting, Disconnected}:
+    peer.connectionState = Disconnecting
+    await peer.sendDisconnectMsg(reason)
+    peer.connectionState = Disconnected
+    # TODO: Any other clean up required?
 
 template `^`(arr): auto =
   # passes a stack array with a matching `arrLen`
@@ -1397,6 +1402,30 @@ iterator peers*(node: EthereumNode): Peer =
   for remote, peer in node.peerPool.connectedNodes:
     yield peer
 
+iterator peers*(node: EthereumNode, Protocol: type): Peer =
+  for peer in node.peers:
+    if peer.supports(Protocol):
+      yield peer
+
+iterator randomPeers*(node: EthereumNode, maxPeers: int): Peer =
+  # TODO: this can be implemented more efficiently
+
+  # XXX: this doesn't compile, why?
+  # var peer = toSeq node.peers
+  var peers = newSeqOfCap[Peer](node.peerPool.connectedNodes.len)
+  for peer in node.peers: peers.add(peer)
+
+  shuffle(peers)
+  for i in 0 ..< min(maxPeers, peers.len):
+    yield peers[i]
+
+proc randomPeer*(node: EthereumNode): Peer =
+  let peerIdx = random(node.peerPool.connectedNodes.len)
+  var i = 0
+  for peer in node.peers:
+    if i == peerIdx: return peer
+    inc i
+
 when isMainModule:
   import rlp, strformat
 
diff --git a/eth_p2p/rlpx_protocols/eth.nim b/eth_p2p/rlpx_protocols/eth.nim
index 5320a99..7ce6970 100644
--- a/eth_p2p/rlpx_protocols/eth.nim
+++ b/eth_p2p/rlpx_protocols/eth.nim
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #
 
 import
+  random,
   asyncdispatch2, rlp, stint, eth_common,
   ../../eth_p2p
 
@@ -25,24 +26,43 @@ type
     syncing: bool
 
   PeerState = object
-    reportedTotalDifficulty: DifficultyInt
-    latestBlockHash: KeccakHash
+    initialized: bool
+    bestBlockHash: KeccakHash
+    bestDifficulty: DifficultyInt
 
 const
   maxStateFetch = 384
   maxBodiesFetch = 128
   maxReceiptsFetch = 256
   maxHeadersFetch = 192
+  protocolVersion = 63
 
-rlpxProtocol eth, 63:
+rlpxProtocol eth, protocolVersion:
   useRequestIds = false
 
   type State = PeerState
 
+  onPeerConnected do (peer: Peer):
+    let
+      network = peer.network
+      chain = network.chain
+      bestBlock = chain.getBestBlockHeader
+
+    await peer.status(protocolVersion,
+                      network.networkId,
+                      deref(bestBlock).difficulty,
+                      deref(bestBlock).blockHash,
+                      chain.genesisHash)
+
+    discard await peer.nextMsg(eth.status)
+    peer.state.initialized = true
+
   proc status(peer: Peer,
-              protocolVersion, networkId: uint,
+              protocolVersion: uint,
+              networkId: uint,
               totalDifficulty: DifficultyInt,
-              bestHash, genesisHash: KeccakHash) =
+              bestHash: KeccakHash,
+              genesisHash: KeccakHash) =
     # verify that the peer is on the same chain:
     if peer.network.networkId != networkId or
        peer.network.chain.genesisHash != genesisHash:
@@ -50,7 +70,8 @@ rlpxProtocol eth, 63:
       await peer.disconnect(SubprotocolReason)
       return
 
-    peer.state.reportedTotalDifficulty = totalDifficulty
+    peer.state.bestBlockHash = bestHash
+    peer.state.bestDifficulty = totalDifficulty
 
   proc newBlockHashes(peer: Peer, hashes: openarray[NewBlockHashesAnnounce]) =
     discard
@@ -119,27 +140,168 @@ rlpxProtocol eth, 63:
     proc receipts(peer: Peer, receipts: openarray[Receipt]) =
       discard
 
