diff --git a/rai/node/bootstrap.cpp b/rai/node/bootstrap.cpp
index b63d42cb..d86df8f0 100755
--- a/rai/node/bootstrap.cpp
+++ b/rai/node/bootstrap.cpp
@@ -604,12 +604,14 @@ void rai::bulk_pull_client::received_block (boost::system::error_code const & ec
 					{
 						auto node_l (attempt_l->node);
 						std::shared_ptr <rai::block> block (node_l->ledger.forked_block (transaction_a, *block_a));
-						node_l->active.start (transaction_a, block);
-						node_l->network.broadcast_confirm_req (block_a);
-						node_l->network.broadcast_confirm_req (block);
-						auto hash (block_a->hash ());
-						attempt_l->requeue_pull (rai::pull_info (pull_l.account, hash, hash));
-						BOOST_LOG (node_l->log) << boost::str (boost::format ("While bootstrappping, fork between our block: %2% and block %1% both with root %3%") % block_a->hash ().to_string () % block->hash ().to_string () % block_a->root ().to_string ());
+						if (!node_l->active.start (transaction_a, block))
+						{
+							node_l->network.broadcast_confirm_req (block_a);
+							node_l->network.broadcast_confirm_req (block);
+							auto hash (block_a->hash ());
+							attempt_l->requeue_pull (rai::pull_info (pull_l.account, hash, hash));
+							BOOST_LOG (node_l->log) << boost::str (boost::format ("While bootstrappping, fork between our block: %2% and block %1% both with root %3%") % block_a->hash ().to_string () % block->hash ().to_string () % block_a->root ().to_string ());
+						}
 						break;
 					}
 					default:
diff --git a/rai/node/node.cpp b/rai/node/node.cpp
index dc2a5138..291286ec 100755
--- a/rai/node/node.cpp
+++ b/rai/node/node.cpp
@@ -753,7 +753,7 @@ password_fanout (1024),
 io_threads (std::max <unsigned> (4, std::thread::hardware_concurrency ())),
 work_threads (std::max <unsigned> (4, std::thread::hardware_concurrency ())),
 enable_voting (true),
-bootstrap_connections (16),
+bootstrap_connections (4),
 callback_port (0)
 {
 	switch (rai::rai_network)
@@ -2877,16 +2877,17 @@ void rai::active_transactions::stop ()
 	roots.clear ();
 }
 
-void rai::active_transactions::start (MDB_txn * transaction_a, std::shared_ptr <rai::block> block_a, std::function <void (std::shared_ptr <rai::block>)> const & confirmation_action_a)
+bool rai::active_transactions::start (MDB_txn * transaction_a, std::shared_ptr <rai::block> block_a, std::function <void (std::shared_ptr <rai::block>)> const & confirmation_action_a)
 {
-    std::lock_guard <std::mutex> lock (mutex);
-    auto root (block_a->root ());
-    auto existing (roots.find (root));
-    if (existing == roots.end ())
-    {
-        auto election (std::make_shared <rai::election> (transaction_a, node, block_a, confirmation_action_a));
-        roots.insert (rai::conflict_info {root, election, 0});
-    }
+	std::lock_guard <std::mutex> lock (mutex);
+	auto root (block_a->root ());
+	auto existing (roots.find (root));
+	if (existing == roots.end ())
+	{
+		auto election (std::make_shared <rai::election> (transaction_a, node, block_a, confirmation_action_a));
+		roots.insert (rai::conflict_info {root, election, 0});
+	}
+	return existing != roots.end ();
 }
 
 // Validate a vote and apply it to the current election if one exists
@@ -2904,7 +2905,7 @@ void rai::active_transactions::vote (std::shared_ptr <rai::vote> vote_a)
 	}
 	if (election)
 	{
-        election->vote (vote_a);
+		election->vote (vote_a);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/rai/node/node.hpp b/rai/node/node.hpp
index 35642a23..fc831f7b 100644
--- a/rai/node/node.hpp
+++ b/rai/node/node.hpp
@@ -75,16 +75,16 @@ public:
 class active_transactions
 {
 public:
-    active_transactions (rai::node &);
+	active_transactions (rai::node &);
 	// Start an election for a block
 	// Call action with confirmed block, may be different than what we started with
-    void start (MDB_txn *, std::shared_ptr <rai::block>, std::function <void (std::shared_ptr <rai::block>)> const & = [] (std::shared_ptr <rai::block>) {});
-    void vote (std::shared_ptr <rai::vote>);
+	bool start (MDB_txn *, std::shared_ptr <rai::block>, std::function <void (std::shared_ptr <rai::block>)> const & = [] (std::shared_ptr <rai::block>) {});
+	void vote (std::shared_ptr <rai::vote>);
 	// Is the root of this block in the roots container
 	bool active (rai::block const &);
 	void announce_votes ();
 	void stop ();
-    boost::multi_index_container
+	boost::multi_index_container
 	<
 		rai::conflict_info,
 		boost::multi_index::indexed_by
@@ -92,8 +92,8 @@ public:
 			boost::multi_index::ordered_unique <boost::multi_index::member <rai::conflict_info, rai::block_hash, &rai::conflict_info::root>>
 		>
 	> roots;
-    rai::node & node;
-    std::mutex mutex;
+	rai::node & node;
+	std::mutex mutex;
 	// Maximum number of conflicts to vote on per interval, lowest root hash first
 	static unsigned constexpr announcements_per_interval = 32;
 	// After this many successive vote announcements, block is confirmed