diff --git a/core/core.go b/core/core.go
index 7f54ebbf1..8acd73afb 100644
--- a/core/core.go
+++ b/core/core.go
@@ -278,24 +278,9 @@ func (app *App) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 	innerCtx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
 	defer cancel()
 
-	// Initialize the p2p node.
-	nodeConfig := p2p.Config{
-		Topic:            getPubSubTopic(app.config.EthereumNetworkID),
-		ListenPort:       app.config.P2PListenPort,
-		Insecure:         false,
-		PrivateKey:       app.privKey,
-		MessageHandler:   app,
-		RendezvousString: getRendezvous(app.config.EthereumNetworkID),
-		UseBootstrapList: app.config.UseBootstrapList,
-	}
-	var err error
-	app.node, err = p2p.New(innerCtx, nodeConfig)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	// Start several independent goroutines. Use separate channels to communicate
-	// errors and a waitgroup to wait for all goroutines to exit.
+	// Below, we will start several independent goroutines. We use separate
+	// channels to communicate errors and a waitgroup to wait for all goroutines
+	// to exit.
 	wg := &sync.WaitGroup{}
 
 	// Close the database when the context is canceled.
@@ -306,41 +291,32 @@ func (app *App) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 		app.db.Close()
 	}()
 
-	// Start the p2p node.
-	p2pErrChan := make(chan error, 1)
+	// Set up and start the snapshot expiration watcher.
 	wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
 		defer wg.Done()
-		addrs := app.node.Multiaddrs()
-		log.WithFields(map[string]interface{}{
-			"addresses": addrs,
-		}).Info("starting p2p node")
-
-		wg.Add(1)
-		go func() {
-			defer wg.Done()
-			app.periodicallyCheckForNewAddrs(innerCtx, addrs)
-		}()
-
-		p2pErrChan <- app.node.Start()
+		for expiredSnapshots := range app.snapshotExpirationWatcher.ExpiredItems() {
+			for _, expiredSnapshot := range expiredSnapshots {
+				app.muIdToSnapshotInfo.Lock()
+				delete(app.idToSnapshotInfo, expiredSnapshot.ID)
+				app.muIdToSnapshotInfo.Unlock()
+			}
+		}
 	}()
-
-	// Start the order watcher.
-	orderWatcherErrChan := make(chan error, 1)
+	snapshotExpirationWatcherErrChan := make(chan error, 1)
 	wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
 		defer wg.Done()
-		log.Info("starting order watcher")
-		orderWatcherErrChan <- app.orderWatcher.Watch(innerCtx)
+		snapshotExpirationWatcherErrChan <- app.snapshotExpirationWatcher.Watch(innerCtx, expirationPollingInterval)
 	}()
 
-	// Start the block watcher.
-	blockWatcherErrChan := make(chan error, 1)
+	// Start the order watcher.
+	orderWatcherErrChan := make(chan error, 1)
 	wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
 		defer wg.Done()
-		log.Info("starting block watcher")
-		blockWatcherErrChan <- app.blockWatcher.Watch(innerCtx)
+		log.Info("starting order watcher")
+		orderWatcherErrChan <- app.orderWatcher.Watch(innerCtx)
 	}()
 
 	// Start the ETH balance watcher.
@@ -354,23 +330,54 @@ func (app *App) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 		ethWatcherErrChan <- app.ethWatcher.Watch(innerCtx)
 	}()
 
