diff --git a/src/main/scala/io/iohk/ethereum/blockchain/sync/fast/FastSync.scala b/src/main/scala/io/iohk/ethereum/blockchain/sync/fast/FastSync.scala
index 86eb0b28db..db1770a800 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/io/iohk/ethereum/blockchain/sync/fast/FastSync.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/io/iohk/ethereum/blockchain/sync/fast/FastSync.scala
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ class FastSync(
     private var currentSkeletonState: Option[HeaderSkeleton] = None
     private var skeletonHandler: Option[ActorRef] = None
     private var batchFailuresCount = 0
-    private var blockHeadersQueue: Seq[HeaderRange] = Nil
 
     private var requestedBlockBodies: Map[ActorRef, Seq[ByteString]] = Map.empty
     private var requestedReceipts: Map[ActorRef, Seq[ByteString]] = Map.empty
@@ -260,9 +259,13 @@ class FastSync(
                 updatedSkeleton.batchStartingHeaderNumbers.mkString(", ")
               )
               currentSkeletonState = Some(updatedSkeleton)
-              blockHeadersQueue ++= updatedSkeleton.batchStartingHeaderNumbers.map(from =>
-                HeaderRange(from, updatedSkeleton.batchSize)
-              )
+
+              val blockHeadersToRequest =
+                updatedSkeleton.batchStartingHeaderNumbers.map { from =>
+                  HeaderRange(from, updatedSkeleton.batchSize)
+                }
+
+              syncState = syncState.enqueueHeaderRanges(blockHeadersToRequest)
           }
       }
     }
@@ -333,7 +336,7 @@ class FastSync(
       def handleMasterPeerFailure(header: BlockHeader): Unit = {
         batchFailuresCount += 1
         if (batchFailuresCount > fastSyncMaxBatchRetries) {
-          log.info("Max skeleton batch failures reached. Master peer must be wrong.")
+          log.info("Max number of allowed failures reached. Switching branch and master peer.")
           handleRewind(header, masterPeer.get, fastSyncBlockValidationN, blacklistDuration)
 
           // Start branch resolution and wait for response from the FastSyncBranchResolver actor.
@@ -343,14 +346,14 @@ class FastSync(
         }
       }
 
-      blockHeadersQueue :+= request
+      syncState = syncState.enqueueHeaderRange(request)
       error match {
         // These are the reasons that make the master peer suspicious
         case InvalidPenultimateHeader(_, header) => handleMasterPeerFailure(header)
         case InvalidBatchHash(_, header) => handleMasterPeerFailure(header)
         // Otherwise probably it's just this peer's fault
         case _ =>
-          log.info(error.msg)
+          log.warning(error.msg)
           blockHeadersError(peer, reason)
       }
     }
@@ -677,17 +680,16 @@ class FastSync(
     private def handleRequestFailure(peer: Peer, handler: ActorRef, reason: BlacklistReason): Unit = {
       removeRequestHandler(handler)
 
+      requestedHeaders.get(peer).foreach(requested => syncState = syncState.enqueueHeaderRange(requested))
       syncState = syncState
         .enqueueBlockBodies(requestedBlockBodies.getOrElse(handler, Nil))
         .enqueueReceipts(requestedReceipts.getOrElse(handler, Nil))
 
+      requestedHeaders -= peer
       requestedBlockBodies = requestedBlockBodies - handler
       requestedReceipts = requestedReceipts - handler
 
-      requestedHeaders -= peer
-      if (handshakedPeers.contains(peer.id)) {
-        blacklist.add(peer.id, blacklistDuration, reason)
-      }
+      blacklistIfHandshaked(peer.id, blacklistDuration, reason)
     }
 
     /**
@@ -872,7 +874,7 @@ class FastSync(
         requestReceipts(peer)
       } else if (syncState.blockBodiesQueue.nonEmpty) {
         requestBlockBodies(peer)
-      } else if (blockHeadersQueue.nonEmpty) {
+      } else if (syncState.blockHeadersQueue.nonEmpty) {
         requestBlockHeaders(peer)
       } else if (shouldRequestNewSkeleton(peerInfo)) {
         requestSkeletonHeaders(peer)
@@ -934,31 +936,36 @@ class FastSync(
     }
 
     def requestBlockHeaders(peer: Peer): Unit = {
-      val (request, remaining) = (blockHeadersQueue.head, blockHeadersQueue.tail)
+      val (toRequest, remaining) = (syncState.blockHeadersQueue.headOption, syncState.blockHeadersQueue.tail)
+
+      toRequest match {
+        case Some(request) =>
+          log.debug(
+            "Requesting [{}] block headers starting at block header [{}] from peer [{}]",
+            request.limit,
+            request.from,
+            peer.id.value
+          )
 
