diff --git a/apps/cic-cache/cic_cache/runnable/daemons/tracker.py b/apps/cic-cache/cic_cache/runnable/daemons/tracker.py
index 279176bd..0746df7f 100644
--- a/apps/cic-cache/cic_cache/runnable/daemons/tracker.py
+++ b/apps/cic-cache/cic_cache/runnable/daemons/tracker.py
@@ -46,12 +46,21 @@ from cic_cache.runnable.daemons.filters import (
 
 script_dir = os.path.realpath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
 
+def add_block_args(argparser):
+    argparser.add_argument('--history-start', type=int, default=0, dest='history_start', help='Start block height for initial history sync')
+    argparser.add_argument('--no-history', action='store_true', dest='no_history', help='Skip initial history sync')
+    return argparser
+
+
 logg = cic_base.log.create()
 argparser = cic_base.argparse.create(script_dir, cic_base.argparse.full_template)
-#argparser = cic_base.argparse.add(argparser, add_traffic_args, 'traffic')
+argparser = cic_base.argparse.add(argparser, add_block_args, 'block')
 args = cic_base.argparse.parse(argparser, logg)
 config = cic_base.config.create(args.c, args, args.env_prefix)
 
+config.add(args.history_start, 'SYNCER_HISTORY_START', True)
+config.add(args.no_history, '_NO_HISTORY', True)
+
 cic_base.config.log(config)
 
 dsn = dsn_from_config(config)
@@ -60,7 +69,6 @@ SessionBase.connect(dsn, debug=config.true('DATABASE_DEBUG'))
 
 chain_spec = ChainSpec.from_chain_str(config.get('CIC_CHAIN_SPEC'))
 
-#RPCConnection.register_location(config.get('ETH_PROVIDER'), chain_spec, 'default')
 cic_base.rpc.setup(chain_spec, config.get('ETH_PROVIDER'))
 
 
@@ -84,7 +92,7 @@ def main():
     r = rpc.do(o)
     block_offset = int(strip_0x(r), 16) + 1
 
-    logg.debug('starting at block {}'.format(block_offset))
+    logg.debug('current block height {}'.format(block_offset))
 
     syncers = []
 
@@ -93,8 +101,13 @@ def main():
     syncer_backends = SQLBackend.resume(chain_spec, block_offset)
 
     if len(syncer_backends) == 0:
-        logg.info('found no backends to resume')
-        syncer_backends.append(SQLBackend.initial(chain_spec, block_offset))
+        initial_block_start = config.get('SYNCER_HISTORY_START')
+        initial_block_offset = block_offset
+        if config.get('_NO_HISTORY'):
+            initial_block_start = block_offset
+            initial_block_offset += 1
+        syncer_backends.append(SQLBackend.initial(chain_spec, initial_block_offset, start_block_height=initial_block_start))
+        logg.info('found no backends to resume, adding initial sync from history start {} end {}'.format(initial_block_start, initial_block_offset))
     else:
         for syncer_backend in syncer_backends:
             logg.info('resuming sync session {}'.format(syncer_backend))
diff --git a/apps/cic-cache/config/docker/eth.ini b/apps/cic-cache/config/docker/eth.ini
index d61e9647..321384f8 100644
--- a/apps/cic-cache/config/docker/eth.ini
+++ b/apps/cic-cache/config/docker/eth.ini
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 [eth]
-provider = ws://localhost:63546
+provider = http://localhost:63545
diff --git a/apps/cic-cache/config/docker/syncer.ini b/apps/cic-cache/config/docker/syncer.ini
index 452fb81c..c811bccc 100644
--- a/apps/cic-cache/config/docker/syncer.ini
+++ b/apps/cic-cache/config/docker/syncer.ini
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 [syncer]
 loop_interval = 1
+history_start = 0
diff --git a/apps/cic-cache/config/syncer.ini b/apps/cic-cache/config/syncer.ini
index 42e7cd88..f26739c7 100644
--- a/apps/cic-cache/config/syncer.ini
+++ b/apps/cic-cache/config/syncer.ini
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 [syncer]
 loop_interval = 5
+history_start = 0
diff --git a/apps/cic-cache/requirements.txt b/apps/cic-cache/requirements.txt
index 6095d479..ad1232c3 100644
--- a/apps/cic-cache/requirements.txt
+++ b/apps/cic-cache/requirements.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-cic-base~=0.1.2b9
+cic-base~=0.1.2b10
 alembic==1.4.2
 confini~=0.3.6rc3
 uwsgi==2.0.19.1
diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/runnable/daemons/tracker.py b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/runnable/daemons/tracker.py
index d20dc338..10ef5154 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/runnable/daemons/tracker.py
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/runnable/daemons/tracker.py
@@ -51,15 +51,23 @@ from cic_eth.registry import (
 
 script_dir = os.path.realpath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
 