-proc fastBlockchainSync*(node: EthereumNode) {.async.} =
-  # 1. obtain last N block headers from all peers
-  var latestBlocksRequest: BlocksRequest
-  var requests = newSeqOfCap[Future[Option[eth.blockHeaders]]](32)
-  for peer in node.peers:
+type
+  SyncStatus* = enum
+    syncSuccess
+    syncNotEnoughPeers
+    syncTimeOut
+
+  WantedBlocksState = enum
+    Initial,
+    Requested,
+    Received
+
+  WantedBlocks = object
+    startIndex, endIndex: int
+    results: seq[BlockHeader]
+    state: WantedBlocksState
+    nextWorkItem: int
+
+  SyncContext = ref object
+    workQueue: seq[WantedBlocks]
+    nextWorkItem: int
+
+proc popWorkItem(ctx: SyncContext): int =
+  result = ctx.nextWorkItem
+  ctx.nextWorkItem = ctx.workQueue[result].nextWorkItem
+
+proc returnWorkItem(ctx: SyncContext, workItem: int) =
+  ctx.workQueue[workItem].state = Initial
+  ctx.workQueue[workItem].nextWorkItem = ctx.nextWorkItem
+  ctx.nextWorkItem = workItem
+
+proc newSyncContext(startBlock, endBlock: int): SyncContext =
+  new result
+
+  let totalBlocksNeeded = endBlock - startBlock
+  let workQueueSize = totalBlocksNeeded div maxHeadersFetch
+  result.workQueue = newSeq[WantedBlocks](workQueueSize)
+
+  for i in 0 ..< workQueueSize:
+    let startIndex = startBlock + i * maxHeadersFetch
+    result.workQueue[i].startIndex = startIndex
+    result.workQueue[i].endIndex = startIndex + maxHeadersFetch
+    result.nextWorkItem = i + 1
+
+  if totalBlocksNeeded mod maxHeadersFetch == 0:
+    result.workQueue[^1].nextWorkItem = -1
+  else:
+    # TODO: this still has a tiny risk of reallocation
+    result.workQueue.add WantedBlocks(
+      startIndex: result.workQueue[^1].endIndex + 1,
+      endIndex: endBlock,
+      nextWorkItem: -1)
+
+proc handleLostPeer(ctx: SyncContext) =
+  # TODO: ask the PeerPool for new connections and then call
+  # `obtainsBlocksFromPeer`
+  discard
+
+proc randomOtherPeer(node: EthereumNode, particularPeer: Peer): Peer =
+  # TODO: we can maintain a per-protocol list of peers in EtheruemNode
+  var ethPeersCount = 0
+  for peer in node.peers(eth):
+    if peer != particularPeer:
+      inc ethPeersCount
+
+  if ethPeersCount == 0: return nil
+  let peerIdx = random(ethPeersCount) + 1
+  for peer in node.peers(eth):
+    if peer != particularPeer:
+      if peerIdx == ethPeersCount: return peer
+      dec ethPeersCount
+
+proc obtainsBlocksFromPeer(peer: Peer, syncCtx: SyncContext) {.async.} =
+  # TODO: add support for request pipelining here
+  # (asking for multiple blocks even before the results are in)
+
+  while (let workItemIdx = syncCtx.popWorkItem; workItemIdx != -1):
+    template workItem: auto = syncCtx.workQueue[workItemIdx]
+
+    workItem.state = Requested
+
+    let request = BlocksRequest(
+      startBlock: HashOrNum(isHash: false,
+                            number: workItem.startIndex.toBlockNumber),
+      maxResults: maxHeadersFetch,
+      skip: 0,
+      reverse: false)
+
+    try:
+      let results = await peer.getBlockHeaders(request)
+      if results.isSome:
+        workItem.state = Received
+        shallowCopy(workItem.results, results.get.headers)
+        continue
+    except:
+      # the success case uses `continue`, so we can just fall back to the
+      # failure path below. If we signal time-outs with exceptions such
+      # failures will be easier to handle.
+      discard
+
+    # This peer proved to be unreliable. TODO: Decrease its reputation.
+    await peer.disconnect(SubprotocolReason)
+    syncCtx.returnWorkItem workItemIdx
+    syncCtx.handleLostPeer()
+
+proc fastBlockchainSync*(node: EthereumNode): Future[SyncStatus] {.async.} =
+  var
+    bestBlockDifficulty: DifficultyInt = 0.stuint(256)
+    bestPeer: Peer = nil
+    bestBlockNumber: BlockNumber
+
+  for peer in node.peers(eth):
+    let peerEthState = peer.state(eth)
+    if peerEthState.initialized:
+      if peerEthState.bestDifficulty > bestBlockDifficulty:
+        bestBlockDifficulty = peerEthState.bestDifficulty
+        bestPeer = peer
+
+  if bestPeer == nil:
+    return syncNotEnoughPeers
+
+  while true:
+    let request = BlocksRequest(
+      startBlock: HashOrNum(isHash: true,
+                            hash: bestPeer.state(eth).bestBlockHash),
+      maxResults: 1,
+      skip: 0,
+      reverse: true)
+
+    let latestBlock = await bestPeer.getBlockHeaders(request)
+
+    if latestBlock.isSome and latestBlock.get.headers.len > 0:
+      bestBlockNumber = latestBlock.get.headers[0].blockNumber
+      break
+
+    # TODO: maintain multiple "best peer" candidates and send requests
+    # to the second best option
+    bestPeer = node.randomOtherPeer(bestPeer)
+    if bestPeer == nil:
+      return syncNotEnoughPeers
+
+  # does the network agree with our best block?
+  var
+    localChain = node.chain
+    bestLocalHeader = localChain.getBestBlockHeader
+
+  for peer in node.randomPeers(5):
     if peer.supports(eth):
-      requests.add peer.getBlockHeaders(latestBlocksRequest)
+      let request = BlocksRequest(
+        startBlock: HashOrNum(isHash: false,
+                              number: bestLocalHeader.blockNumber),
+        maxResults: 1,
+        skip: 0,
+        reverse: true)
 
