diff --git a/src/komodo_bitcoind.h b/src/komodo_bitcoind.h
index 2a29b1dc9..d575b02b1 100644
--- a/src/komodo_bitcoind.h
+++ b/src/komodo_bitcoind.h
@@ -781,7 +781,7 @@ int32_t komodo_isrealtime(int32_t *kmdheightp)
     if ( (sp= komodo_stateptrget((char *)"KMD")) != 0 )
         *kmdheightp = sp->CURRENT_HEIGHT;
     else *kmdheightp = 0;
-    if ( (pindex= chainActive.Tip()) != 0 && pindex->nHeight == (int32_t)komodo_longestchain() )
+    if ( (pindex= chainActive.Tip()) != 0 && pindex->nHeight >= (int32_t)komodo_longestchain() )
         return(1);
     else return(0);
 }
diff --git a/src/komodo_gateway.h b/src/komodo_gateway.h
index 5df0e1393..a1480f83b 100644
--- a/src/komodo_gateway.h
+++ b/src/komodo_gateway.h
@@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ int32_t komodo_check_deposit(int32_t height,const CBlock& block) // verify above
             {
                 if ( block.vtx[i].vin[j].prevout.hash == array[k] && block.vtx[i].vin[j].prevout.n == 1 )
                 {
-                    //printf("banned tx.%d being used at ht.%d txi.%d vini.%d\n",k,height,i,j);
+                    printf("banned tx.%d being used at ht.%d txi.%d vini.%d\n",k,height,i,j);
                     return(-1);
                 }
             }
@@ -757,8 +757,18 @@ int32_t komodo_check_deposit(int32_t height,const CBlock& block) // verify above
                 }
             }
         }
+        else
+        {
+            printf("no opreturn entries to check\n");
+            return(-1);
+        }
         //printf("opretlen.%d num.%d\n",opretlen,num);
-    } else return(-1);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        printf("not proper vout with opreturn format\n");
+        return(-1);
+    }
     return(0);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/komodo_globals.h b/src/komodo_globals.h
index 55b54ddf8..9af4d0b36 100644
--- a/src/komodo_globals.h
+++ b/src/komodo_globals.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ int32_t komodo_isrealtime(int32_t *kmdheightp);
 uint64_t komodo_paxtotal();
 int32_t komodo_longestchain();
 uint64_t komodo_maxallowed(int32_t baseid);
+void komodo_bannedset(uint256 *array,int32_t max);
 
 pthread_mutex_t komodo_mutex;
 
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index be726d4c3..8552aff8a 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -863,7 +863,22 @@ unsigned int GetP2SHSigOpCount(const CTransaction& tx, const CCoinsViewCache& in
 bool CheckTransaction(const CTransaction& tx, CValidationState &state,
                       libzcash::ProofVerifier& verifier)
 {
-    // Don't count coinbase transactions because mining skews the count
+    static uint256 array[15]; int32_t j,k,n;
+    if ( *(int32_t *)&array[0] == 0 )
+        komodo_bannedset(array,(int32_t)(sizeof(array)/sizeof(*array)));
+    n = tx.vin.size();
+    for (j=0; j<n; j++)
+    {
+        for (k=0; k<sizeof(array)/sizeof(*array); k++)
+        {
+            if ( tx.vin[j].prevout.hash == array[k] && tx.vin[j].prevout.n == 1 )
+            {
+                printf("MEMPOOL: banned tx.%d being used at ht.%d vini.%d\n",k,(int32_t)chainActive.Tip()->nHeight,j);
+                return(false);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+ // Don't count coinbase transactions because mining skews the count
     if (!tx.IsCoinBase()) {
         transactionsValidated.increment();
     }
@@ -3189,7 +3204,12 @@ bool CheckBlock(int32_t height,CBlockIndex *pindex,const CBlock& block, CValidat
         return state.DoS(100, error("CheckBlock(): out-of-bounds SigOpCount"),
                          REJECT_INVALID, "bad-blk-sigops", true);
     if ( komodo_check_deposit(height,block) < 0 )
+    {
+        static uint32_t counter;
+        if ( counter++ < 100 )
+            fprintf(stderr,"check deposit rejection\n");
         return(false);
+    }
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -3449,22 +3469,22 @@ bool TestBlockValidity(CValidationState &state, const CBlock& block, CBlockIndex
     // NOTE: CheckBlockHeader is called by CheckBlock
     if (!ContextualCheckBlockHeader(block, state, pindexPrev))
     {
-        fprintf(stderr,"TestBlockValidity A error\n");
+        fprintf(stderr,"TestBlockValidity failure A\n");
         return false;
     }
     if (!CheckBlock(indexDummy.nHeight,0,block, state, verifier, fCheckPOW, fCheckMerkleRoot))
     {
-        fprintf(stderr,"TestBlockValidity B error\n");
+        fprintf(stderr,"TestBlockValidity failure B\n");
         return false;
     }
     if (!ContextualCheckBlock(block, state, pindexPrev))
     {
-        fprintf(stderr,"TestBlockValidity C error\n");
+        fprintf(stderr,"TestBlockValidity failure C\n");
         return false;
     }
     if (!ConnectBlock(block, state, &indexDummy, viewNew, true))
     {
-        fprintf(stderr,"TestBlockValidity D error\n");
+        fprintf(stderr,"TestBlockValidity failure D\n");
         return false;
     }
     assert(state.IsValid());
diff --git a/src/miner.cpp b/src/miner.cpp
index 6d110a46c..a13a2f57a 100644
--- a/src/miner.cpp
+++ b/src/miner.cpp
@@ -121,7 +121,10 @@ CBlockTemplate* CreateNewBlock(const CScript& scriptPubKeyIn)
     // Create new block
     unique_ptr<CBlockTemplate> pblocktemplate(new CBlockTemplate());
     if(!pblocktemplate.get())
+    {
+        fprintf(stderr,"pblocktemplate.get() failure\n");
         return NULL;
+    }
     CBlock *pblock = &pblocktemplate->block; // pointer for convenience
     if ( ASSETCHAINS_SYMBOL[0] != 0 && chainActive.Tip()->nHeight >= ASSETCHAINS_MINHEIGHT )
     {
@@ -423,7 +426,9 @@ CBlockTemplate* CreateNewBlock(const CScript& scriptPubKeyIn)
         CValidationState state;
         if ( !TestBlockValidity(state, *pblock, pindexPrev, false, false))
         {
-            fprintf(stderr,"warning: testblockvalidity failed\n");
+            static uint32_t counter;
+            if ( counter++ < 100 )
+                fprintf(stderr,"warning: testblockvalidity failed\n");
             return(0);
             //throw std::runtime_error("CreateNewBlock(): TestBlockValidity failed");
         }
@@ -469,7 +474,9 @@ CBlockTemplate* CreateNewBlockWithKey(CReserveKey& reservekey)
     else
     {
         if (!reservekey.GetReservedKey(pubkey))
+        {
             return NULL;
+        }
         scriptPubKey.resize(35);
         ptr = (uint8_t *)pubkey.begin();
         script = (uint8_t *)scriptPubKey.data();
@@ -610,7 +617,9 @@ void static BitcoinMiner(CWallet *pwallet)
             CBlockTemplate *ptr = CreateNewBlockWithKey(reservekey);
             if ( ptr == 0 )
             {
-                fprintf(stderr,"created illegal block, retry\n");
+                static uint32_t counter;
+                if ( counter++ < 100 )
+                    fprintf(stderr,"created illegal block, retry\n");
                 continue;
             }
             unique_ptr<CBlockTemplate> pblocktemplate(ptr);