diff --git a/app.go b/app.go
index 70198d1..ac10e68 100644
--- a/app.go
+++ b/app.go
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ func NewApp(config *appconfig) *App {
 
 func (self *App) init(config *appconfig) {
 	log.SetLevel(config.logLevel)
+	log.SetFormatter(&log.TextFormatter{
+		FullTimestamp: true,
+	})
+	log.SetFormatter(&log.JSONFormatter{})
+	//log.SetReportCaller(true)
 	self.api = NewSteemAPI(config.apiUrl)
 	self.db = NewSteemDataStore(config.redisUrl)
 	self.lock = &sync.Mutex{}
@@ -41,7 +46,7 @@ func (self *App) main() {
 
 func (self *App) mainloop() {
 	log.Infof("using %d fetching threads", self.config.desiredFetcherThreads)
-	batchSize := uint(1000)
+	batchSize := uint(3000)
 	//batchSize := uint(10)
 	var start BlockNumber
 	var end BlockNumber
diff --git a/blockfetcher.go b/blockfetcher.go
index 1461fa1..7dcd4c1 100644
--- a/blockfetcher.go
+++ b/blockfetcher.go
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ WorkLoop:
 			} else {
 				// wait a sec and try again
 				time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+				log.Infof("error fetching block %d, retry %d (%v)", blockNum, i+1, r.error)
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -124,6 +125,7 @@ func (self *BlockFetcher) sendWork(b BlockNumber) {
 
 func (self *BlockFetcher) fetch() *[]FetchedBlock {
 	log.Debugf("blockfetcher beginning fetch")
+	startTime := time.Now()
 	for i := uint(1); i < self.desiredFetcherThreads+uint(1); i++ {
 		go self.fetcher(i)
 	}
@@ -141,6 +143,21 @@ func (self *BlockFetcher) fetch() *[]FetchedBlock {
 		case result := <-self.resultsChannel:
 			self.receiveResult(result)
 		default:
+
+			if startTime.Add(30 * time.Second).Before(time.Now()) {
+				// fetch took too long, return anyway
+				log.Infof("30s fetcher batch timeout reached, but not done fetching")
+				// return what we have
+				var final []FetchedBlock
+				self.lock.Lock()
+				for _, value := range self.fetchedBlocks {
+					final = append(final, *value)
+				}
+				self.lock.Unlock()
+				self = nil //this BlockFetcher is now finished.
+				return &final
+			}
+
 			if self.Done() == true {
 				log.Infof("blockfetcher %+v considers itself Done()", self)
 				// if we get here, it's because workList is now empty and there
diff --git a/jsonrpc.go b/jsonrpc.go
index d2fa802..fff6799 100644
--- a/jsonrpc.go
+++ b/jsonrpc.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
+	"time"
 )
 
 type httpRPCClient interface {
@@ -47,9 +48,14 @@ type JSONRPC struct {
 
 // New create new rpc client with given url
 func NewJSONRPC(url string, options ...func(rpc *JSONRPC)) *JSONRPC {
+
+	netClient := &http.Client{
+		Timeout: time.Second * 20,
+	}
+
 	rpc := &JSONRPC{
 		url:    url,
-		client: http.DefaultClient,
+		client: netClient,
 	}
 	for _, option := range options {
 		option(rpc)
@@ -77,6 +83,7 @@ func (rpc *JSONRPC) Call(method string, params json.RawMessage) (json.RawMessage
 		defer response.Body.Close()
 	}
 	if err != nil {
+		log.Infof("jsonrpc error: %v", err)
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index f8d1024..3d4de54 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -13,10 +13,7 @@ func main() {
 	viper.BindEnv("debug")
 	viper.BindEnv("redis")
 	viper.BindEnv("apiurl")
-	err := viper.ReadInConfig() // Find and read the config file if exists
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Infof("error reading config file: %s \n", err)
-	}
+	viper.ReadInConfig() // Find and read the config file if exists
 	logLevel := log.InfoLevel
 	if viper.GetBool("debug") == true {
 		logLevel = log.DebugLevel
@@ -33,7 +30,7 @@ func main() {
 		logLevel:              logLevel,
 		apiUrl:                apiurl,
 		redisUrl:              redis,
-		desiredFetcherThreads: 40,
+		desiredFetcherThreads: 30,
 	})
 	app.main()
 }