diff --git a/cmd/serve.go b/cmd/serve.go
index e8f3f10..7c69de5 100644
--- a/cmd/serve.go
+++ b/cmd/serve.go
@@ -58,7 +58,9 @@ func serve() {
 	// start service and servers
 	logWithCommand.Info("Starting statediff service")
 	wg := new(sync.WaitGroup)
-	go statediffService.Loop(wg)
+	if err := statediffService.Loop(wg); err != nil {
+		logWithCommand.Fatalf("unable to start statediff service: %v", err)
+	}
 	logWithCommand.Info("Starting RPC servers")
 	if err := startServers(statediffService); err != nil {
 		logWithCommand.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/pkg/prom/prom.go b/pkg/prom/prom.go
index 61f5a8a..2df6f6a 100644
--- a/pkg/prom/prom.go
+++ b/pkg/prom/prom.go
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ const statsSubsystem = "stats"
 var (
 	metrics bool
 
+	queuedRanges prometheus.Counter
+
 	lastLoadedHeight    prometheus.Gauge
 	lastProcessedHeight prometheus.Gauge
 
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ var (
 )
 
 const (
+	RANGES_QUEUED        = "ranges_queued"
 	LOADED_HEIGHT        = "loaded_height"
 	PROCESSED_HEIGHT     = "processed_height"
 	T_BLOCK_LOAD         = "t_block_load"
@@ -51,6 +54,12 @@ const (
 func Init() {
 	metrics = true
 
+	queuedRanges = promauto.NewCounter(prometheus.CounterOpts{
+		Namespace: namespace,
+		Name:      RANGES_QUEUED,
+		Help:      "Number of range requests currently queued",
+	})
+
 	lastLoadedHeight = promauto.NewGauge(prometheus.GaugeOpts{
 		Namespace: namespace,
 		Name:      LOADED_HEIGHT,
@@ -88,13 +97,27 @@ func Init() {
 	})
 }
 
-// RegisterDBCollector create metric colletor for given connection
+// RegisterDBCollector create metric collector for given connection
 func RegisterDBCollector(name string, db *sqlx.DB) {
 	if metrics {
 		prometheus.Register(NewDBStatsCollector(name, db))
 	}
 }
 
+// IncQueuedRanges increments the number of queued range requests
+func IncQueuedRanges() {
+	if metrics {
+		queuedRanges.Inc()
+	}
+}
+
+// DecQueuedRanges decrements the number of queued range requests
+func DecQueuedRanges() {
+	if metrics {
+		queuedRanges.Add(-1)
+	}
+}
+
 // SetLastLoadedHeight sets last loaded height
 func SetLastLoadedHeight(height int64) {
 	if metrics {
diff --git a/pkg/service.go b/pkg/service.go
index 959e06b..bb3226a 100644
--- a/pkg/service.go
+++ b/pkg/service.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ type StateDiffService interface {
 	APIs() []rpc.API
 	Protocols() []p2p.Protocol
 	// Loop is the main event loop for processing state diffs
-	Loop(wg *sync.WaitGroup)
+	Loop(wg *sync.WaitGroup) 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
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ type Service struct {
 	// Used to read data from leveldb
 	lvlDBReader Reader
 	// Used to signal shutdown of the service
-	quitChan chan bool
+	quitChan chan struct{}
 	// Interface for publishing statediffs as PG-IPLD objects
 	indexer ind.Indexer
 	// range queue
@@ -91,7 +91,6 @@ func NewStateDiffService(lvlDBReader Reader, indexer ind.Indexer, conf Config) (
 	return &Service{
 		lvlDBReader: lvlDBReader,
 		Builder:     builder,
-		quitChan:    make(chan bool),
 		indexer:     indexer,
 		workers:     conf.ServiceWorkers,
 		queue:       make(chan RangeRequest, conf.WorkerQueueSize),
@@ -117,7 +116,11 @@ func (sds *Service) APIs() []rpc.API {
 }
 
 // Loop is an empty service loop for awaiting rpc requests
-func (sds *Service) Loop(wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
+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)
 		go func(id int) {
@@ -125,6 +128,7 @@ func (sds *Service) Loop(wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
 			for {
 				select {
 				case blockRange := <-sds.queue:
+					prom.DecQueuedRanges()
 					for j := blockRange.Start; j <= blockRange.Start; j++ {
 						if err := sds.WriteStateDiffAt(j, blockRange.Params); err != nil {
 							logrus.Errorf("service worker %d error writing statediff at height %d in range (%d, %d) : %v", id, j, blockRange.Start, blockRange.Stop, err)
@@ -147,8 +151,12 @@ func (sds *Service) Loop(wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
 		}(i)
 	}
 	for _, preRun := range sds.preruns {
-		sds.queue <- preRun
+		if err := sds.WriteStateDiffsInRange(preRun.Start, preRun.Stop, preRun.Params); err != nil {
+			close(sds.quitChan)
+			return err
+		}
 	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 // StateDiffAt returns a state diff object payload at the specific blockheight
@@ -265,8 +273,7 @@ func (sds *Service) processStateTrie(block *types.Block, params sd.Params) (*sd.
 // Start is used to begin the service
 func (sds *Service) Start() error {
 	logrus.Info("starting statediff service")
-	go sds.Loop(new(sync.WaitGroup))
-	return nil
+	return sds.Loop(new(sync.WaitGroup))
 }
 
 // Stop is used to close down the service
@@ -372,6 +379,8 @@ func (sds *Service) WriteStateDiffsInRange(start, stop uint64, params sd.Params)
 	blocked := time.NewTimer(30 * time.Second)
 	select {
 	case sds.queue <- RangeRequest{Start: start, Stop: stop, Params: params}:
+		prom.IncQueuedRanges()
+		logrus.Infof("added range (%d, %d) to the worker queue", start, stop)
 		return nil
 	case <-blocked.C:
 		return fmt.Errorf("unable to add range (%d, %d) to the worker queue", start, stop)