diff --git a/pkg/ipfs/ipld/trie_node.go b/pkg/ipfs/ipld/trie_node.go
index 0a35ad77..788f76db 100644
--- a/pkg/ipfs/ipld/trie_node.go
+++ b/pkg/ipfs/ipld/trie_node.go
@@ -138,12 +138,12 @@ func parseTrieNodeExtension(i []interface{}, codec uint64) ([]interface{}, error
 func parseTrieNodeBranch(i []interface{}, codec uint64) ([]interface{}, error) {
 	var out []interface{}
 
-	for _, vi := range i {
+	for i, vi := range i {
 		v, ok := vi.([]byte)
 		// Sometimes this throws "panic: interface conversion: interface {} is []interface {}, not []uint8"
 		// Figure out why, and if it is okay to continue
 		if !ok {
-			continue
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to decode branch node entry into []byte at position: %d value: %+v", i, vi)
 		}
 
 		switch len(v) {
diff --git a/pkg/super_node/backfiller.go b/pkg/super_node/backfiller.go
index 712a0425..6355065e 100644
--- a/pkg/super_node/backfiller.go
+++ b/pkg/super_node/backfiller.go
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ func (bfs *BackFillService) BackFill(wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
 					log.Errorf("super node db backfill RetrieveFirstBlockNumber error for chain %s: %v", bfs.Chain.String(), err)
 					continue
 				}
-				if startingBlock != 0 && bfs.Chain == shared.Bitcoin || startingBlock != 1 && bfs.Chain == shared.Ethereum {
+				if startingBlock != 0 {
 					log.Infof("found gap at the beginning of the %s sync", bfs.Chain.String())
 					if err := bfs.backFill(0, uint64(startingBlock-1)); err != nil {
 						log.Error(err)
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ func (bfs *BackFillService) backFill(startingBlock, endingBlock uint64) error {
 					cidPayload, err := bfs.Publisher.Publish(ipldPayload)
 					if err != nil {
 						log.Errorf("%s super node historical data publisher error: %s", bfs.Chain.String(), err.Error())
+						continue
 					}
 					if err := bfs.Indexer.Index(cidPayload); err != nil {
 						log.Errorf("%s super node historical data indexer error: %s", bfs.Chain.String(), err.Error())
diff --git a/pkg/super_node/backfiller_test.go b/pkg/super_node/backfiller_test.go
index 6ecd773a..1df2db68 100644
--- a/pkg/super_node/backfiller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/super_node/backfiller_test.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ var _ = Describe("BackFiller", func() {
 				ReturnErr:         nil,
 			}
 			mockRetriever := &mocks2.CIDRetriever{
-				FirstBlockNumberToReturn: 1,
+				FirstBlockNumberToReturn: 0,
 				GapsToRetrieve: []shared.Gap{
 					{
 						Start: 100, Stop: 101,
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ var _ = Describe("BackFiller", func() {
 				ReturnErr:         nil,
 			}
 			mockRetriever := &mocks2.CIDRetriever{
-				FirstBlockNumberToReturn: 1,
+				FirstBlockNumberToReturn: 0,
 				GapsToRetrieve: []shared.Gap{
 					{
 						Start: 100, Stop: 100,
diff --git a/pkg/super_node/eth/publishAndIndexer.go b/pkg/super_node/eth/publishAndIndexer.go
index f12109f8..3a1232cd 100644
--- a/pkg/super_node/eth/publishAndIndexer.go
+++ b/pkg/super_node/eth/publishAndIndexer.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rlp"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/statediff"
 	"github.com/jmoiron/sqlx"
+	"github.com/multiformats/go-multihash"
 
