diff --git a/consensus/replay.go b/consensus/replay.go
index 731e7d216..d532828f8 100644
--- a/consensus/replay.go
+++ b/consensus/replay.go
@@ -100,19 +100,19 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) catchupReplay(csHeight int) error {
 	cs.replayMode = true
 	defer func() { cs.replayMode = false }()
 
-	// Ensure that height+1 doesn't exist
-	gr, found, err := cs.wal.group.Search("#HEIGHT: ", makeHeightSearchFunc(csHeight+1))
+	// Ensure that ENDHEIGHT for this height doesn't exist
+	gr, found, err := cs.wal.group.Search("#ENDHEIGHT: ", makeHeightSearchFunc(csHeight))
 	if found {
-		return errors.New(Fmt("WAL should not contain height %d.", csHeight+1))
+		return errors.New(Fmt("WAL should not contain height %d.", csHeight))
 	}
 	if gr != nil {
 		gr.Close()
 	}
 
-	// Search for height marker
-	gr, found, err = cs.wal.group.Search("#HEIGHT: ", makeHeightSearchFunc(csHeight))
+	// Search for last height marker
+	gr, found, err = cs.wal.group.Search("#ENDHEIGHT: ", makeHeightSearchFunc(csHeight-1))
 	if err == io.EOF {
-		log.Warn("Replay: wal.group.Search returned EOF", "height", csHeight)
+		log.Warn("Replay: wal.group.Search returned EOF", "height", csHeight-1)
 		return nil
 	} else if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) catchupReplay(csHeight int) error {
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 // Parses marker lines of the form:
-// #HEIGHT: 12345
+// #ENDHEIGHT: 12345
 func makeHeightSearchFunc(height int) auto.SearchFunc {
 	return func(line string) (int, error) {
 		line = strings.TrimRight(line, "\n")
diff --git a/consensus/replay_test.go b/consensus/replay_test.go
index c70b60fa0..43204ab72 100644
--- a/consensus/replay_test.go
+++ b/consensus/replay_test.go
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ func buildTMStateFromChain(config cfg.Config, state *sm.State, chain []*types.Bl
 
 func makeBlockchainFromWAL(wal *WAL) ([]*types.Block, []*types.Commit, error) {
 	// Search for height marker
-	gr, found, err := wal.group.Search("#HEIGHT: ", makeHeightSearchFunc(1))
+	gr, found, err := wal.group.Search("#ENDHEIGHT: ", makeHeightSearchFunc(0))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/consensus/state.go b/consensus/state.go
index fdbf43099..9c652c95a 100644
--- a/consensus/state.go
+++ b/consensus/state.go
@@ -1202,6 +1202,12 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) finalizeCommit(height int) {
 
 	fail.Fail() // XXX
 
+	if cs.wal != nil {
+		cs.wal.writeEndHeight(height)
+	}
+
+	fail.Fail() // XXX
+
 	// Save to blockStore.
 	if cs.blockStore.Height() < block.Height {
 		// NOTE: the seenCommit is local justification to commit this block,
diff --git a/consensus/test_data/build.sh b/consensus/test_data/build.sh
index ea0c9604a..2759c0e38 100644
--- a/consensus/test_data/build.sh
+++ b/consensus/test_data/build.sh
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ killall tendermint
 # /q would print up to and including the match, then quit. 
 # /Q doesn't include the match. 
 # http://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/11305/grep-show-all-the-file-up-to-the-match
-sed '/HEIGHT: 2/Q' ~/.tendermint/data/cs.wal/wal  > consensus/test_data/empty_block.cswal
+sed '/ENDHEIGHT: 1/Q' ~/.tendermint/data/cs.wal/wal  > consensus/test_data/empty_block.cswal
 
 reset
 }
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ sleep 7
 killall tendermint
 kill -9 $PID
 
-sed '/HEIGHT: 7/Q' ~/.tendermint/data/cs.wal/wal  > consensus/test_data/many_blocks.cswal
+sed '/ENDHEIGHT: 6/Q' ~/.tendermint/data/cs.wal/wal  > consensus/test_data/many_blocks.cswal
 
 reset
 }
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ sleep 10
 killall tendermint
 kill -9 $PID
 
-sed '/HEIGHT: 2/Q' ~/.tendermint/data/cs.wal/wal  > consensus/test_data/small_block1.cswal
+sed '/ENDHEIGHT: 1/Q' ~/.tendermint/data/cs.wal/wal  > consensus/test_data/small_block1.cswal
 
 reset
 }
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ sleep 5
 killall tendermint
 kill -9 $PID
 
