diff --git a/cmd/env.go b/cmd/env.go
index 4f81f65..8c21860 100644
--- a/cmd/env.go
+++ b/cmd/env.go
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ const (
 	PROM_HTTP_ADDR = "PROM_HTTP_ADDR"
 	PROM_HTTP_PORT = "PROM_HTTP_PORT"
 	PROM_DB_STATS  = "PROM_DB_STATS"
+
+	PRERUN_ONLY        = "PRERUN_ONLY"
+	PRERUN_RANGE_START = "PRERUN_RANGE_START"
+	PRERUN_RANGE_STOP  = "PRERUN_RANGE_STOP"
 )
 
 // Bind env vars for eth node and DB configuration
@@ -82,4 +86,8 @@ func init() {
 	viper.BindEnv("statediff.serviceWorkers", STATEDIFF_SERVICE_WORKERS)
 	viper.BindEnv("statediff.trieWorkers", STATEDIFF_TRIE_WORKERS)
 	viper.BindEnv("statediff.workerQueueSize", STATEDIFF_WORKER_QUEUE_SIZE)
+
+	viper.BindEnv("prerun.only", PRERUN_ONLY)
+	viper.BindEnv("prerun.start", PRERUN_RANGE_START)
+	viper.BindEnv("prerun.stop", PRERUN_RANGE_STOP)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 6356e0b..d89c967 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -139,6 +139,10 @@ func init() {
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Bool("prom-db-stats", false, "enables prometheus db stats")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Bool("prom-metrics", false, "enable prometheus metrics")
 
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Bool("prerun-only", false, "only process pre-configured ranges; exit afterwards")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Int("prerun-start", 0, "start height for a prerun range")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Int("prerun-stop", 0, "stop height for a prerun range")
+
 	viper.BindPFlag("server.httpPath", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("http-path"))
 	viper.BindPFlag("server.ipcPath", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("ipc-path"))
 	viper.BindPFlag("log.file", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("log-file"))
@@ -166,6 +170,9 @@ func init() {
 	viper.BindPFlag("prom.httpPort", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("prom-http-port"))
 	viper.BindPFlag("prom.dbStats", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("prom-db-stats"))
 	viper.BindPFlag("prom.metrics", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("prom-metrics"))
+	viper.BindPFlag("prerun.only", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("prerun-only"))
+	viper.BindPFlag("prerun.start", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("prerun-start"))
+	viper.BindPFlag("prerun.stop", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("prerun-stop"))
 }
 
 func initConfig() {
diff --git a/cmd/serve.go b/cmd/serve.go
index 586b383..947014e 100644
--- a/cmd/serve.go
+++ b/cmd/serve.go
@@ -55,6 +55,14 @@ func serve() {
 		logWithCommand.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	// short circuit if we only want to perform prerun
+	if viper.GetBool("prerun.only") {
+		if err := statediffService.Run(nil); err != nil {
+			logWithCommand.Fatal("unable to perform prerun: %v", err)
+		}
+		return
+	}
+
 	// start service and servers
 	logWithCommand.Info("Starting statediff service")
 	wg := new(sync.WaitGroup)
diff --git a/cmd/util.go b/cmd/util.go
index 7d38bd9..08d8a9b 100644
--- a/cmd/util.go
+++ b/cmd/util.go
@@ -122,6 +122,16 @@ func setupPreRunRanges() []sd.RangeRequest {
 			Params: preRunParams,
 		}
 	}
+	if viper.IsSet("prerun.start") && viper.IsSet("prerun.stop") {
+		hardStart := viper.GetInt("prerun.start")
+		hardStop := viper.GetInt("prerun.stop")
+		blockRanges = append(blockRanges, sd.RangeRequest{
+			Start:  uint64(hardStart),
+			Stop:   uint64(hardStop),
+			Params: preRunParams,
+		})
+	}
+
 	return blockRanges
 }
 
diff --git a/environments/example.toml b/environments/example.toml
index 0ee5b6f..dbd7282 100644
--- a/environments/example.toml
+++ b/environments/example.toml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
     trieWorkers = 4
 
 [prerun]
+    only = false
     ranges = [
         [0, 1000]
     ]
diff --git a/pkg/service.go b/pkg/service.go
index b176a2f..cecf6c0 100644
--- a/pkg/service.go
+++ b/pkg/service.go
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ type StateDiffService interface {
 	Protocols() []p2p.Protocol
 	// Loop is the main event loop for processing state diffs
 	Loop(wg *sync.WaitGroup) error
+	// Run is a one-off command to run on a predefined set of ranges
+	Run(ranges []RangeRequest) error
 	// StateDiffAt method to get state diff object at specific block
 	StateDiffAt(blockNumber uint64, params sd.Params) (*sd.Payload, error)
 	// StateDiffFor method to get state diff object at specific block
@@ -115,11 +117,34 @@ func (sds *Service) APIs() []rpc.API {
 	}
 }
 
+// Run does a one-off processing run on the provided RangeRequests + any pre-runs, exiting afterwards
+func (sds *Service) Run(rngs []RangeRequest) error {
+	for _, preRun := range sds.preruns {
+		logrus.Infof("processing prerun range (%d, %d)", preRun.Start, preRun.Stop)
+		for i := preRun.Start; i <= preRun.Stop; i++ {
+			if err := sds.WriteStateDiffAt(i, preRun.Params); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("error writing statediff at height %d in range (%d, %d) : %v", i, preRun.Start, preRun.Stop, err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	sds.preruns = nil
+	for _, rng := range rngs {
+		logrus.Infof("processing prerun range (%d, %d)", rng.Start, rng.Stop)
+		for i := rng.Start; i <= rng.Stop; i++ {
+			if err := sds.WriteStateDiffAt(i, rng.Params); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("error writing statediff at height %d in range (%d, %d) : %v", i, rng.Start, rng.Stop, err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Loop is an empty service loop for awaiting rpc requests
 func (sds *Service) Loop(wg *sync.WaitGroup) error {
 	if sds.quitChan != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("service loop is already running")
 	}
+
 	sds.quitChan = make(chan struct{})
 	for i := 0; i < int(sds.workers); i++ {
 		wg.Add(1)
@@ -128,6 +153,7 @@ func (sds *Service) Loop(wg *sync.WaitGroup) error {
 			for {
 				select {
 				case blockRange := <-sds.queue:
+					logrus.Infof("service worker %d received range (%d, %d) off of work queue, beginning processing", id, blockRange.Start, blockRange.Stop)
 					prom.DecQueuedRanges()
 					for j := blockRange.Start; j <= blockRange.Stop; j++ {
 						if err := sds.WriteStateDiffAt(j, blockRange.Params); err != nil {