diff --git a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/manager/EthPeer.java b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/manager/EthPeer.java
index 2d9cdd6968..4e92d7e912 100644
--- a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/manager/EthPeer.java
+++ b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/manager/EthPeer.java
@@ -101,8 +101,8 @@ public void recordRequestTimeout(final int requestCode) {
     reputation.recordRequestTimeout(requestCode).ifPresent(this::disconnect);
   }
 
-  public void recordUselessResponse() {
-    LOG.debug("Received useless response from peer {}", this);
+  public void recordUselessResponse(final String requestType) {
+    LOG.debug("Received useless response for {} from peer {}", requestType, this);
     reputation.recordUselessResponse(System.currentTimeMillis()).ifPresent(this::disconnect);
   }
 
diff --git a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/manager/task/AbstractGetHeadersFromPeerTask.java b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/manager/task/AbstractGetHeadersFromPeerTask.java
index a3461ed4ba..ec64bd3f32 100644
--- a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/manager/task/AbstractGetHeadersFromPeerTask.java
+++ b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/manager/task/AbstractGetHeadersFromPeerTask.java
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ protected Optional<List<BlockHeader>> processResponse(
     if (streamClosed) {
       // All outstanding requests have been responded to and we still haven't found the response
       // we wanted. It must have been empty or contain data that didn't match.
-      peer.recordUselessResponse();
+      peer.recordUselessResponse("headers");
       return Optional.of(Collections.emptyList());
     }
 
diff --git a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/manager/task/GetBodiesFromPeerTask.java b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/manager/task/GetBodiesFromPeerTask.java
index 5e342a7edf..ed10df2609 100644
--- a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/manager/task/GetBodiesFromPeerTask.java
+++ b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/manager/task/GetBodiesFromPeerTask.java
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ protected Optional<List<Block>> processResponse(
     if (streamClosed) {
       // All outstanding requests have been responded to and we still haven't found the response
       // we wanted. It must have been empty or contain data that didn't match.
-      peer.recordUselessResponse();
+      peer.recordUselessResponse("bodies");
       return Optional.of(Collections.emptyList());
     }
 
diff --git a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/manager/task/GetReceiptsFromPeerTask.java b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/manager/task/GetReceiptsFromPeerTask.java
index b25ca401fc..76165df0bf 100644
--- a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/manager/task/GetReceiptsFromPeerTask.java
+++ b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/manager/task/GetReceiptsFromPeerTask.java
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ protected Optional<Map<BlockHeader, List<TransactionReceipt>>> processResponse(
     if (streamClosed) {
       // All outstanding requests have been responded to and we still haven't found the response
       // we wanted. It must have been empty or contain data that didn't match.
-      peer.recordUselessResponse();
+      peer.recordUselessResponse("receipts");
       return Optional.of(emptyMap());
     }
 
diff --git a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/sync/tasks/ImportBlocksTask.java b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/sync/tasks/ImportBlocksTask.java
index 52268548b3..4ed5a21e06 100644
--- a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/sync/tasks/ImportBlocksTask.java
+++ b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/sync/tasks/ImportBlocksTask.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
 
@@ -96,6 +97,11 @@ protected void executeTaskWithPeer(final EthPeer peer) throws PeerNotConnected {
             });
   }
 
+  @Override
+  protected Optional<EthPeer> findSuitablePeer() {
+    return ethContext.getEthPeers().idlePeer(referenceHeader.getNumber());
+  }
+
   private CompletableFuture<PeerTaskResult<List<BlockHeader>>> downloadHeaders() {
     final AbstractPeerTask<List<BlockHeader>> task =
         GetHeadersFromPeerByHashTask.startingAtHash(
diff --git a/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/sync/tasks/ImportBlocksTaskTest.java b/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/sync/tasks/ImportBlocksTaskTest.java
index e40695824b..4aa77cd1ff 100644
--- a/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/sync/tasks/ImportBlocksTaskTest.java
+++ b/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/sync/tasks/ImportBlocksTaskTest.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 package tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.eth.sync.tasks;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatThrownBy;
 import static tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.core.InMemoryStorageProvider.createInMemoryBlockchain;
 
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.ProtocolContext;
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.eth.manager.RespondingEthPeer;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.eth.manager.RespondingEthPeer.Responder;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.eth.manager.ethtaskutils.AbstractMessageTaskTest;
+import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.eth.manager.exceptions.NoAvailablePeersException;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.eth.manager.task.AbstractPeerTask.PeerTaskResult;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.eth.manager.task.EthTask;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.eth.messages.BlockHeadersMessage;
@@ -161,6 +163,23 @@ public void completesWhenPeersSendEmptyResponses()
     assertThat(future.isCompletedExceptionally()).isFalse();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void shouldNotRequestDataFromPeerBelowExpectedHeight() {
+    // Setup a unresponsive peer
+    final Responder responder = RespondingEthPeer.emptyResponder();
+    final RespondingEthPeer respondingEthPeer =
+        EthProtocolManagerTestUtil.createPeer(ethProtocolManager, 1);
+
+    // Execute task and wait for response
+    final List<Block> requestedData = generateDataToBeRequested();
+    final EthTask<PeerTaskResult<List<Block>>> task = createTask(requestedData);
+    final CompletableFuture<PeerTaskResult<List<Block>>> future = task.run();
+    respondingEthPeer.respondWhile(responder, () -> !future.isDone());
+    assertThat(future.isDone()).isTrue();
+    assertThat(future.isCompletedExceptionally()).isTrue();
+    assertThatThrownBy(future::get).hasCauseInstanceOf(NoAvailablePeersException.class);
+  }
+
   private MutableBlockchain createShortChain(final long truncateAtBlockNumber) {
     final BlockHeader genesisHeader =
         blockchain.getBlockHeader(BlockHeader.GENESIS_BLOCK_NUMBER).get();