-sed '/HEIGHT: 2/Q' ~/.tendermint/data/cs.wal/wal  > consensus/test_data/small_block2.cswal
+sed '/ENDHEIGHT: 1/Q' ~/.tendermint/data/cs.wal/wal  > consensus/test_data/small_block2.cswal
 
 reset
 }
diff --git a/consensus/test_data/empty_block.cswal b/consensus/test_data/empty_block.cswal
index a3a3585ce..aa5b232c9 100644
--- a/consensus/test_data/empty_block.cswal
+++ b/consensus/test_data/empty_block.cswal
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#HEIGHT: 1
+#ENDHEIGHT: 0
 {"time":"2016-12-18T05:05:33.502Z","msg":[3,{"duration":974084551,"height":1,"round":0,"step":1}]}
 {"time":"2016-12-18T05:05:33.505Z","msg":[1,{"height":1,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepPropose"}]}
 {"time":"2016-12-18T05:05:33.505Z","msg":[2,{"msg":[17,{"Proposal":{"height":1,"round":0,"block_parts_header":{"total":1,"hash":"71D2DA2336A9F84C22A28FF6C67F35F3478FC0AF"},"pol_round":-1,"pol_block_id":{"hash":"","parts":{"total":0,"hash":""}},"signature":[1,"62C0F2BCCB491399EEDAF8E85837ADDD4E25BAB7A84BFC4F0E88594531FBC6D4755DEC7E6427F04AD7EB8BB89502762AB4380C7BBA93A4C297E6180EC78E3504"]}}],"peer_key":""}]}
diff --git a/consensus/test_data/many_blocks.cswal b/consensus/test_data/many_blocks.cswal
index 9ef06c32c..fd103cb1e 100644
--- a/consensus/test_data/many_blocks.cswal
+++ b/consensus/test_data/many_blocks.cswal
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#HEIGHT: 1
+#ENDHEIGHT: 0
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:19.013Z","msg":[3,{"duration":969121813,"height":1,"round":0,"step":1}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:19.014Z","msg":[1,{"height":1,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepPropose"}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:19.014Z","msg":[2,{"msg":[17,{"Proposal":{"height":1,"round":0,"block_parts_header":{"total":1,"hash":"2E32C8D500E936D27A47FCE3FF4BE7C1AFB3FAE1"},"pol_round":-1,"pol_block_id":{"hash":"","parts":{"total":0,"hash":""}},"signature":[1,"105A5A834E9AE2FA2191CAB5CB20D63594BA7859BD3EB92F055C8A35476D71F0D89F9FD5B0FF030D021533C71A81BF6E8F026BF4A37FC637CF38CA35291A9D00"]}}],"peer_key":""}]}
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:19.016Z","msg":[1,{"height":1,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepPrecommit"}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:19.016Z","msg":[2,{"msg":[20,{"Vote":{"validator_address":"D028C9981F7A87F3093672BF0D5B0E2A1B3ED456","validator_index":0,"height":1,"round":0,"type":2,"block_id":{"hash":"3F32EE37F9EA674A2173CAD651836A8EE628B5C7","parts":{"total":1,"hash":"2E32C8D500E936D27A47FCE3FF4BE7C1AFB3FAE1"}},"signature":[1,"2B1070A5AB9305612A3AE74A8036D82B5E49E0DBBFBC7D723DB985CC8A8E72A52FF8E34D85273FEB8B901945CA541FA5142C3C4D43A04E9205ACECF53FD19B01"]}}],"peer_key":""}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:19.017Z","msg":[1,{"height":1,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepCommit"}]}
-#HEIGHT: 2
+#ENDHEIGHT: 1
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:19.019Z","msg":[1,{"height":2,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepNewHeight"}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:20.017Z","msg":[3,{"duration":998073370,"height":2,"round":0,"step":1}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:20.018Z","msg":[1,{"height":2,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepPropose"}]}
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:20.021Z","msg":[1,{"height":2,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepPrecommit"}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:20.021Z","msg":[2,{"msg":[20,{"Vote":{"validator_address":"D028C9981F7A87F3093672BF0D5B0E2A1B3ED456","validator_index":0,"height":2,"round":0,"type":2,"block_id":{"hash":"32310D174A99844713693C9815D2CA660364E028","parts":{"total":1,"hash":"D008E9014CDDEA8EC95E1E99E21333241BD52DFC"}},"signature":[1,"AA9F03D0707752301D7CBFCF4F0BCDBD666A46C1CAED3910BD64A3C5C2874AAF328172646C951C5E2FD962359C382A3CBBA2C73EC9B533668C6386995B83EC08"]}}],"peer_key":""}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:20.022Z","msg":[1,{"height":2,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepCommit"}]}
-#HEIGHT: 3
+#ENDHEIGHT: 2
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:20.025Z","msg":[1,{"height":3,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepNewHeight"}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:21.022Z","msg":[3,{"duration":997103974,"height":3,"round":0,"step":1}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:21.024Z","msg":[1,{"height":3,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepPropose"}]}
