diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a27982af..1f88b6ad 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -103,4 +103,4 @@ local.properties
 .texlipse
 .idea/
 
-/testnet
\ No newline at end of file
+
diff --git a/src/wallet/wallet2.cpp b/src/wallet/wallet2.cpp
index 15a13425..57a9cff9 100644
--- a/src/wallet/wallet2.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/wallet2.cpp
@@ -1574,12 +1574,35 @@ void wallet2::refresh(uint64_t start_height, uint64_t & blocks_fetched, bool& re
   std::list<cryptonote::block_complete_entry> blocks;
   std::vector<COMMAND_RPC_GET_BLOCKS_FAST::block_output_indices> o_indices;
 
+  std::string daemon_height_err = "";
+  uint64_t daemon_bc_height = get_daemon_blockchain_height(daemon_height_err);
+  if(daemon_height_err.size() > 0) {
+    throw std::runtime_error(daemon_height_err);
+  }
+
   // pull the first set of blocks
   get_short_chain_history(short_chain_history);
   m_run.store(true, std::memory_order_relaxed);
   if (start_height > m_blockchain.size() || m_refresh_from_block_height > m_blockchain.size()) {
-    if (!start_height)
-      start_height = m_refresh_from_block_height;
+    
+    // even target_height can be zero if the daemon just started and hasn't gotten some sync
+    // data back from peers .. hmmm, what to do ... O.o (you can see him thinking)
+    // i'm going with infiniti loop until i get something bigger than zero or err ... moneromoo don't kill me
+    std::string daemon_target_err = "";
+    uint64_t daemon_target_height = 0;
+    
+    while(daemon_target_height == 0)
+    {
+        daemon_target_height = get_daemon_blockchain_target_height(daemon_target_err);
+        if(daemon_target_err.size() > 0) {
+          daemon_target_height = get_approximate_blockchain_height(); // - x?
+        }
+    }
+    
+    if (m_refresh_from_block_height > daemon_target_height) m_refresh_from_block_height = daemon_target_height - 1;
+    if (!start_height) start_height = m_refresh_from_block_height;
+    if (start_height >= daemon_bc_height) start_height = daemon_bc_height - 1;
+
     // we can shortcut by only pulling hashes up to the start_height
     fast_refresh(start_height, blocks_start_height, short_chain_history);
     // regenerate the history now that we've got a full set of hashes
@@ -1589,53 +1612,56 @@ void wallet2::refresh(uint64_t start_height, uint64_t & blocks_fetched, bool& re
     // and then fall through to regular refresh processing
   }
 
-  pull_blocks(start_height, blocks_start_height, short_chain_history, blocks, o_indices);
-  // always reset start_height to 0 to force short_chain_ history to be used on
-  // subsequent pulls in this refresh.
-  start_height = 0;
-
-  while(m_run.load(std::memory_order_relaxed))
+  if(!(m_refresh_from_block_height >= daemon_bc_height))
   {
-    try
+    pull_blocks(start_height, blocks_start_height, short_chain_history, blocks, o_indices);
+    // always reset start_height to 0 to force short_chain_ history to be used on
+    // subsequent pulls in this refresh.
+    start_height = 0;
+
+    while(m_run.load(std::memory_order_relaxed))
     {
-      // pull the next set of blocks while we're processing the current one
-      uint64_t next_blocks_start_height;
-      std::list<cryptonote::block_complete_entry> next_blocks;
-      std::vector<cryptonote::COMMAND_RPC_GET_BLOCKS_FAST::block_output_indices> next_o_indices;
-      bool error = false;
-      pull_thread = boost::thread([&]{pull_next_blocks(start_height, next_blocks_start_height, short_chain_history, blocks, next_blocks, next_o_indices, error);});
-
-      process_blocks(blocks_start_height, blocks, o_indices, added_blocks);
-      blocks_fetched += added_blocks;
-      pull_thread.join();
-      if(!added_blocks)
-        break;
-
-      // switch to the new blocks from the daemon
-      blocks_start_height = next_blocks_start_height;
-      blocks = next_blocks;
-      o_indices = next_o_indices;
-
-      // handle error from async fetching thread
-      if (error)
+      try
       {
-        throw std::runtime_error("proxy exception in refresh thread");
-      }
-    }
-    catch (const std::exception&)
-    {
-      blocks_fetched += added_blocks;
-      if (pull_thread.joinable())
+        // pull the next set of blocks while we're processing the current one
+        uint64_t next_blocks_start_height;
+        std::list<cryptonote::block_complete_entry> next_blocks;
+        std::vector<cryptonote::COMMAND_RPC_GET_BLOCKS_FAST::block_output_indices> next_o_indices;
+        bool error = false;
+        pull_thread = boost::thread([&]{pull_next_blocks(start_height, next_blocks_start_height, short_chain_history, blocks, next_blocks, next_o_indices, error);});
+
+        process_blocks(blocks_start_height, blocks, o_indices, added_blocks);
+        blocks_fetched += added_blocks;
         pull_thread.join();
-      if(try_count < 3)
-      {
-        LOG_PRINT_L1("Another try pull_blocks (try_count=" << try_count << ")...");
-        ++try_count;
+        if(!added_blocks)
+          break;
+
+        // switch to the new blocks from the daemon
+        blocks_start_height = next_blocks_start_height;
+        blocks = next_blocks;
+        o_indices = next_o_indices;
+
+        // handle error from async fetching thread
+        if (error)
+        {
+          throw std::runtime_error("proxy exception in refresh thread");
+        }
       }
-      else
+      catch (const std::exception&)
       {
-        LOG_ERROR("pull_blocks failed, try_count=" << try_count);
-        throw;
+        blocks_fetched += added_blocks;
+        if (pull_thread.joinable())
+          pull_thread.join();
+        if(try_count < 3)
+        {
+          LOG_PRINT_L1("Another try pull_blocks (try_count=" << try_count << ")...");
+          ++try_count;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+          LOG_ERROR("pull_blocks failed, try_count=" << try_count);
+          throw;
+        }
       }
     }
   }