diff --git a/internal/processor/processor.go b/internal/processor/processor.go
index ac8aceb..9a77e0b 100644
--- a/internal/processor/processor.go
+++ b/internal/processor/processor.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package processor
 import (
 	"context"
 	"log/slog"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/alitto/pond"
 	"github.com/celo-org/celo-blockchain/core/types"
@@ -32,6 +33,10 @@ type (
 	}
 )
 
+const (
+	emptyQueueIdleTime = 1 * time.Second
+)
+
 func NewProcessor(o ProcessorOpts) *Processor {
 	return &Processor{
 		chain:       o.Chain,
@@ -43,26 +48,21 @@ func NewProcessor(o ProcessorOpts) *Processor {
 	}
 }
 
-func (p *Processor) Start(ctx context.Context) {
+func (p *Processor) Start() {
 	for {
-		select {
-		case <-ctx.Done():
-			p.logg.Info("block processor shutting down")
-			p.Stop()
-			return
-		default:
-			if p.blocksQueue.Len() > 0 {
-				v, _ := p.blocksQueue.PopFront()
-				p.pool.Submit(func() {
-					if err := p.processBlock(v); err != nil {
-						p.logg.Info("block processor error", "block", v.NumberU64(), "error", err)
-					}
-				})
-			}
+		if p.blocksQueue.Len() > 0 {
+			v, _ := p.blocksQueue.PopFront()
+			p.pool.Submit(func() {
+				if err := p.processBlock(v); err != nil {
+					p.logg.Info("block processor error", "block", v.NumberU64(), "error", err)
+				}
+			})
+		} else {
+			time.Sleep(emptyQueueIdleTime)
 		}
 	}
-
 }
+
 func (p *Processor) Stop() {
 	p.pool.StopAndWait()
 }
diff --git a/internal/syncer/realtime.go b/internal/syncer/realtime.go
index e89cb46..39bf723 100644
--- a/internal/syncer/realtime.go
+++ b/internal/syncer/realtime.go
@@ -2,39 +2,110 @@ package syncer
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/celo-org/celo-blockchain"
 	"github.com/celo-org/celo-blockchain/core/types"
 	"github.com/celo-org/celo-blockchain/event"
 )
 
+type (
+	BlockQueueFn func(context.Context, uint64) error
+)
+
 const (
 	resubscribeInterval = 5 * time.Second
 )
 
-func (s *Syncer) StartRealtimeSyncer(ctx context.Context) error {
-	newHeadersReceiver := make(chan *types.Header, 1)
+// func (s *Syncer) StartRealtimeSyncer(ctx context.Context) error {
+// 	newHeadersReceiver := make(chan *types.Header, 1)
 
-	sub := event.ResubscribeErr(resubscribeInterval, func(ctx context.Context, err error) (event.Subscription, error) {
-		if err != nil {
-			s.logg.Error("realtime syncer resubscribe error", "error", err)
-		}
-		return s.ethClient.SubscribeNewHead(ctx, newHeadersReceiver)
-	})
-	defer sub.Unsubscribe()
+// 	sub := event.ResubscribeErr(resubscribeInterval, func(ctx context.Context, err error) (event.Subscription, error) {
+// 		if err != nil {
+// 			s.logg.Error("realtime syncer resubscribe error", "error", err)
+// 		}
+// 		return s.ethClient.SubscribeNewHead(ctx, newHeadersReceiver)
+// 	})
+// 	defer sub.Unsubscribe()
 
-	for {
-		select {
-		case <-ctx.Done():
-			s.logg.Info("realtime syncer shutting down")
-			return nil
-		case header := <-newHeadersReceiver:
-			blockNumber := header.Number.Uint64()
-			block, err := s.chain.GetBlock(context.Background(), blockNumber)
-			if err != nil {
-				s.logg.Error("realtime block fetcher error", "block", blockNumber, "error", err)
+// 	for {
+// 		select {
+// 		case <-ctx.Done():
+// 			s.logg.Info("realtime syncer shutting down")
+// 			return nil
+// 		case header := <-newHeadersReceiver:
+// 			blockNumber := header.Number.Uint64()
+// 			block, err := s.chain.GetBlock(context.Background(), blockNumber)
+// 			if err != nil {
+// 				s.logg.Error("realtime block fetcher error", "block", blockNumber, "error", err)
+// 			}
+// 			s.blocksQueue.PushFront(block)
+// 		}
+// 	}
+// }
+
+func (s *Syncer) StartRealtime() {
+	s.realtimeSub = event.ResubscribeErr(resubscribeInterval, s.resubscribeFn())
+}
+
+func (s *Syncer) StopRealtime() {
+	s.realtimeSub.Unsubscribe()
+	s.realtimeSub = nil
+}
+
+func (s *Syncer) receiveRealtimeBlocks(ctx context.Context, fn BlockQueueFn) (celo.Subscription, error) {
+	newHeadersReceiver := make(chan *types.Header, 10)
+	sub, err := s.ethClient.SubscribeNewHead(ctx, newHeadersReceiver)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return event.NewSubscription(func(quit <-chan struct{}) error {
+		eventsCtx, eventsCancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		defer sub.Unsubscribe()
+		defer eventsCancel()
+
+		go func() {
+			select {
+			case <-quit:
+				eventsCancel()
+			case <-eventsCtx.Done():
+				return
+			}
+		}()
+
+		for {
+			select {
+			case header := <-newHeadersReceiver:
+				s.logg.Debug("received block", "block", header.Number.Uint64())
+				if err := fn(eventsCtx, header.Number.Uint64()); err != nil {
+					s.logg.Error("realtime block queuer error", "error", err)
+				}
+			case <-eventsCtx.Done():
+				return nil
+			case err := <-sub.Err():
+				return err
 			}
-			s.blocksQueue.PushFront(block)
 		}
+	}), nil
+}
+
+func (s *Syncer) queueRealtimeBlock(ctx context.Context, blockNumber uint64) error {
+	block, err := s.chain.GetBlock(ctx, blockNumber)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("block %d error: %v", blockNumber, err)
+	}
+	s.blocksQueue.PushFront(block)
+	s.logg.Debug("queued block", "block", blockNumber)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (s *Syncer) resubscribeFn() event.ResubscribeErrFunc {
+	return func(ctx context.Context, err error) (event.Subscription, error) {
+		if err != nil {
+			s.logg.Error("resubscribing after failed suibscription", "error", err)
+		}
+		return s.receiveRealtimeBlocks(ctx, s.queueRealtimeBlock)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/syncer/syncer.go b/internal/syncer/syncer.go
index c7286e8..213a391 100644
--- a/internal/syncer/syncer.go
+++ b/internal/syncer/syncer.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"log/slog"
 
+	"github.com/celo-org/celo-blockchain"
 	"github.com/celo-org/celo-blockchain/core/types"
 	"github.com/celo-org/celo-blockchain/ethclient"
 	"github.com/ef-ds/deque/v2"
@@ -33,6 +34,8 @@ type (
 		ethClient         *ethclient.Client
 		db                *db.DB
 		initialLowerBound uint64
+		//
+		realtimeSub celo.Subscription
 	}
 )