diff --git a/chain/exchange/client.go b/chain/exchange/client.go
index 57563d5b2..371c50aed 100644
--- a/chain/exchange/client.go
+++ b/chain/exchange/client.go
@@ -65,7 +65,15 @@ func NewClient(lc fx.Lifecycle, host host.Host, pmgr peermgr.MaybePeerMgr) Clien
 // request options without disrupting external calls. In the future the
 // consumers should be forced to use a more standardized service and
 // adhere to a single API derived from this function.
-func (c *client) doRequest(ctx context.Context, req *Request, singlePeer *peer.ID) (*validatedResponse, error) {
+func (c *client) doRequest(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	req *Request,
+	singlePeer *peer.ID,
+	// In the `GetChainMessages` case, we won't request the headers but we still
+	// need them to check the integrity of the `CompactedMessages` in the response
+	// so the tipset blocks need to be provided by the caller.
+	tipsets []*types.TipSet,
+) (*validatedResponse, error) {
 	// Validate request.
 	if req.Length == 0 {
 		return nil, xerrors.Errorf("invalid request of length 0")
@@ -116,7 +124,7 @@ func (c *client) doRequest(ctx context.Context, req *Request, singlePeer *peer.I
 		}
 
 		// Process and validate response.
-		validRes, err := c.processResponse(req, res)
+		validRes, err := c.processResponse(req, res, tipsets)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Warnf("processing peer %s response failed: %s",
 				peer.String(), err)
@@ -144,7 +152,7 @@ func (c *client) doRequest(ctx context.Context, req *Request, singlePeer *peer.I
 // errors. Peer penalization should happen here then, before returning, so
 // we can apply the correct penalties depending on the cause of the error.
 // FIXME: Add the `peer` as argument once we implement penalties.
-func (c *client) processResponse(req *Request, res *Response) (*validatedResponse, error) {
+func (c *client) processResponse(req *Request, res *Response, tipsets []*types.TipSet) (*validatedResponse, error) {
 	err := res.statusToError()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, xerrors.Errorf("status error: %s", err)
@@ -176,6 +184,16 @@ func (c *client) processResponse(req *Request, res *Response) (*validatedRespons
 		// Check for valid block sets and extract them into `TipSet`s.
 		validRes.tipsets = make([]*types.TipSet, resLength)
 		for i := 0; i < resLength; i++ {
+			if res.Chain[i] == nil {
+				return nil, xerrors.Errorf("response with nil tipset in pos %d", i)
+			}
+			for blockIdx, block := range res.Chain[i].Blocks {
+				if block == nil {
+					return nil, xerrors.Errorf("tipset with nil block in pos %d", blockIdx)
+					// FIXME: Maybe we should move this check to `NewTipSet`.
+				}
+			}
+
 			validRes.tipsets[i], err = types.NewTipSet(res.Chain[i].Blocks)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, xerrors.Errorf("invalid tipset blocks at height (head - %d): %w", i, err)
@@ -210,31 +228,28 @@ func (c *client) processResponse(req *Request, res *Response) (*validatedRespons
 			// If the headers were also returned check that the compression
 			// indexes are valid before `toFullTipSets()` is called by the
 			// consumer.
-			for tipsetIdx := 0; tipsetIdx < resLength; tipsetIdx++ {
-				msgs := res.Chain[tipsetIdx].Messages
-				blocksNum := len(res.Chain[tipsetIdx].Blocks)
-				if len(msgs.BlsIncludes) != blocksNum {
-					return nil, xerrors.Errorf("BlsIncludes (%d) does not match number of blocks (%d)",
-						len(msgs.BlsIncludes), blocksNum)
-				}
-				if len(msgs.SecpkIncludes) != blocksNum {
-					return nil, xerrors.Errorf("SecpkIncludes (%d) does not match number of blocks (%d)",
-						len(msgs.SecpkIncludes), blocksNum)
-				}
-				for blockIdx := 0; blockIdx < blocksNum; blockIdx++ {
-					for _, mi := range msgs.BlsIncludes[blockIdx] {
-						if int(mi) >= len(msgs.Bls) {
-							return nil, xerrors.Errorf("index in BlsIncludes (%d) exceeds number of messages (%d)",
-								mi, len(msgs.Bls))
-						}
-					}
-					for _, mi := range msgs.SecpkIncludes[blockIdx] {
-						if int(mi) >= len(msgs.Secpk) {
-							return nil, xerrors.Errorf("index in SecpkIncludes (%d) exceeds number of messages (%d)",
-								mi, len(msgs.Secpk))
-						}
-					}
+			err := c.validateCompressedIndices(res.Chain)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+		} else {
+			// If we didn't request the headers they should have been provided
+			// by the caller.
+			if len(tipsets) < len(res.Chain) {
+				return nil, xerrors.Errorf("not enought tipsets provided for message response validation, needed %d, have %d", len(res.Chain), len(tipsets))
+			}
+			chain := make([]*BSTipSet, 0, resLength)
+			for i, resChain := range res.Chain {
+				next := &BSTipSet{
+					Blocks:   tipsets[i].Blocks(),
+					Messages: resChain.Messages,
 				}
+				chain = append(chain, next)
+			}
+
+			err := c.validateCompressedIndices(chain)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -242,6 +257,42 @@ func (c *client) processResponse(req *Request, res *Response) (*validatedRespons
 	return validRes, nil
 }
 
