diff --git a/cmd/lotus-chainwatch/syncer/blockssub.go b/cmd/lotus-chainwatch/syncer/blockssub.go
index 04b78da0e..ea9c079e8 100644
--- a/cmd/lotus-chainwatch/syncer/blockssub.go
+++ b/cmd/lotus-chainwatch/syncer/blockssub.go
@@ -11,16 +11,17 @@ import (
 func (s *Syncer) subBlocks(ctx context.Context) {
 	sub, err := s.node.SyncIncomingBlocks(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Error(err)
+		log.Errorf("opening incoming block channel: %+v", err)
 		return
 	}
 
+	log.Infow("Capturing incoming blocks")
 	for bh := range sub {
 		err := s.storeHeaders(map[cid.Cid]*types.BlockHeader{
 			bh.Cid(): bh,
 		}, false, time.Now())
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("%+v", err)
+			log.Errorf("storing incoming block header: %+v", err)
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/cmd/lotus-chainwatch/syncer/sync.go b/cmd/lotus-chainwatch/syncer/sync.go
index 79b9dd6a3..9688a5f8a 100644
--- a/cmd/lotus-chainwatch/syncer/sync.go
+++ b/cmd/lotus-chainwatch/syncer/sync.go
@@ -160,11 +160,8 @@ func (s *Syncer) Start(ctx context.Context) {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	// continue to keep the block headers table up to date.
-	notifs, err := s.node.ChainNotify(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
-	}
+	// capture all reported blocks
+	go s.subBlocks(ctx)
 
 	// we need to ensure that on a restart we don't reprocess the whole flarping chain
 	var sinceEpoch uint64
@@ -177,6 +174,13 @@ func (s *Syncer) Start(ctx context.Context) {
 			sinceEpoch = uint64(height)
 		}
 	}
+
+	// continue to keep the block headers table up to date.
+	notifs, err := s.node.ChainNotify(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
 	go func() {
 		for notif := range notifs {
 			for _, change := range notif {