diff --git a/src/bin/node.rs b/src/bin/node.rs
index 2636eeb..ff6fb9c 100644
--- a/src/bin/node.rs
+++ b/src/bin/node.rs
@@ -111,8 +111,8 @@ static START: Once = Once::new();
 static mut GLOBAL_LOG_CALLBACK_HOLDER: Option<Logger> = None;
 
 fn setup_logging() {
-    let mut builder = env_logger::Builder::from_default_env();
-    builder.filter(None, log::LevelFilter::Info).init();
+    let mut builder = env_logger::Builder::from_env(env_logger::Env::default().default_filter_or("info"));
+    builder.init();
 
     unsafe { GLOBAL_LOG_CALLBACK_HOLDER = Some(Logger::new(KernelLog {}).unwrap()) };
 }
diff --git a/src/kernel_util.rs b/src/kernel_util.rs
index 999e3e4..7a683d9 100644
--- a/src/kernel_util.rs
+++ b/src/kernel_util.rs
@@ -49,6 +49,11 @@ pub fn bitcoin_block_to_kernel_block(block: &bitcoin::Block<Checked>) -> bitcoin
     bitcoinkernel::Block::try_from(ser_block.as_slice()).unwrap()
 }
 
+pub fn bitcoin_header_to_kernel_header(header: &bitcoin::BlockHeader) -> bitcoinkernel::BlockHeader {
+    let ser_header = encode::serialize(header);
+    bitcoinkernel::BlockHeader::new(ser_header.as_slice()).unwrap()
+}
+
 pub fn get_block_hash(index: BlockTreeEntry) -> bitcoin::BlockHash {
     bitcoin::BlockHash::from_byte_array(index.block_hash().to_bytes())
 }
diff --git a/src/peer.rs b/src/peer.rs
index ddaf331..92a7c8e 100644
--- a/src/peer.rs
+++ b/src/peer.rs
@@ -6,20 +6,17 @@ use std::{
 };
 
 use bitcoin::{BlockHash, Network};
-use bitcoinkernel::{ChainstateManager, Context};
-use log::{debug, info};
+use bitcoinkernel::{ChainstateManager, Context, ProcessBlockHeaderResult, ValidationMode, core::BlockHashExt, prelude::BlockValidationStateExt};
+use log::{debug, info, warn};
 use p2p::{
     handshake::ConnectionConfig,
     net::{ConnectionExt, ConnectionReader, ConnectionWriter, TimeoutParams},
     p2p_message_types::{
-        message::{AddrV2Payload, InventoryPayload, NetworkMessage},
-        message_blockdata::{GetBlocksMessage, Inventory},
-        message_network::UserAgent,
-        Address, ProtocolVersion, ServiceFlags,
+        Address, ProtocolVersion, ServiceFlags, message::{AddrV2Payload, InventoryPayload, NetworkMessage}, message_blockdata::{GetBlocksMessage, GetHeadersMessage, Inventory}, message_network::UserAgent
     },
 };
 
-use crate::kernel_util::bitcoin_block_to_kernel_block;
+use crate::kernel_util::{bitcoin_block_to_kernel_block, bitcoin_header_to_kernel_header};
 
 const PROTOCOL_VERSION: ProtocolVersion = ProtocolVersion::INVALID_CB_NO_BAN_VERSION;
 
@@ -60,6 +57,7 @@ impl NodeState {
 ///
 ///       [*]
 ///        │
+/// AwaitingHeaders
 ///        ▼
 ///   AwaitingInv
 ///       ▲ |
@@ -73,6 +71,7 @@ impl NodeState {
 #[derive(Default)]
 pub enum PeerStateMachine {
     #[default]
+    AwaitingHeaders,
     AwaitingInv,
     AwaitingBlock(AwaitingBlock),
 }
@@ -82,6 +81,14 @@ pub struct AwaitingBlock {
     pub block_buffer: HashMap<bitcoin::BlockHash /*prev */, bitcoinkernel::Block>,
 }
 
+fn create_getheaders_message(known_block_hash: bitcoin::BlockHash) -> NetworkMessage {
+    NetworkMessage::GetHeaders(GetHeadersMessage {
+        version: PROTOCOL_VERSION,
+        locator_hashes: vec![known_block_hash],
+        stop_hash: bitcoin::BlockHash::GENESIS_PREVIOUS_BLOCK_HASH,
+    })
+}
+
 fn create_getblocks_message(known_block_hash: bitcoin::BlockHash) -> NetworkMessage {
     NetworkMessage::GetBlocks(GetBlocksMessage {
         version: PROTOCOL_VERSION,
@@ -118,6 +125,35 @@ pub fn process_message(
     }
 
     match state_machine {
+        PeerStateMachine::AwaitingHeaders => match event {
+            NetworkMessage::Headers(headers) => {
+                for header in &headers.0 {
+                    let result = node_state.chainman.process_block_header(&bitcoin_header_to_kernel_header(&header));
+                    match result {
+                        ProcessBlockHeaderResult::Success(state) if state.mode() == ValidationMode::Valid => {
+                            debug!("Processed header: {}", header.time.to_u32());
+                            continue;
+                        }
+                        _ => {
+                            warn!("Rejected header {}", header.block_hash());
+                            break;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+
+                if headers.0.len() != 2000 {
+                    let tip_hash = node_state.get_tip_state().block_hash;
+                    return (PeerStateMachine::AwaitingInv, vec![create_getblocks_message(tip_hash)]);
+                }
+
+                let best_hash = BlockHash::from_byte_array(node_state.chainman.best_entry().unwrap().block_hash().to_bytes());
+                (PeerStateMachine::AwaitingHeaders, vec![create_getheaders_message(best_hash)])
+            }
+            message => {
+                debug!("Ignoring message: {:?}", message);
+                (PeerStateMachine::AwaitingHeaders, vec![])
+            }
+        }
         PeerStateMachine::AwaitingInv => match event {
             NetworkMessage::Inv(inventory) => {
                 debug!("Received inventory with {} items", inventory.0.len());
@@ -220,10 +256,11 @@ impl BitcoinPeer {
 
         let addr = Address::new(&socket_addr, ServiceFlags::WITNESS);
         info!("Connected to {:?}", addr);
-        let state_machine = PeerStateMachine::AwaitingInv;
-        let our_best = node_state.get_tip_state().block_hash;
-        let getblocks = create_getblocks_message(our_best);
-        writer.send_message(getblocks)?;
+        let state_machine = PeerStateMachine::AwaitingHeaders;
+        let best_hash = BlockHash::from_byte_array(node_state.chainman.best_entry().unwrap().block_hash().to_bytes());
+        let getheaders = create_getheaders_message(best_hash);
+        debug!("sending headers message...");
+        writer.send_message(getheaders)?;
         let peer = BitcoinPeer {
             addr,
             writer: Arc::new(writer),