 	common2 "github.com/vulcanize/vulcanizedb/pkg/eth/converters/common"
 	"github.com/vulcanize/vulcanizedb/pkg/ipfs/ipld"
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ func NewIPLDPublisherAndIndexer(db *postgres.DB) *IPLDPublisherAndIndexer {
 func (pub *IPLDPublisherAndIndexer) Publish(payload shared.ConvertedData) (shared.CIDsForIndexing, error) {
 	ipldPayload, ok := payload.(ConvertedPayload)
 	if !ok {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("eth publisher expected payload type %T got %T", ConvertedPayload{}, payload)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("eth IPLDPublisherAndIndexer expected payload type %T got %T", ConvertedPayload{}, payload)
 	}
 	// Generate the iplds
 	headerNode, uncleNodes, txNodes, txTrieNodes, rctNodes, rctTrieNodes, err := ipld.FromBlockAndReceipts(ipldPayload.Block, ipldPayload.Receipts)
@@ -158,31 +159,28 @@ func (pub *IPLDPublisherAndIndexer) Publish(payload shared.ConvertedData) (share
 func (pub *IPLDPublisherAndIndexer) publishAndIndexStateAndStorage(tx *sqlx.Tx, ipldPayload ConvertedPayload, headerID int64) error {
 	// Publish and index state and storage
 	for _, stateNode := range ipldPayload.StateNodes {
-		stateIPLD, err := ipld.FromStateTrieRLP(stateNode.Value)
+		stateCIDStr, err := shared.PublishRaw(tx, ipld.MEthStateTrie, multihash.KECCAK_256, stateNode.Value)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		if err := shared.PublishIPLD(tx, stateIPLD); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
 		stateModel := StateNodeModel{
 			Path:     stateNode.Path,
 			StateKey: stateNode.LeafKey.String(),
-			CID:      stateIPLD.Cid().String(),
+			CID:      stateCIDStr,
 			NodeType: ResolveFromNodeType(stateNode.Type),
 		}
 		stateID, err := pub.indexer.indexStateCID(tx, stateModel, headerID)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		// If we have a leaf, decode and index the account data and publish and index any associated storage diffs
+		// If we have a leaf, decode and index the account data and any associated storage diffs
 		if stateNode.Type == statediff.Leaf {
 			var i []interface{}
 			if err := rlp.DecodeBytes(stateNode.Value, &i); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 			if len(i) != 2 {
-				return fmt.Errorf("IPLDPublisherAndIndexer expected state leaf node rlp to decode into two elements")
+				return fmt.Errorf("eth IPLDPublisherAndIndexer expected state leaf node rlp to decode into two elements")
 			}
 			var account state.Account
 			if err := rlp.DecodeBytes(i[1].([]byte), &account); err != nil {
@@ -199,17 +197,14 @@ func (pub *IPLDPublisherAndIndexer) publishAndIndexStateAndStorage(tx *sqlx.Tx,
 			}
 			statePathHash := crypto.Keccak256Hash(stateNode.Path)
 			for _, storageNode := range ipldPayload.StorageNodes[statePathHash] {
-				storageIPLD, err := ipld.FromStorageTrieRLP(storageNode.Value)
+				storageCIDStr, err := shared.PublishRaw(tx, ipld.MEthStorageTrie, multihash.KECCAK_256, storageNode.Value)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
-				if err := shared.PublishIPLD(tx, storageIPLD); err != nil {
-					return err
-				}
 				storageModel := StorageNodeModel{
 					Path:       storageNode.Path,
 					StorageKey: storageNode.LeafKey.Hex(),
-					CID:        storageIPLD.Cid().String(),
+					CID:        storageCIDStr,
 					NodeType:   ResolveFromNodeType(storageNode.Type),
 				}
 				if err := pub.indexer.indexStorageCID(tx, storageModel, stateID); err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/super_node/eth/publisher.go b/pkg/super_node/eth/publisher.go
index 7b8a0cd4..08b967ea 100644
--- a/pkg/super_node/eth/publisher.go
+++ b/pkg/super_node/eth/publisher.go
@@ -19,12 +19,11 @@ package eth
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/state"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/types"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rlp"
-
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/types"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/statediff"
 
 	common2 "github.com/vulcanize/vulcanizedb/pkg/eth/converters/common"
diff --git a/pkg/super_node/shared/functions.go b/pkg/super_node/shared/functions.go
index ca85202d..d36231e0 100644
--- a/pkg/super_node/shared/functions.go
+++ b/pkg/super_node/shared/functions.go
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ package shared
 import (
 	"bytes"
 
+	"github.com/vulcanize/vulcanizedb/pkg/ipfs/ipld"
+
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-cid"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
@@ -113,3 +115,15 @@ func MultihashKeyFromCIDString(c string) (string, error) {
 	dbKey := dshelp.CidToDsKey(dc)
 	return blockstore.BlockPrefix.String() + dbKey.String(), nil
 }
+
+// PublishRaw derives a cid from raw bytes and provided codec and multihash type, and writes it to the db tx
+func PublishRaw(tx *sqlx.Tx, codec, mh uint64, raw []byte) (string, error) {
+	c, err := ipld.RawdataToCid(codec, raw, mh)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	dbKey := dshelp.CidToDsKey(c)
+	prefixedKey := blockstore.BlockPrefix.String() + dbKey.String()
+	_, err = tx.Exec(`INSERT INTO public.blocks (key, data) VALUES ($1, $2) ON CONFLICT (key) DO NOTHING`, prefixedKey, raw)
+	return c.String(), err
+}