diff --git a/eth/downloader/peer.go b/eth/downloader/peer.go
index 2cc0e5e1e4a0..c160e9b2e6e7 100644
--- a/eth/downloader/peer.go
+++ b/eth/downloader/peer.go
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ func (ps *peerSet) HeaderIdlePeers() ([]*peerConnection, int) {
 		defer p.lock.RUnlock()
 		return p.headerThroughput
 	}
-	return ps.idlePeers(62, 101, idle, throughput)
+	return ps.idlePeers(62, 200, idle, throughput)
 }
 
 // BodyIdlePeers retrieves a flat list of all the currently body-idle peers within
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@ func (ps *peerSet) BodyIdlePeers() ([]*peerConnection, int) {
 		defer p.lock.RUnlock()
 		return p.blockThroughput
 	}
-	return ps.idlePeers(62, 101, idle, throughput)
+	return ps.idlePeers(62, 200, idle, throughput)
 }
 
 // ReceiptIdlePeers retrieves a flat list of all the currently receipt-idle peers
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ func (ps *peerSet) ReceiptIdlePeers() ([]*peerConnection, int) {
 		defer p.lock.RUnlock()
 		return p.receiptThroughput
 	}
-	return ps.idlePeers(63, 101, idle, throughput)
+	return ps.idlePeers(63, 200, idle, throughput)
 }
 
 // NodeDataIdlePeers retrieves a flat list of all the currently node-data-idle
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ func (ps *peerSet) NodeDataIdlePeers() ([]*peerConnection, int) {
 		defer p.lock.RUnlock()
 		return p.stateThroughput
 	}
-	return ps.idlePeers(63, 101, idle, throughput)
+	return ps.idlePeers(63, 200, idle, throughput)
 }
 
 // idlePeers retrieves a flat list of all currently idle peers satisfying the
diff --git a/eth/handler.go b/eth/handler.go
index d1c9e64df91d..c55aed34c5cb 100644
--- a/eth/handler.go
+++ b/eth/handler.go
@@ -699,7 +699,7 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) handleMsg(p *peer) error {
 			}
 		}
 
-	case p.version >= eth63 && msg.Code == GetNodeDataMsg:
+	case supportsEth63(p.version) && msg.Code == GetNodeDataMsg:
 		// Decode the retrieval message
 		msgStream := rlp.NewStream(msg.Payload, uint64(msg.Size))
 		if _, err := msgStream.List(); err != nil {
@@ -726,7 +726,7 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) handleMsg(p *peer) error {
 		}
 		return p.SendNodeData(data)
 
-	case p.version >= eth63 && msg.Code == NodeDataMsg:
+	case supportsEth63(p.version) && msg.Code == NodeDataMsg:
 		// A batch of node state data arrived to one of our previous requests
 		var data [][]byte
 		if err := msg.Decode(&data); err != nil {
@@ -737,7 +737,7 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) handleMsg(p *peer) error {
 			log.Debug("Failed to deliver node state data", "err", err)
 		}
 
-	case p.version >= eth63 && msg.Code == GetReceiptsMsg:
+	case supportsEth63(p.version) && msg.Code == GetReceiptsMsg:
 		// Decode the retrieval message
 		msgStream := rlp.NewStream(msg.Payload, uint64(msg.Size))
 		if _, err := msgStream.List(); err != nil {
@@ -773,7 +773,7 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) handleMsg(p *peer) error {
 		}
 		return p.SendReceiptsRLP(receipts)
 
-	case p.version >= eth63 && msg.Code == ReceiptsMsg:
+	case supportsEth63(p.version) && msg.Code == ReceiptsMsg:
 		// A batch of receipts arrived to one of our previous requests
 		var receipts [][]*types.Receipt
 		if err := msg.Decode(&receipts); err != nil {
@@ -847,7 +847,7 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) handleMsg(p *peer) error {
 			}
 		}
 
-	case msg.Code == NewPooledTransactionHashesMsg && p.version >= eth65:
+	case msg.Code == NewPooledTransactionHashesMsg && supportsEth65(p.version):
 		// New transaction announcement arrived, make sure we have
 		// a valid and fresh chain to handle them
 		if atomic.LoadUint32(&pm.acceptTxs) == 0 {
@@ -863,7 +863,7 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) handleMsg(p *peer) error {
 		}
 		pm.txFetcher.Notify(p.id, hashes)
 
-	case msg.Code == GetPooledTransactionsMsg && p.version >= eth65:
+	case msg.Code == GetPooledTransactionsMsg && supportsEth65(p.version):
 		// Decode the retrieval message
 		msgStream := rlp.NewStream(msg.Payload, uint64(msg.Size))
 		if _, err := msgStream.List(); err != nil {
@@ -899,7 +899,7 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) handleMsg(p *peer) error {
 		}
 		return p.SendPooledTransactionsRLP(hashes, txs)
 
