diff --git a/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/net/eth/handler/EthHandler.java b/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/net/eth/handler/EthHandler.java
index 3ba23d2bb8..2d169a521a 100644
--- a/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/net/eth/handler/EthHandler.java
+++ b/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/net/eth/handler/EthHandler.java
@@ -282,6 +282,7 @@ public void changeState(SyncStateName newState) {
             if(++blocksLackHits < BLOCKS_LACK_MAX_HITS) {
                 return;
             }
+            blocksLackHits = 0; // reset
         }
         syncState = newState;
     }
diff --git a/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/sync/SyncManager.java b/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/sync/SyncManager.java
index d7d2c06e3e..d1412cf0c8 100644
--- a/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/sync/SyncManager.java
+++ b/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/sync/SyncManager.java
@@ -413,12 +413,14 @@ private void removeUselessPeers() {
         List<Channel> removed = new ArrayList<>();
         for (Channel peer : pool) {
             if (peer.hasBlocksLack()) {
-                logger.info("Peer {}: has no more blocks, removing", Utils.getNodeIdShort(peer.getPeerId()));
+                logger.info("{}: has no more blocks, ban", peer);
                 removed.add(peer);
                 updateLowerUsefulDifficulty(peer.getTotalDifficulty());
             }
         }
-        pool.removeAll(removed);
+        for (Channel peer : removed) {
+            pool.ban(peer);
+        }
     }
 
     private void fillUpPeersPool() {