-      log.debug(
-        "Requesting [{}] block headers starting at block header [{}] from peer [{}]",
-        request.limit,
-        request.from,
-        peer.id.value
-      )
+          val handler = context.actorOf(
+            PeerRequestHandler.props[GetBlockHeaders, BlockHeaders](
+              peer,
+              peerResponseTimeout,
+              etcPeerManager,
+              peerEventBus,
+              requestMsg = GetBlockHeaders(Left(request.from), request.limit, skip = 0, reverse = false),
+              responseMsgCode = Codes.BlockHeadersCode
+            )
+          )
 
-      val handler = context.actorOf(
-        PeerRequestHandler.props[GetBlockHeaders, BlockHeaders](
-          peer,
-          peerResponseTimeout,
-          etcPeerManager,
-          peerEventBus,
-          requestMsg = GetBlockHeaders(Left(request.from), request.limit, skip = 0, reverse = false),
-          responseMsgCode = Codes.BlockHeadersCode
-        )
-      )
+          context watch handler
+          assignedHandlers += (handler -> peer)
+          requestedHeaders += (peer -> request)
+          syncState = syncState.copy(blockHeadersQueue = remaining)
+          peerRequestsTime += (peer -> Instant.now())
+        case None => log.warning("Tried to request more block headers but work queue was empty.")
+      }
 
-      context watch handler
-      assignedHandlers += (handler -> peer)
-      requestedHeaders += (peer -> request)
-      blockHeadersQueue = remaining
-      peerRequestsTime += (peer -> Instant.now())
     }
 
     def requestSkeletonHeaders(peer: Peer): Unit = {
@@ -1071,10 +1078,11 @@ object FastSync {
   private case object PersistSyncState
   private case object PrintStatus
 
-  case class SyncState(
+  final case class SyncState(
       pivotBlock: BlockHeader,
       lastFullBlockNumber: BigInt = 0,
       safeDownloadTarget: BigInt = 0,
+      blockHeadersQueue: Seq[HeaderRange] = Nil,
       blockBodiesQueue: Seq[ByteString] = Nil,
       receiptsQueue: Seq[ByteString] = Nil,
       downloadedNodesCount: Long = 0,
@@ -1086,13 +1094,20 @@ object FastSync {
       stateSyncFinished: Boolean = false
   ) {
 
+    def enqueueHeaderRange(headerRange: HeaderRange): SyncState =
+      copy(blockHeadersQueue = blockHeadersQueue :+ headerRange)
+
+    def enqueueHeaderRanges(headerRanges: Seq[HeaderRange]): SyncState =
+      copy(blockHeadersQueue = blockHeadersQueue ++ headerRanges)
+
     def enqueueBlockBodies(blockBodies: Seq[ByteString]): SyncState =
       copy(blockBodiesQueue = blockBodiesQueue ++ blockBodies)
 
     def enqueueReceipts(receipts: Seq[ByteString]): SyncState =
       copy(receiptsQueue = receiptsQueue ++ receipts)
 
-    def blockChainWorkQueued: Boolean = blockBodiesQueue.nonEmpty || receiptsQueue.nonEmpty
+    def blockChainWorkQueued: Boolean =
+      blockHeadersQueue.nonEmpty || blockBodiesQueue.nonEmpty || receiptsQueue.nonEmpty
 
     def updateNextBlockToValidate(header: BlockHeader, K: Int, X: Int): SyncState = copy(
       nextBlockToFullyValidate =
@@ -1149,5 +1164,5 @@ object FastSync {
   case object LastBlockValidationFailed extends PivotBlockUpdateReason
   case object SyncRestart extends PivotBlockUpdateReason
 
-  private final case class HeaderRange(from: BigInt, limit: BigInt)
+  private[fast] final case class HeaderRange(from: BigInt, limit: BigInt)
 }