diff --git a/rhizome_sync.c b/rhizome_sync.c
index ffb78c15..7ce46e33 100644
--- a/rhizome_sync.c
+++ b/rhizome_sync.c
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ static void rhizome_sync_send_requests(struct subscriber *subscriber, struct rhi
   if (state->bar_count >= CACHE_BARS)
     return;
 
-  if (state->next_request<=gettime_ms()){
+  if (state->next_request<=now){
     if (state->sync_end < state->highest_seen){
       rhizome_sync_request(subscriber, state->sync_end, 1);
     }else if(state->sync_start >0){
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ static void rhizome_sync_send_requests(struct subscriber *subscriber, struct rhi
       if (config.debug.rhizome)
         DEBUGF("BAR sync with %s complete", alloca_tohex_sid(subscriber->sid));
     }
-    state->next_request = gettime_ms()+500;
+    state->next_request = now+5000;
   }
 }
 
@@ -181,18 +181,26 @@ int rhizome_sync_bundle_inserted(const unsigned char *bar)
   return 0;
 }
 
-static void sync_cache_bar(struct rhizome_sync *state, unsigned char *bar, uint64_t token)
+static int sync_cache_bar(struct rhizome_sync *state, unsigned char *bar, uint64_t token)
 {
+  int ret=0;
+
   // check the database before adding the BAR to the list
   if (token!=0 && rhizome_is_bar_interesting(bar)!=0){
     bcopy(bar, state->bars[state->bar_count].bar, RHIZOME_BAR_BYTES);
     state->bars[state->bar_count].next_request = gettime_ms();
     state->bar_count++;
+    ret=1;
   }
-  if (state->sync_end < token)
+  if (state->sync_end < token){
     state->sync_end = token;
-  if (state->sync_start > token)
+    ret=1;
+  }
+  if (state->sync_start > token){
     state->sync_start = token;
+    ret=1;
+  }
+  return ret;
 }
 
 static void sync_process_bar_list(struct subscriber *subscriber, struct rhizome_sync *state, struct overlay_buffer *b)
@@ -255,20 +263,25 @@ static void sync_process_bar_list(struct subscriber *subscriber, struct rhizome_
     // extend the set of BARs we have synced from this peer
     // we require the list of BARs to be either ASC or DESC and include BARs for *all* manifests in that range
     // TODO stop if we are taking too much CPU time.
-    for (i=mid_point; i<bar_count && state->bar_count < BARS_PER_RESPONSE; i++)
-      sync_cache_bar(state, bars[i], bar_tokens[i]);
-    for (i=mid_point -1; i>=0 && state->bar_count < BARS_PER_RESPONSE; i--)
-      sync_cache_bar(state, bars[i], bar_tokens[i]);
+    int added=0;
+    for (i=mid_point; i<bar_count && state->bar_count < BARS_PER_RESPONSE; i++){
+      if (sync_cache_bar(state, bars[i], bar_tokens[i]))
+	added=1;
+    }
+    for (i=mid_point -1; i>=0 && state->bar_count < BARS_PER_RESPONSE; i--){
+      if (sync_cache_bar(state, bars[i], bar_tokens[i]))
+	added=1;
+    }
     if (config.debug.rhizome)
       DEBUGF("Synced %llu - %llu with %s", state->sync_start, state->sync_end, alloca_tohex_sid(subscriber->sid));
-    state->next_request = gettime_ms();
+    if (added)
+      state->next_request = gettime_ms();
   }
 
 }
 
 static int append_response(struct overlay_buffer *b, uint64_t token, const unsigned char *bar)
 {
-  ob_checkpoint(b);
   if (ob_append_packed_ui64(b, token))
     return -1;
   if (bar){
@@ -280,6 +293,7 @@ static int append_response(struct overlay_buffer *b, uint64_t token, const unsig
       return -1;
     bzero(ptr, RHIZOME_BAR_BYTES);
   }
+  ob_checkpoint(b);
   return 0;
 }
 
@@ -310,6 +324,7 @@ static void sync_send_response(struct subscriber *dest, int forwards, uint64_t t
 
   struct overlay_buffer *b = ob_static(mdp.out.payload, sizeof(mdp.out.payload));
   ob_append_byte(b, MSG_TYPE_BARS);
+  ob_checkpoint(b);
 
   sqlite_retry_state retry = SQLITE_RETRY_STATE_DEFAULT;
   sqlite3_stmt *statement;
@@ -343,9 +358,12 @@ static void sync_send_response(struct subscriber *dest, int forwards, uint64_t t
       // make sure we include the exact rowid that was requested, even if we just deleted / replaced the manifest
       if (count==0 && rowid!=token){
         if (token!=HEAD_FLAG){
-          append_response(b, token, NULL);
-          count++;
-          last = token;
+          if (append_response(b, token, NULL))
+	    ob_rewind(b);
+	  else{
+            count++;
+            last = token;
+	  }
         }else
           token = rowid;
       }
@@ -367,9 +385,12 @@ static void sync_send_response(struct subscriber *dest, int forwards, uint64_t t
 
   // send a zero lower bound if we reached the end of our manifest list
   if (count && count < BARS_PER_RESPONSE && !forwards){
-    append_response(b, 0, NULL);
-    last = 0;
-    count++;
+    if (append_response(b, 0, NULL))
+      ob_rewind(b);
+    else {
+      last = 0;
+      count++;
+    }
   }
 
   sqlite3_finalize(statement);