diff --git a/apiserver/jsonrpc/client.go b/apiserver/jsonrpc/client.go
index 2abca4008..3f4facf4a 100644
--- a/apiserver/jsonrpc/client.go
+++ b/apiserver/jsonrpc/client.go
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func Connect() error {
 		User:           cfg.RPCUser,
 		Pass:           cfg.RPCPassword,
 		DisableTLS:     cfg.DisableTLS,
-		RequestTimeout: time.Second * 5,
+		RequestTimeout: time.Second * 60,
 	}
 
 	if !cfg.DisableTLS {
diff --git a/apiserver/sync.go b/apiserver/sync.go
index 2d961bf9c..01ee78a1e 100644
--- a/apiserver/sync.go
+++ b/apiserver/sync.go
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ func startSync(doneChan chan struct{}) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	log.Infof("Finished syncing past data")
 
 	// Keep the node and the API server in sync
 	return sync(client, doneChan)
@@ -66,14 +65,17 @@ func startSync(doneChan chan struct{}) error {
 // fetchInitialData downloads all data that's currently missing from
 // the database.
 func fetchInitialData(client *jsonrpc.Client) error {
+	log.Infof("Syncing past blocks")
 	err := syncBlocks(client)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	log.Infof("Syncing past selected parent chain")
 	err = syncSelectedParentChain(client)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	log.Infof("Finished syncing past data")
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -101,6 +103,13 @@ func sync(client *jsonrpc.Client, doneChan chan struct{}) error {
 	}
 }
 
+func stringPointerToString(str *string) string {
+	if str == nil {
+		return "<nil>"
+	}
+	return *str
+}
+
 // syncBlocks attempts to download all DAG blocks starting with
 // the bluest block, and then inserts them into the database.
 func syncBlocks(client *jsonrpc.Client) error {
@@ -115,6 +124,7 @@ func syncBlocks(client *jsonrpc.Client) error {
 	var rawBlocks []string
 	var verboseBlocks []btcjson.GetBlockVerboseResult
 	for {
+		log.Debugf("Calling getBlocks with start hash %v", stringPointerToString(startHash))
 		blocksResult, err := client.GetBlocks(true, true, startHash)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -142,6 +152,7 @@ func syncSelectedParentChain(client *jsonrpc.Client) error {
 	}
 
 	for {
+		log.Debugf("Calling getChainFromBlock with start hash %s", stringPointerToString(startHash))
 		chainFromBlockResult, err := client.GetChainFromBlock(false, startHash)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/rpcclient/infrastructure.go b/rpcclient/infrastructure.go
index 0a6fbc63b..0bd05aa64 100644
--- a/rpcclient/infrastructure.go
+++ b/rpcclient/infrastructure.go
@@ -782,7 +782,11 @@ func newFutureError(err error) chan *response {
 func receiveFuture(f chan *response) ([]byte, error) {
 	// Wait for a response on the returned channel.
 	r := <-f
-	return r.result, r.err
+	var err error
+	if r.err != nil {
+		err = errors.Wrap(r.err, "got error from response channel")
+	}
+	return r.result, err
 }
 
 // sendPost sends the passed request to the server by issuing an HTTP POST
diff --git a/server/rpc/common.go b/server/rpc/common.go
index aa13d1c0f..6169b7aa2 100644
--- a/server/rpc/common.go
+++ b/server/rpc/common.go
@@ -275,21 +275,8 @@ func buildGetBlockVerboseResult(s *Server, block *util.Block, isVerboseTx bool)
 		txns := block.Transactions()
 		rawTxns := make([]btcjson.TxRawResult, len(txns))
 		for i, tx := range txns {
-			var acceptingBlock *daghash.Hash
-			var confirmations *uint64
-			if s.cfg.TxIndex != nil {
-				acceptingBlock, err = s.cfg.TxIndex.BlockThatAcceptedTx(s.cfg.DAG, tx.ID())
-				if err != nil {
-					return nil, err
-				}
-				txConfirmations, err := txConfirmationsNoLock(s, tx.ID())
-				if err != nil {
-					return nil, err
-				}
-				confirmations = &txConfirmations
-			}
 			rawTxn, err := createTxRawResult(params, tx.MsgTx(), tx.ID().String(),
-				&blockHeader, hash.String(), acceptingBlock, confirmations, false)
+				&blockHeader, hash.String(), nil, nil, false)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}