diff --git a/iguana/dPoW.h b/iguana/dPoW.h
index f9d474787..6b99cf27d 100755
--- a/iguana/dPoW.h
+++ b/iguana/dPoW.h
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ struct dpow_block
     struct dpow_entry notaries[DPOW_MAXRELAYS];
     uint32_t MoMdepth,state,starttime,timestamp,waiting,sigcrcs[2],txidcrcs[2],utxocrcs[2],lastepoch,paxwdcrc,lastnanosend;
     int32_t rawratifiedlens[2],height,numnotaries,numerrors,completed,minsigs,duration,numratified,isratify,require0,scores[DPOW_MAXRELAYS];
-    int8_t myind,bestk,ratifybestk,pendingbestk,pendingratifybestk;
+    int8_t myind,bestk,ratifybestk,pendingbestk,pendingratifybestk,bestmatches;
     cJSON *ratified;
     uint8_t ratified_pubkeys[DPOW_MAXRELAYS][33],ratifysigs[2][DPOW_MAXSIGLEN],ratifysiglens[2];
     char handles[DPOW_MAXRELAYS][32];
diff --git a/iguana/dpow/dpow_fsm.c b/iguana/dpow/dpow_fsm.c
index 778415025..b5742af38 100755
--- a/iguana/dpow/dpow_fsm.c
+++ b/iguana/dpow/dpow_fsm.c
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ void dpow_statemachinestart(void *ptr)
             }
             free_json(ratified);
         }
-        bp->bestk = -1;
+        bp->pendingbestk = bp->bestk = -1;
         dp->blocks[checkpoint.blockhash.height] = bp;
         dp->currentbp = bp;
         bp->beacon = rand256(0);
diff --git a/iguana/dpow/dpow_network.c b/iguana/dpow/dpow_network.c
index 2da514cf0..ea000bcc1 100755
--- a/iguana/dpow/dpow_network.c
+++ b/iguana/dpow/dpow_network.c
@@ -1502,11 +1502,12 @@ void dpow_bestconsensus(struct dpow_block *bp)
             besti = i;
         }
     }
-    if ( besti >= 0 && bestks[besti] >= 0 && masks[besti] != 0 && (recvmask & masks[besti]) == masks[besti] )
+    if ( best > bp->bestmatches && besti >= 0 && bestks[besti] >= 0 && masks[besti] != 0 && (recvmask & masks[besti]) == masks[besti] )
     {
+        bp->bestmatches = best;
         bp->notaries[bp->myind].bestmask = bp->bestmask = masks[besti];
         bp->notaries[bp->myind].bestk = bp->bestk = bestks[besti];
-        //printf("set best.%d to (%d %llx) recv.%llx\n",best,bp->bestk,(long long)bp->bestmask,(long long)recvmask);
+        printf("set best.%d to (%d %llx) recv.%llx\n",best,bp->bestk,(long long)bp->bestmask,(long long)recvmask);
     }
     bp->recvmask |= recvmask;
     if ( bp->bestmask == 0 )//|| (time(NULL) / 180) != bp->lastepoch )
@@ -1904,9 +1905,9 @@ void dpow_notarize_update(struct supernet_info *myinfo,struct dpow_info *dp,stru
             }
             if ( 0 && bp->myind <= 1 )
                 printf("recv.%llx best.(%d %llx) m.%d p.%d:%d b.%d\n",(long long)bp->recvmask,bp->bestk,(long long)bp->bestmask,matches,paxmatches,paxbestmatches,bestmatches);
-            if ( bestmatches >= bp->minsigs && paxbestmatches >= bp->minsigs )
+            if ( bestmatches >= bp->minsigs && paxbestmatches >= bp->minsigs && bp->bestk >= 0 && bp->bestmask != 0 )
             {
-                if ( bp->pendingbestk != bp->bestk || bp->pendingbestmask != bp->bestmask )
+                if ( bp->pendingbestk < 0 )//bp->pendingbestk != bp->bestk || bp->pendingbestmask != bp->bestmask )
                 {
                     printf("new PENDING BESTK (%d %llx) state.%d\n",bp->bestk,(long long)bp->bestmask,bp->state);
                     bp->pendingbestk = bp->bestk;