+def add_block_args(argparser):
+    argparser.add_argument('--history-start', type=int, default=0, dest='history_start', help='Start block height for initial history sync')
+    argparser.add_argument('--no-history', action='store_true', dest='no_history', help='Skip initial history sync')
+    return argparser
+
+
 logg = cic_base.log.create()
 argparser = cic_base.argparse.create(script_dir, cic_base.argparse.full_template)
-#argparser = cic_base.argparse.add(argparser, add_traffic_args, 'traffic')
+argparser = cic_base.argparse.add(argparser, add_block_args, 'block')
 args = cic_base.argparse.parse(argparser, logg)
+
 config = cic_base.config.create(args.c, args, args.env_prefix)
 
 config.add(args.y, '_KEYSTORE_FILE', True)
-
 config.add(args.q, '_CELERY_QUEUE', True)
+config.add(args.history_start, 'SYNCER_HISTORY_START', True)
+config.add(args.no_history, '_NO_HISTORY', True)
 
 cic_base.config.log(config)
 
@@ -69,9 +77,9 @@ SessionBase.connect(dsn, pool_size=16, debug=config.true('DATABASE_DEBUG'))
 
 chain_spec = ChainSpec.from_chain_str(config.get('CIC_CHAIN_SPEC'))
 
-#RPCConnection.register_location(config.get('ETH_PROVIDER'), chain_spec, 'default')
 cic_base.rpc.setup(chain_spec, config.get('ETH_PROVIDER'))
 
+
 def main():
     # connect to celery
     celery.Celery(broker=config.get('CELERY_BROKER_URL'), backend=config.get('CELERY_RESULT_URL'))
@@ -89,7 +97,7 @@ def main():
         stat = init_chain_stat(rpc, block_start=block_current)
         loop_interval = stat.block_average()
 
-    logg.debug('starting at block {}'.format(block_offset))
+    logg.debug('current block height {}'.format(block_offset))
 
     syncers = []
 
@@ -98,8 +106,13 @@ def main():
     syncer_backends = SQLBackend.resume(chain_spec, block_offset)
 
     if len(syncer_backends) == 0:
-        logg.info('found no backends to resume')
-        syncer_backends.append(SQLBackend.initial(chain_spec, block_offset))
+        initial_block_start = config.get('SYNCER_HISTORY_START')
+        initial_block_offset = block_offset
+        if config.get('_NO_HISTORY'):
+            initial_block_start = block_offset
+            initial_block_offset += 1
+        syncer_backends.append(SQLBackend.initial(chain_spec, initial_block_offset, start_block_height=initial_block_start))
+        logg.info('found no backends to resume, adding initial sync from history start {} end {}'.format(initial_block_start, initial_block_offset))
     else:
         for syncer_backend in syncer_backends:
             logg.info('resuming sync session {}'.format(syncer_backend))
@@ -155,7 +168,6 @@ def main():
         for cf in callback_filters:
             syncer.add_filter(cf)
 
-        #r = syncer.loop(int(config.get('SYNCER_LOOP_INTERVAL')), rpc)
         r = syncer.loop(int(loop_interval), rpc)
         sys.stderr.write("sync {} done at block {}\n".format(syncer, r))
 
diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/config/docker/syncer.ini b/apps/cic-eth/config/docker/syncer.ini
index 9c452999..fc88c7f4 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/config/docker/syncer.ini
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/config/docker/syncer.ini
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 [SYNCER]
 loop_interval = 
+history_start = 0
diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/config/syncer.ini b/apps/cic-eth/config/syncer.ini
index 9c452999..fc88c7f4 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/config/syncer.ini
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/config/syncer.ini
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 [SYNCER]
 loop_interval = 
+history_start = 0
diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/requirements.txt b/apps/cic-eth/requirements.txt
index 4ec9c34e..a4fb22b6 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/requirements.txt
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/requirements.txt
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ semver==2.13.0
 websocket-client==0.57.0
 moolb~=0.1.1b2
 eth-address-index~=0.1.1a11
-chainlib~=0.0.3a1
+chainlib~=0.0.3a2
 hexathon~=0.0.1a7
 chainsyncer[sql]~=0.0.2a4
 chainqueue~=0.0.2a2