+func (c *client) validateCompressedIndices(chain []*BSTipSet) error {
+	resLength := len(chain)
+	for tipsetIdx := 0; tipsetIdx < resLength; tipsetIdx++ {
+		msgs := chain[tipsetIdx].Messages
+		blocksNum := len(chain[tipsetIdx].Blocks)
+
+		if len(msgs.BlsIncludes) != blocksNum {
+			return xerrors.Errorf("BlsIncludes (%d) does not match number of blocks (%d)",
+				len(msgs.BlsIncludes), blocksNum)
+		}
+
+		if len(msgs.SecpkIncludes) != blocksNum {
+			return xerrors.Errorf("SecpkIncludes (%d) does not match number of blocks (%d)",
+				len(msgs.SecpkIncludes), blocksNum)
+		}
+
+		for blockIdx := 0; blockIdx < blocksNum; blockIdx++ {
+			for _, mi := range msgs.BlsIncludes[blockIdx] {
+				if int(mi) >= len(msgs.Bls) {
+					return xerrors.Errorf("index in BlsIncludes (%d) exceeds number of messages (%d)",
+						mi, len(msgs.Bls))
+				}
+			}
+
+			for _, mi := range msgs.SecpkIncludes[blockIdx] {
+				if int(mi) >= len(msgs.Secpk) {
+					return xerrors.Errorf("index in SecpkIncludes (%d) exceeds number of messages (%d)",
+						mi, len(msgs.Secpk))
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // GetBlocks implements Client.GetBlocks(). Refer to the godocs there.
 func (c *client) GetBlocks(ctx context.Context, tsk types.TipSetKey, count int) ([]*types.TipSet, error) {
 	ctx, span := trace.StartSpan(ctx, "bsync.GetBlocks")
@@ -259,7 +310,7 @@ func (c *client) GetBlocks(ctx context.Context, tsk types.TipSetKey, count int)
 		Options: Headers,
 	}
 
-	validRes, err := c.doRequest(ctx, req, nil)
+	validRes, err := c.doRequest(ctx, req, nil, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -277,7 +328,7 @@ func (c *client) GetFullTipSet(ctx context.Context, peer peer.ID, tsk types.TipS
 		Options: Headers | Messages,
 	}
 
-	validRes, err := c.doRequest(ctx, req, &peer)
+	validRes, err := c.doRequest(ctx, req, &peer, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -288,7 +339,10 @@ func (c *client) GetFullTipSet(ctx context.Context, peer peer.ID, tsk types.TipS
 }
 
 // GetChainMessages implements Client.GetChainMessages(). Refer to the godocs there.
-func (c *client) GetChainMessages(ctx context.Context, head *types.TipSet, length uint64) ([]*CompactedMessages, error) {
+func (c *client) GetChainMessages(ctx context.Context, tipsets []*types.TipSet) ([]*CompactedMessages, error) {
+	head := tipsets[0]
+	length := uint64(len(tipsets))
+
 	ctx, span := trace.StartSpan(ctx, "GetChainMessages")
 	if span.IsRecordingEvents() {
 		span.AddAttributes(
@@ -304,7 +358,7 @@ func (c *client) GetChainMessages(ctx context.Context, head *types.TipSet, lengt
 		Options: Messages,
 	}
 
-	validRes, err := c.doRequest(ctx, req, nil)
+	validRes, err := c.doRequest(ctx, req, nil, tipsets)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/chain/exchange/interfaces.go b/chain/exchange/interfaces.go
index 79d8fd4b1..acc0854da 100644
--- a/chain/exchange/interfaces.go
+++ b/chain/exchange/interfaces.go
@@ -32,10 +32,9 @@ type Client interface {
 	// or less.
 	GetBlocks(ctx context.Context, tsk types.TipSetKey, count int) ([]*types.TipSet, error)
 
-	// GetChainMessages fetches messages from the network, from the provided
-	// tipset *backwards*, returning the messages from as many tipsets as the
-	// count parameter, or less.
-	GetChainMessages(ctx context.Context, head *types.TipSet, length uint64) ([]*CompactedMessages, error)
+	// GetChainMessages fetches messages from the network, starting from the first provided tipset
+	// and returning messages from as many tipsets as requested or less.
+	GetChainMessages(ctx context.Context, tipsets []*types.TipSet) ([]*CompactedMessages, error)
 
 	// GetFullTipSet fetches a full tipset from a given peer. If successful,
 	// the fetched object contains block headers and all messages in full form.
diff --git a/chain/exchange/protocol.go b/chain/exchange/protocol.go
index ac02cf60f..211479335 100644
--- a/chain/exchange/protocol.go
+++ b/chain/exchange/protocol.go
@@ -139,6 +139,8 @@ func (res *Response) statusToError() error {
 
 // FIXME: Rename.
 type BSTipSet struct {
+	// List of blocks belonging to a single tipset to which the
+	// `CompactedMessages` are linked.
 	Blocks   []*types.BlockHeader
 	Messages *CompactedMessages
 }
diff --git a/chain/sync.go b/chain/sync.go
index 71bd13eac..be6c3595c 100644
--- a/chain/sync.go
+++ b/chain/sync.go
@@ -1553,7 +1553,7 @@ func (syncer *Syncer) fetchMessages(ctx context.Context, headers []*types.TipSet
 			failed := false
 			for offset := 0; !failed && offset < nreq; {
 				nextI := j + offset
-				nextHeader := headers[nextI]
+				lastI := j + nreq
 
 				var requestErr error
 				var requestResult []*exchange.CompactedMessages
@@ -1564,7 +1564,7 @@ func (syncer *Syncer) fetchMessages(ctx context.Context, headers []*types.TipSet
 						log.Infof("fetching messages at %d", startOffset+nextI)
 					}
 
-					result, err := syncer.Exchange.GetChainMessages(ctx, nextHeader, uint64(nreq-offset))
+					result, err := syncer.Exchange.GetChainMessages(ctx, headers[nextI:lastI])
 					if err != nil {
 						requestErr = multierror.Append(requestErr, err)
 					} else {