diff --git a/chain/sync.go b/chain/sync.go
index 0ab8ac183..95c2e2e84 100644
--- a/chain/sync.go
+++ b/chain/sync.go
@@ -1494,57 +1494,8 @@ func (syncer *Syncer) iterFullTipsets(ctx context.Context, headers []*types.TipS
 		}
 
 		ss.SetStage(api.StageFetchingMessages)
-		bstout := make([]*exchange.CompactedMessages, batchSize)
-		var wg sync.WaitGroup
-		var mx sync.Mutex
-		var batchErr error
-		for j := 0; j < batchSize; j += syncRequestBatchSize {
-			wg.Add(1)
-			go func(j int) {
-				defer wg.Done()
-
-				nreq := syncRequestBatchSize
-				if j+nreq > batchSize {
-					nreq = batchSize - j
-				}
-
-				failed := false
-				for offset := 0; !failed && offset < nreq; {
-					nextI := (i + 1) - batchSize + j + offset
-					nextHeader := headers[nextI]
-
-					var requestErr error
-					var requestResult []*exchange.CompactedMessages
-					for retry := 0; requestResult == nil && retry < syncRequestRetries; retry++ {
-						if retry > 0 {
-							log.Infof("fetching messages at %d (retry %d)", nextI, retry)
-						} else {
-							log.Infof("fetching messages at %d", nextI)
-						}
-
-						result, err := syncer.Exchange.GetChainMessages(ctx, nextHeader, uint64(nreq-offset))
-						if err != nil {
-							requestErr = multierror.Append(requestErr, err)
-						} else {
-							requestResult = result
-						}
-					}
-
-					mx.Lock()
-					if requestResult == nil {
-						// we failed!
-						log.Errorf("error fetching messages at %d: %s", nextI, requestErr)
-						batchErr = multierror.Append(batchErr, requestErr)
-						failed = true
-					} else {
-						copy(bstout[j+offset:], requestResult)
-						offset += len(requestResult)
-					}
-					mx.Unlock()
-				}
-			}(j)
-		}
-		wg.Wait()
+		startOffset := i + 1 - batchSize
+		bstout, batchErr := syncer.fetchMessages(ctx, headers[startOffset:startOffset+batchSize], startOffset)
 		ss.SetStage(api.StageMessages)
 
 		if batchErr != nil {
@@ -1585,6 +1536,71 @@ func (syncer *Syncer) iterFullTipsets(ctx context.Context, headers []*types.TipS
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (syncer *Syncer) fetchMessages(ctx context.Context, headers []*types.TipSet, startOffset int) ([]*exchange.CompactedMessages, error) {
+	batchSize := len(headers)
+	batch := make([]*exchange.CompactedMessages, batchSize)
+
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	var mx sync.Mutex
+	var batchErr error
+
+	start := build.Clock.Now()
+
+	for j := 0; j < batchSize; j += syncRequestBatchSize {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func(j int) {
+			defer wg.Done()
+
+			nreq := syncRequestBatchSize
+			if j+nreq > batchSize {
+				nreq = batchSize - j
+			}
+
+			failed := false
+			for offset := 0; !failed && offset < nreq; {
+				nextI := j + offset
+				nextHeader := headers[nextI]
+
+				var requestErr error
+				var requestResult []*exchange.CompactedMessages
+				for retry := 0; requestResult == nil && retry < syncRequestRetries; retry++ {
+					if retry > 0 {
+						log.Infof("fetching messages at %d (retry %d)", startOffset+nextI, retry)
+					} else {
+						log.Infof("fetching messages at %d", startOffset+nextI)
+					}
+
+					result, err := syncer.Exchange.GetChainMessages(ctx, nextHeader, uint64(nreq-offset))
+					if err != nil {
+						requestErr = multierror.Append(requestErr, err)
+					} else {
+						requestResult = result
+					}
+				}
+
+				mx.Lock()
+				if requestResult != nil {
+					copy(batch[j+offset:], requestResult)
+					offset += len(requestResult)
+				} else {
+					log.Errorf("error fetching messages at %d: %s", nextI, requestErr)
+					batchErr = multierror.Append(batchErr, requestErr)
+					failed = true
+				}
+				mx.Unlock()
+			}
+		}(j)
+	}
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	if batchErr != nil {
+		dt := build.Clock.Since(start)
+		log.Infof("fetching messages for %d tipsets at %d done; took %s", batchSize, startOffset, dt)
+	}
+
+	return batch, batchErr
+}
+
 func persistMessages(bs bstore.Blockstore, bst *exchange.CompactedMessages) error {
 	for _, m := range bst.Bls {
 		//log.Infof("putting BLS message: %s", m.Cid())