-	// Set up and start the snapshot expiration watcher.
+	// Backfill block events if needed. This is a blocking call so we won't
+	// continue set up until its finished.
+	if err := app.blockWatcher.BackfillEventsIfNeeded(innerCtx); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Start the block watcher.
+	blockWatcherErrChan := make(chan error, 1)
 	wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
 		defer wg.Done()
-		for expiredSnapshots := range app.snapshotExpirationWatcher.ExpiredItems() {
-			for _, expiredSnapshot := range expiredSnapshots {
-				app.muIdToSnapshotInfo.Lock()
-				delete(app.idToSnapshotInfo, expiredSnapshot.ID)
-				app.muIdToSnapshotInfo.Unlock()
-			}
-		}
+		log.Info("starting block watcher")
+		blockWatcherErrChan <- app.blockWatcher.Watch(innerCtx)
 	}()
-	snapshotExpirationWatcherErrChan := make(chan error, 1)
+
+	// Initialize the p2p node.
+	nodeConfig := p2p.Config{
+		Topic:            getPubSubTopic(app.config.EthereumNetworkID),
+		ListenPort:       app.config.P2PListenPort,
+		Insecure:         false,
+		PrivateKey:       app.privKey,
+		MessageHandler:   app,
+		RendezvousString: getRendezvous(app.config.EthereumNetworkID),
+		UseBootstrapList: app.config.UseBootstrapList,
+	}
+	var err error
+	app.node, err = p2p.New(innerCtx, nodeConfig)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Start the p2p node.
+	p2pErrChan := make(chan error, 1)
 	wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
 		defer wg.Done()
-		snapshotExpirationWatcherErrChan <- app.snapshotExpirationWatcher.Watch(innerCtx, expirationPollingInterval)
+		addrs := app.node.Multiaddrs()
+		log.WithFields(map[string]interface{}{
+			"addresses": addrs,
+		}).Info("starting p2p node")
+
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			app.periodicallyCheckForNewAddrs(innerCtx, addrs)
+		}()
+
+		p2pErrChan <- app.node.Start()
 	}()
 
 	// If any error channel returns a non-nil error, we cancel the inner context
diff --git a/ethereum/blockwatch/block_watcher.go b/ethereum/blockwatch/block_watcher.go
index cbb91da41..b8fdcc255 100644
--- a/ethereum/blockwatch/block_watcher.go
+++ b/ethereum/blockwatch/block_watcher.go
@@ -84,6 +84,20 @@ func New(config Config) *Watcher {
 	return bs
 }
 
+// BackfillEventsIfNeeded finds missed events that might have occured while the
+// Mesh node was offline and sends them to event subscribers. It blocks until
+// it is done backfilling or the given context is canceled.
+func (w *Watcher) BackfillEventsIfNeeded(ctx context.Context) error {
+	events, err := w.getMissedEventsToBackfill(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if len(events) > 0 {
+		w.blockFeed.Send(events)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Watch starts the Watcher. It will continuously look for new blocks and blocks
 // until there is a critical error or the given context is canceled. Typically,
 // you want to call Watch inside a goroutine. For non-critical errors, callers
@@ -97,14 +111,6 @@ func (w *Watcher) Watch(ctx context.Context) error {
 	w.wasStartedOnce = true
 	w.mu.Unlock()
 
-	events, err := w.getMissedEventsToBackfill(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	if len(events) > 0 {
-		w.blockFeed.Send(events)
-	}
-
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(w.pollingInterval)
 	for {
 		select {
@@ -297,7 +303,7 @@ func (w *Watcher) getMissedEventsToBackfill(ctx context.Context) ([]*Event, erro
 		return events, nil
 	}
 
-	log.WithField("blocksElapsed", blocksElapsed.Int64()).Info("Some blocks have elapsed since last boot. Backfilling events")
+	log.WithField("blocksElapsed", blocksElapsed.Int64()).Info("Some blocks have elapsed since last boot. Backfilling block events (this can take a while)...")
 	startBlockNum := int(latestRetainedBlock.Number.Int64() + 1)
 	endBlockNum := int(latestRetainedBlock.Number.Int64() + blocksElapsed.Int64())
 	logs, furthestBlockProcessed := w.getLogsInBlockRange(ctx, startBlockNum, endBlockNum)
@@ -354,6 +360,7 @@ func (w *Watcher) getMissedEventsToBackfill(ctx context.Context) ([]*Event, erro
 				BlockHeader: blockHeader,
 			})
 		}
+		log.Info("Done backfilling block events")
 		return events, nil
 	}
 	return events, nil