diff --git a/eth/handler.go b/eth/handler.go
index d0456446d..3705f5bb6 100644
--- a/eth/handler.go
+++ b/eth/handler.go
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) handleMsg(p *peer) error {
 		pm.txpool.AddTransactions(txs)
 
 	case GetBlockHashesMsg:
-		var request getBlockHashesMsgData
+		var request getBlockHashesData
 		if err := msg.Decode(&request); err != nil {
 			return errResp(ErrDecode, "->msg %v: %v", msg, err)
 		}
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) handleMsg(p *peer) error {
 
 	case NewBlockMsg:
 		// Retrieve and decode the propagated block
-		var request newBlockMsgData
+		var request newBlockData
 		if err := msg.Decode(&request); err != nil {
 			return errResp(ErrDecode, "%v: %v", msg, err)
 		}
diff --git a/eth/peer.go b/eth/peer.go
index 0120cd033..a5d56249d 100644
--- a/eth/peer.go
+++ b/eth/peer.go
@@ -25,19 +25,6 @@ const (
 	maxKnownBlocks = 1024  // Maximum block hashes to keep in the known list (prevent DOS)
 )
 
-type statusMsgData struct {
-	ProtocolVersion uint32
-	NetworkId       uint32
-	TD              *big.Int
-	CurrentBlock    common.Hash
-	GenesisBlock    common.Hash
-}
-
-type getBlockHashesMsgData struct {
-	Hash   common.Hash
-	Amount uint64
-}
-
 type peer struct {
 	*p2p.Peer
 
@@ -181,8 +168,15 @@ func (p *peer) SendNewBlock(block *types.Block) error {
 // RequestHashes fetches a batch of hashes from a peer, starting at from, going
 // towards the genesis block.
 func (p *peer) RequestHashes(from common.Hash) error {
-	glog.V(logger.Debug).Infof("Peer [%s] fetching hashes (%d) %x...\n", p.id, downloader.MaxHashFetch, from[:4])
-	return p2p.Send(p.rw, GetBlockHashesMsg, getBlockHashesMsgData{from, uint64(downloader.MaxHashFetch)})
+	glog.V(logger.Debug).Infof("Peer [%s] fetching hashes (%d) from %x...\n", p.id, downloader.MaxHashFetch, from[:4])
+	return p2p.Send(p.rw, GetBlockHashesMsg, getBlockHashesData{from, uint64(downloader.MaxHashFetch)})
+}
+
+// RequestHashesFromNumber fetches a batch of hashes from a peer, starting at the
+// requested block number, going upwards towards the genesis block.
+func (p *peer) RequestHashesFromNumber(from uint64) error {
+	glog.V(logger.Debug).Infof("Peer [%s] fetching hashes (%d) from #%d...\n", p.id, downloader.MaxHashFetch, from)
+	return p2p.Send(p.rw, GetBlockHashesFromNumberMsg, getBlockHashesFromNumberData{from, uint64(downloader.MaxHashFetch)})
 }
 
 // RequestBlocks fetches a batch of blocks corresponding to the specified hashes.
@@ -197,7 +191,7 @@ func (p *peer) Handshake(td *big.Int, head common.Hash, genesis common.Hash) err
 	// Send out own handshake in a new thread
 	errc := make(chan error, 1)
 	go func() {
-		errc <- p2p.Send(p.rw, StatusMsg, &statusMsgData{
+		errc <- p2p.Send(p.rw, StatusMsg, &statusData{
 			ProtocolVersion: uint32(p.version),
 			NetworkId:       uint32(p.network),
 			TD:              td,
@@ -217,7 +211,7 @@ func (p *peer) Handshake(td *big.Int, head common.Hash, genesis common.Hash) err
 		return errResp(ErrMsgTooLarge, "%v > %v", msg.Size, ProtocolMaxMsgSize)
 	}
 	// Decode the handshake and make sure everything matches
-	var status statusMsgData
+	var status statusData
 	if err := msg.Decode(&status); err != nil {
 		return errResp(ErrDecode, "msg %v: %v", msg, err)
 	}
diff --git a/eth/protocol.go b/eth/protocol.go
index 56409721b..bf9e155c5 100644
--- a/eth/protocol.go
+++ b/eth/protocol.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ const (
 	GetBlocksMsg
 	BlocksMsg
 	NewBlockMsg
-	BlockHashesFromNumbers
+	GetBlockHashesFromNumberMsg
 )
 
 type errCode int
@@ -77,8 +77,31 @@ type chainManager interface {
 	Status() (td *big.Int, currentBlock common.Hash, genesisBlock common.Hash)
 }
 
-// message structs used for RLP serialization
-type newBlockMsgData struct {
+// statusData is the network packet for the status message.
+type statusData struct {
+	ProtocolVersion uint32
+	NetworkId       uint32
+	TD              *big.Int
+	CurrentBlock    common.Hash
+	GenesisBlock    common.Hash
+}
+
+// getBlockHashesData is the network packet for the hash based block retrieval
+// message.
+type getBlockHashesData struct {
+	Hash   common.Hash
+	Amount uint64
+}
+
+// getBlockHashesFromNumberData is the network packet for the number based block
+// retrieval message.
+type getBlockHashesFromNumberData struct {
+	Number uint64
+	Amount uint64
+}
+
+// newBlockData is the network packet for the block propagation message.
+type newBlockData struct {
 	Block *types.Block
 	TD    *big.Int
 }
diff --git a/eth/protocol_test.go b/eth/protocol_test.go
index ffd4ca19f..4c1579d4e 100644
--- a/eth/protocol_test.go
+++ b/eth/protocol_test.go
@@ -39,15 +39,15 @@ func TestStatusMsgErrors(t *testing.T) {
 			wantError: errResp(ErrNoStatusMsg, "first msg has code 2 (!= 0)"),
 		},
 		{
-			code: StatusMsg, data: statusMsgData{10, NetworkId, td, currentBlock, genesis},
+			code: StatusMsg, data: statusData{10, NetworkId, td, currentBlock, genesis},
 			wantError: errResp(ErrProtocolVersionMismatch, "10 (!= 0)"),
 		},
 		{
-			code: StatusMsg, data: statusMsgData{uint32(ProtocolVersions[0]), 999, td, currentBlock, genesis},
+			code: StatusMsg, data: statusData{uint32(ProtocolVersions[0]), 999, td, currentBlock, genesis},
 			wantError: errResp(ErrNetworkIdMismatch, "999 (!= 0)"),
 		},
 		{
-			code: StatusMsg, data: statusMsgData{uint32(ProtocolVersions[0]), NetworkId, td, currentBlock, common.Hash{3}},
+			code: StatusMsg, data: statusData{uint32(ProtocolVersions[0]), NetworkId, td, currentBlock, common.Hash{3}},
 			wantError: errResp(ErrGenesisBlockMismatch, "0300000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 (!= %x)", genesis),
 		},
 	}
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ func newTestPeer(pm *ProtocolManager) (*testPeer, <-chan error) {
 
 func (p *testPeer) handshake(t *testing.T) {
 	td, currentBlock, genesis := p.pm.chainman.Status()
-	msg := &statusMsgData{
+	msg := &statusData{
 		ProtocolVersion: uint32(p.pm.protVer),
 		NetworkId:       uint32(p.pm.netId),
 		TD:              td,