diff --git a/chain/blocksync/blocksync.go b/chain/blocksync/blocksync.go
index 2439a13fa..d1dab638a 100644
--- a/chain/blocksync/blocksync.go
+++ b/chain/blocksync/blocksync.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func (bss *BlockSyncService) HandleStream(s inet.Stream) {
 
 	var req BlockSyncRequest
 	if err := cborutil.ReadCborRPC(bufio.NewReader(s), &req); err != nil {
-		log.Errorf("failed to read block sync request: %s", err)
+		log.Warnf("failed to read block sync request: %s", err)
 		return
 	}
 	log.Infof("block sync request for: %s %d", req.Start, req.RequestLength)
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func (bss *BlockSyncService) HandleStream(s inet.Stream) {
 	}
 
 	if err := cborutil.WriteCborRPC(s, resp); err != nil {
-		log.Error("failed to write back response for handle stream: ", err)
+		log.Warn("failed to write back response for handle stream: ", err)
 		return
 	}
 }
diff --git a/chain/blocksync/blocksync_client.go b/chain/blocksync/blocksync_client.go
index d3ae6de43..f14cf9a16 100644
--- a/chain/blocksync/blocksync_client.go
+++ b/chain/blocksync/blocksync_client.go
@@ -94,7 +94,9 @@ func (bs *BlockSync) GetBlocks(ctx context.Context, tipset []cid.Cid, count int)
 		res, err := bs.sendRequestToPeer(ctx, p, req)
 		if err != nil {
 			oerr = err
-			log.Warnf("BlockSync request failed for peer %s: %s", p.String(), err)
+			if !xerrors.Is(err, inet.ErrNoConn) {
+				log.Warnf("BlockSync request failed for peer %s: %s", p.String(), err)
+			}
 			continue
 		}
 
diff --git a/chain/deals/client.go b/chain/deals/client.go
index 8580a2bbd..39289db28 100644
--- a/chain/deals/client.go
+++ b/chain/deals/client.go
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ func (c *Client) Start(ctx context.Context, p ClientDealProposal) (cid.Cid, erro
 func (c *Client) QueryAsk(ctx context.Context, p peer.ID, a address.Address) (*types.SignedStorageAsk, error) {
 	s, err := c.h.NewStream(ctx, p, AskProtocolID)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, xerrors.Errorf("failed to open stream to miner: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	req := &AskRequest{
diff --git a/chain/sync.go b/chain/sync.go
index 54f517fa1..9e6a92a81 100644
--- a/chain/sync.go
+++ b/chain/sync.go
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func (syncer *Syncer) InformNewHead(from peer.ID, fts *store.FullTipSet) {
 		for _, blk := range fts.TipSet().Blocks() {
 			miners = append(miners, blk.Miner.String())
 		}
-		log.Warnf("incoming tipset from %s does not appear to be better than our best chain, ignoring for now", miners)
+		log.Infof("incoming tipset from %s does not appear to be better than our best chain, ignoring for now", miners)
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/node/hello/hello.go b/node/hello/hello.go
index ba28cb771..4f12fba15 100644
--- a/node/hello/hello.go
+++ b/node/hello/hello.go
@@ -98,8 +98,11 @@ func (hs *Service) HandleStream(s inet.Stream) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	log.Infof("Got new tipset through Hello: %s from %s", ts.Cids(), s.Conn().RemotePeer())
-	hs.syncer.InformNewHead(s.Conn().RemotePeer(), ts)
+	if ts.TipSet().Height() > 0 {
+		// don't bother informing about genesis
+		log.Infof("Got new tipset through Hello: %s from %s", ts.Cids(), s.Conn().RemotePeer())
+		hs.syncer.InformNewHead(s.Conn().RemotePeer(), ts)
+	}
 	if hs.pmgr != nil {
 		hs.pmgr.AddFilecoinPeer(s.Conn().RemotePeer())
 	}
@@ -128,7 +131,7 @@ func (hs *Service) SayHello(ctx context.Context, pid peer.ID) error {
 		HeaviestTipSetWeight: weight,
 		GenesisHash:          gen.Cid(),
 	}
-	log.Info("Sending hello message: ", hts.Cids(), hts.Height(), gen.Cid())
+	log.Debug("Sending hello message: ", hts.Cids(), hts.Height(), gen.Cid())
 
 	t0 := time.Now()
 	if err := cborutil.WriteCborRPC(s, hmsg); err != nil {