diff --git a/crates/ethcore/sync/src/api.rs b/crates/ethcore/sync/src/api.rs
index 74c132a82..cb75861de 100644
--- a/crates/ethcore/sync/src/api.rs
+++ b/crates/ethcore/sync/src/api.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ use std::{
 
 use chain::{
     fork_filter::ForkFilterApi, ChainSyncApi, SyncState, SyncStatus as EthSyncStatus,
-    ETH_PROTOCOL_VERSION_64, PAR_PROTOCOL_VERSION_1, PAR_PROTOCOL_VERSION_2,
+    ETH_PROTOCOL_VERSION_63, ETH_PROTOCOL_VERSION_64, PAR_PROTOCOL_VERSION_1,
+    PAR_PROTOCOL_VERSION_2,
 };
 use ethcore::{
     client::{BlockChainClient, ChainMessageType, ChainNotify, NewBlocks},
@@ -563,7 +564,7 @@ impl ChainNotify for EthSync {
             .register_protocol(
                 self.eth_handler.clone(),
                 self.subprotocol_name,
-                &[ETH_PROTOCOL_VERSION_64],
+                &[ETH_PROTOCOL_VERSION_63, ETH_PROTOCOL_VERSION_64],
             )
             .unwrap_or_else(|e| warn!("Error registering ethereum protocol: {:?}", e));
         // register the warp sync subprotocol
diff --git a/crates/ethcore/sync/src/chain/handler.rs b/crates/ethcore/sync/src/chain/handler.rs
index 6938209b8..556c677b5 100644
--- a/crates/ethcore/sync/src/chain/handler.rs
+++ b/crates/ethcore/sync/src/chain/handler.rs
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ use super::sync_packet::{
 
 use super::{
     BlockSet, ChainSync, ForkConfirmation, PacketProcessError, PeerAsking, PeerInfo, SyncRequester,
-    SyncState, ETH_PROTOCOL_VERSION_64, MAX_NEW_BLOCK_AGE, MAX_NEW_HASHES, PAR_PROTOCOL_VERSION_1,
-    PAR_PROTOCOL_VERSION_2,
+    SyncState, ETH_PROTOCOL_VERSION_63, ETH_PROTOCOL_VERSION_64, MAX_NEW_BLOCK_AGE, MAX_NEW_HASHES,
+    PAR_PROTOCOL_VERSION_1, PAR_PROTOCOL_VERSION_2,
 };
 
 /// The Chain Sync Handler: handles responses from peers
@@ -669,7 +669,7 @@ impl SyncHandler {
             .next()
             .ok_or(rlp::DecoderError::RlpIsTooShort)?
             .as_val()?;
-        let _eth_protocol_version = io.protocol_version(ETH_PROTOCOL, peer_id);
+        let eth_protocol_version = io.protocol_version(ETH_PROTOCOL, peer_id);
         let warp_protocol_version = io.protocol_version(PAR_PROTOCOL, peer_id);
         let warp_protocol = warp_protocol_version != 0;
 
@@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ impl SyncHandler {
             .next()
             .ok_or(rlp::DecoderError::RlpIsTooShort)?
             .as_val()?;
-        let forkid_validation_error = {
+        let forkid_validation_error = if eth_protocol_version >= ETH_PROTOCOL_VERSION_64.0 {
             let fork_id = r_iter
                 .next()
                 .ok_or(rlp::DecoderError::RlpIsTooShort)?
@@ -700,6 +700,8 @@ impl SyncHandler {
                 .is_compatible(io.chain(), fork_id)
                 .err()
                 .map(|e| (fork_id, e))
+        } else {
+            None
         };
         let snapshot_hash = if warp_protocol {
             Some(
@@ -788,7 +790,9 @@ impl SyncHandler {
             || (warp_protocol
                 && (peer.protocol_version < PAR_PROTOCOL_VERSION_1.0
                     || peer.protocol_version > PAR_PROTOCOL_VERSION_2.0))
-            || (!warp_protocol && peer.protocol_version != ETH_PROTOCOL_VERSION_64.0)
+            || (!warp_protocol
+                && (peer.protocol_version < ETH_PROTOCOL_VERSION_63.0
+                    || peer.protocol_version > ETH_PROTOCOL_VERSION_64.0))
         {
             trace!(target: "sync", "Peer {} unsupported eth protocol ({})", peer_id, peer.protocol_version);
             return Err(DownloaderImportError::Invalid);
diff --git a/crates/ethcore/sync/src/chain/mod.rs b/crates/ethcore/sync/src/chain/mod.rs
index 4d04fe388..1ccbc1f4f 100644
--- a/crates/ethcore/sync/src/chain/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/ethcore/sync/src/chain/mod.rs
@@ -158,6 +158,8 @@ impl From<DecoderError> for PacketProcessError {
 
 /// 64 version of Ethereum protocol.
 pub const ETH_PROTOCOL_VERSION_64: (u8, u8) = (64, 0x11);
+/// 63 version of Ethereum protocol.
+pub const ETH_PROTOCOL_VERSION_63: (u8, u8) = (63, 0x11);
 /// 1 version of OpenEthereum protocol and the packet count.
 pub const PAR_PROTOCOL_VERSION_1: (u8, u8) = (1, 0x15);
 /// 2 version of OpenEthereum protocol (consensus messages added).
@@ -1308,8 +1310,9 @@ impl ChainSync {
         packet.append(&primitive_types07::U256(chain.total_difficulty.0));
         packet.append(&primitive_types07::H256(chain.best_block_hash.0));
         packet.append(&primitive_types07::H256(chain.genesis_hash.0));
-        packet.append(&self.fork_filter.current(io.chain()));
-
+        if eth_protocol_version >= ETH_PROTOCOL_VERSION_64.0 {
+            packet.append(&self.fork_filter.current(io.chain()));
+        }
         if warp_protocol {
             let manifest = io.snapshot_service().manifest();
             let block_number = manifest.as_ref().map_or(0, |m| m.block_number);