-	case msg.Code == TransactionMsg || (msg.Code == PooledTransactionsMsg && p.version >= eth65):
+	case msg.Code == TransactionMsg || (msg.Code == PooledTransactionsMsg && supportsEth65(p.version)):
 		// Transactions arrived, make sure we have a valid and fresh chain to handle them
 		if atomic.LoadUint32(&pm.acceptTxs) == 0 {
 			break
diff --git a/eth/peer.go b/eth/peer.go
index f17bc08d36ac..8fae020c1764 100644
--- a/eth/peer.go
+++ b/eth/peer.go
@@ -783,23 +783,16 @@ func (p *peer) Handshake(network uint64, td *big.Int, head common.Hash, genesis
 	)
 	go func() {
 		switch {
-		case p.version == xdpos2:
-			errc <- p2p.Send(p.rw, StatusMsg, &statusData63{
-				ProtocolVersion: uint32(p.version),
-				NetworkId:       network,
-				TD:              td,
-				CurrentBlock:    head,
-				GenesisBlock:    genesis,
-			})
-		case p.version == eth63:
-			errc <- p2p.Send(p.rw, StatusMsg, &statusData63{
+		case supportsEth65(p.version):
+			errc <- p2p.Send(p.rw, StatusMsg, &statusData{
 				ProtocolVersion: uint32(p.version),
-				NetworkId:       network,
+				NetworkID:       network,
 				TD:              td,
-				CurrentBlock:    head,
-				GenesisBlock:    genesis,
+				Head:            head,
+				Genesis:         genesis,
+				ForkID:          forkID,
 			})
-		case p.version >= eth64 || p.version >= xdpos22:
+		case supportsEth64(p.version):
 			errc <- p2p.Send(p.rw, StatusMsg, &statusData{
 				ProtocolVersion: uint32(p.version),
 				NetworkID:       network,
@@ -808,18 +801,24 @@ func (p *peer) Handshake(network uint64, td *big.Int, head common.Hash, genesis
 				Genesis:         genesis,
 				ForkID:          forkID,
 			})
+		case supportsEth63(p.version):
+			errc <- p2p.Send(p.rw, StatusMsg, &statusData63{
+				ProtocolVersion: uint32(p.version),
+				NetworkId:       network,
+				TD:              td,
+				CurrentBlock:    head,
+				GenesisBlock:    genesis,
+			})
 		default:
 			panic(fmt.Sprintf("unsupported eth protocol version: %d", p.version))
 		}
 	}()
 	go func() {
 		switch {
-		case p.version == xdpos2:
-			errc <- p.readStatusLegacy(network, &status63, genesis)
-		case p.version == eth63:
-			errc <- p.readStatusLegacy(network, &status63, genesis)
-		case p.version >= eth64 || p.version >= xdpos22: //include xdpos22 condition for completeness
+		case supportsEth64(p.version):
 			errc <- p.readStatus(network, &status, genesis, forkFilter)
+		case supportsEth63(p.version):
+			errc <- p.readStatusLegacy(network, &status63, genesis)
 		default:
 			panic(fmt.Sprintf("unsupported eth protocol version: %d", p.version))
 		}
@@ -837,12 +836,10 @@ func (p *peer) Handshake(network uint64, td *big.Int, head common.Hash, genesis
 		}
 	}
 	switch {
-	case p.version == xdpos2:
-		p.td, p.head = status63.TD, status63.CurrentBlock
-	case p.version == eth63:
-		p.td, p.head = status63.TD, status63.CurrentBlock
-	case p.version >= eth64 || p.version >= xdpos22: //include xdpos22 for completeness
+	case supportsEth64(p.version):
 		p.td, p.head = status.TD, status.Head
+	case supportsEth63(p.version):
+		p.td, p.head = status63.TD, status63.CurrentBlock
 	default:
 		panic(fmt.Sprintf("unsupported eth protocol version: %d", p.version))
 	}
diff --git a/eth/protocol.go b/eth/protocol.go
index 0e5aea743e94..2011e752b07c 100644
--- a/eth/protocol.go
+++ b/eth/protocol.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func supportsEth63(version int) bool {
 	switch {
 	case version < 63:
 		return false
-	case version > 63:
+	case version >= 63:
 		return true
 	default:
 		return false
diff --git a/eth/sync.go b/eth/sync.go
index 76ad1c2c495a..1ecd45f235e5 100644
--- a/eth/sync.go
+++ b/eth/sync.go
@@ -155,8 +155,10 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) syncer() {
 	// Start and ensure cleanup of sync mechanisms
 	pm.blockFetcher.Start()
 	pm.txFetcher.Start()
+	pm.bft.Start()
 	defer pm.blockFetcher.Stop()
 	defer pm.txFetcher.Stop()
+	defer pm.bft.Stop()
 	defer pm.downloader.Terminate()
 
 	// Wait for different events to fire synchronisation operations