-  discard await all(requests)
+      # TODO: check if the majority of peers agree with the block
+      # positioned at our best block number.
 
-  # 2. find out what is the block with best total difficulty
-  var bestBlockDifficulty: DifficultyInt = 0.stuint(256)
-  for req in requests:
-    if req.read.isNone: continue
-    for header in req.read.get.headers:
-      if header.difficulty > bestBlockDifficulty:
-        discard
+  # TODO: In case of disagreement, perform a binary search to locate a
+  # block where we agree.
 
-  # 3. establish the highest valid block for each peer
-  # keep in mind that some of the peers may report an alternative history, so
-  # we must find the last block where each peer agreed with the best peer
+  if bestLocalHeader.blockNumber >= bestBlockNumber:
+    return syncSuccess
 
   # 4. Start making requests in parallel for the block headers that we are
   # missing (by requesting blocks from peers while honoring maxHeadersFetch).
@@ -147,6 +309,14 @@ proc fastBlockchainSync*(node: EthereumNode) {.async.} =
   # a different peer in case of time-out. Handle invalid or incomplete replies
   # properly. The peer may respond with fewer headers than requested (or with
   # different ones if the peer is not behaving properly).
+  var syncCtx = newSyncContext(bestLocalHeader.blockNumber.toInt,
+                               bestBlockNumber.toInt)
+
+  for peer in node.peers:
+    if peer.supports(eth):
+      # TODO: we should also monitor the PeerPool for new peers here and
+      # we should automatically add them to the loop.
+      asyncCheck obtainsBlocksFromPeer(peer, syncCtx)
 
   # 5. Store the obtained headers in the blockchain DB