diff --git a/api/api.go b/api/api.go
index 13e564818..c787d17c2 100644
--- a/api/api.go
+++ b/api/api.go
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ type FullNode interface {
 	ChainGetParentMessages(context.Context, cid.Cid) ([]Message, error)
 	ChainGetTipSetByHeight(context.Context, uint64, *types.TipSet) (*types.TipSet, error)
 	ChainReadObj(context.Context, cid.Cid) ([]byte, error)
+	ChainSetHead(context.Context, *types.TipSet) error
 
 	// syncer
 	SyncState(context.Context) (*SyncState, error)
diff --git a/api/struct.go b/api/struct.go
index ed2e8e933..ab61ef39e 100644
--- a/api/struct.go
+++ b/api/struct.go
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ type FullNodeStruct struct {
 		ChainGetParentMessages func(context.Context, cid.Cid) ([]Message, error)                          `perm:"read"`
 		ChainGetTipSetByHeight func(context.Context, uint64, *types.TipSet) (*types.TipSet, error)        `perm:"read"`
 		ChainReadObj           func(context.Context, cid.Cid) ([]byte, error)                             `perm:"read"`
+		ChainSetHead           func(context.Context, *types.TipSet) error                                 `perm:"admin"`
 
 		SyncState func(context.Context) (*SyncState, error) `perm:"read"`
 
@@ -303,6 +304,10 @@ func (c *FullNodeStruct) ChainReadObj(ctx context.Context, obj cid.Cid) ([]byte,
 	return c.Internal.ChainReadObj(ctx, obj)
 }
 
+func (c *FullNodeStruct) ChainSetHead(ctx context.Context, ts *types.TipSet) error {
+	return c.Internal.ChainSetHead(ctx, ts)
+}
+
 func (c *FullNodeStruct) SyncState(ctx context.Context) (*SyncState, error) {
 	return c.Internal.SyncState(ctx)
 }
diff --git a/chain/store/store.go b/chain/store/store.go
index 311f34aa2..abe483785 100644
--- a/chain/store/store.go
+++ b/chain/store/store.go
@@ -212,31 +212,45 @@ func (cs *ChainStore) MaybeTakeHeavierTipSet(ts *types.TipSet) error {
 		// TODO: don't do this for initial sync. Now that we don't have a
 		// difference between 'bootstrap sync' and 'caught up' sync, we need
 		// some other heuristic.
-		if cs.heaviest != nil {
-			revert, apply, err := cs.ReorgOps(cs.heaviest, ts)
-			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Wrap(err, "computing reorg ops failed")
-			}
-			for _, hcf := range cs.headChangeNotifs {
-				if err := hcf(revert, apply); err != nil {
-					return errors.Wrap(err, "head change func errored (BAD)")
-				}
-			}
-		} else {
-			log.Warn("no heaviest tipset found, using %s", ts.Cids())
-		}
-
-		log.Debugf("New heaviest tipset! %s", ts.Cids())
-		cs.heaviest = ts
-
-		if err := cs.writeHead(ts); err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("failed to write chain head: %s", err)
-			return nil
-		}
+		return cs.takeHeaviestTipSet(ts)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (cs *ChainStore) takeHeaviestTipSet(ts *types.TipSet) error {
+	if cs.heaviest != nil {
+		revert, apply, err := cs.ReorgOps(cs.heaviest, ts)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "computing reorg ops failed")
+		}
+		for _, hcf := range cs.headChangeNotifs {
+			if err := hcf(revert, apply); err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrap(err, "head change func errored (BAD)")
+			}
+		}
+	} else {
+		log.Warn("no heaviest tipset found, using %s", ts.Cids())
+	}
+
+	log.Debugf("New heaviest tipset! %s", ts.Cids())
+	cs.heaviest = ts
+
+	if err := cs.writeHead(ts); err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("failed to write chain head: %s", err)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// SetHead sets the chainstores current 'best' head node.
+// This should only be called if something is broken and needs fixing
+func (cs *ChainStore) SetHead(ts *types.TipSet) error {
+	cs.heaviestLk.Lock()
+	defer cs.heaviestLk.Unlock()
+	return cs.takeHeaviestTipSet(ts)
+}
+
 func (cs *ChainStore) Contains(ts *types.TipSet) (bool, error) {
 	for _, c := range ts.Cids() {
 		has, err := cs.bs.Has(c)
diff --git a/cli/chain.go b/cli/chain.go
index f4fcab5aa..f88343a1d 100644
--- a/cli/chain.go
+++ b/cli/chain.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package cli
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 
@@ -204,3 +205,50 @@ var chainGetMsgCmd = &cli.Command{
 		return nil
 	},
 }
+
+var chainSetHead = &cli.Command{
+	Name:  "sethead",
+	Usage: "manually set the local nodes head tipset (Caution: normally only used for recovery)",
+	Action: func(cctx *cli.Context) error {
+		api, closer, err := GetFullNodeAPI(cctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		defer closer()
+		ctx := ReqContext(cctx)
+
+		if !cctx.Args().Present() {
+			return fmt.Errorf("must pass cids for tipset to set as head")
+		}
+
+		ts, err := parseTipSet(api, ctx, cctx.Args().Slice())
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		if err := api.ChainSetHead(ctx, ts); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	},
+}
+
+func parseTipSet(api api.FullNode, ctx context.Context, vals []string) (*types.TipSet, error) {
+	var headers []*types.BlockHeader
+	for _, c := range vals {
+		blkc, err := cid.Decode(c)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		bh, err := api.ChainGetBlock(ctx, blkc)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		headers = append(headers, bh)
+	}
+
+	return types.NewTipSet(headers)
+}
diff --git a/node/impl/full/chain.go b/node/impl/full/chain.go
index 927053b8e..0d68d22cb 100644
--- a/node/impl/full/chain.go
+++ b/node/impl/full/chain.go
@@ -157,3 +157,7 @@ func (a *ChainAPI) ChainReadObj(ctx context.Context, obj cid.Cid) ([]byte, error
 
 	return blk.RawData(), nil
 }
+
+func (a *ChainAPI) ChainSetHead(ctx context.Context, ts *types.TipSet) error {
+	return a.Chain.SetHead(ts)
+}