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:21.028Z","msg":[1,{"height":3,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepPrecommit"}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:21.028Z","msg":[2,{"msg":[20,{"Vote":{"validator_address":"D028C9981F7A87F3093672BF0D5B0E2A1B3ED456","validator_index":0,"height":3,"round":0,"type":2,"block_id":{"hash":"37AF6866DA8C3167CFC280FAE47B6ED441B00D5B","parts":{"total":1,"hash":"2E5DE5777A5AD899CD2531304F42A470509DE989"}},"signature":[1,"C900519E305EC03392E7D197D5FAB535DB240C9C0BA5375A1679C75BAAA07C7410C0EF43CF97D98F2C08A1D739667D5ACFF6233A1FAE75D3DA275AEA422EFD0F"]}}],"peer_key":""}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:21.028Z","msg":[1,{"height":3,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepCommit"}]}
-#HEIGHT: 4
+#ENDHEIGHT: 3
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:21.032Z","msg":[1,{"height":4,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepNewHeight"}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:22.028Z","msg":[3,{"duration":996302067,"height":4,"round":0,"step":1}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:22.030Z","msg":[1,{"height":4,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepPropose"}]}
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:22.033Z","msg":[1,{"height":4,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepPrecommit"}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:22.033Z","msg":[2,{"msg":[20,{"Vote":{"validator_address":"D028C9981F7A87F3093672BF0D5B0E2A1B3ED456","validator_index":0,"height":4,"round":0,"type":2,"block_id":{"hash":"04715E223BF4327FFA9B0D5AD849B74A099D5DEC","parts":{"total":1,"hash":"24CEBCBEB833F56D47AD14354071B3B7A243068A"}},"signature":[1,"F544743F17479A61F94B0F68C63D254BD60493D78E818D48A5859133619AEE5E92C47CAD89C654DF64E0911C3152091E047555D5F14655D95B9681AE9B336505"]}}],"peer_key":""}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:22.034Z","msg":[1,{"height":4,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepCommit"}]}
-#HEIGHT: 5
+#ENDHEIGHT: 4
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:22.036Z","msg":[1,{"height":5,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepNewHeight"}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:23.034Z","msg":[3,{"duration":997096276,"height":5,"round":0,"step":1}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:23.035Z","msg":[1,{"height":5,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepPropose"}]}
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:23.038Z","msg":[1,{"height":5,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepPrecommit"}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:23.038Z","msg":[2,{"msg":[20,{"Vote":{"validator_address":"D028C9981F7A87F3093672BF0D5B0E2A1B3ED456","validator_index":0,"height":5,"round":0,"type":2,"block_id":{"hash":"FDC6D837995BEBBBFCBF3E7D7CF44F8FDA448543","parts":{"total":1,"hash":"A52BAA9C2E52E633A1605F4B930205613E3E7A2F"}},"signature":[1,"DF51D23D5D2C57598F67791D953A6C2D9FC5865A3048ADA4469B37500D2996B95732E0DC6F99EAEAEA12B4818CE355C7B701D16857D2AC767D740C2E30E9260C"]}}],"peer_key":""}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:23.038Z","msg":[1,{"height":5,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepCommit"}]}
-#HEIGHT: 6
+#ENDHEIGHT: 5
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:23.041Z","msg":[1,{"height":6,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepNewHeight"}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:24.038Z","msg":[3,{"duration":997341910,"height":6,"round":0,"step":1}]}
 {"time":"2017-02-17T23:54:24.040Z","msg":[1,{"height":6,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepPropose"}]}
diff --git a/consensus/test_data/small_block1.cswal b/consensus/test_data/small_block1.cswal
index 90103dff3..d4eff73f1 100644
--- a/consensus/test_data/small_block1.cswal
+++ b/consensus/test_data/small_block1.cswal
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#HEIGHT: 1
+#ENDHEIGHT: 0
 {"time":"2016-12-18T05:05:38.593Z","msg":[3,{"duration":970717663,"height":1,"round":0,"step":1}]}
 {"time":"2016-12-18T05:05:38.595Z","msg":[1,{"height":1,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepPropose"}]}
 {"time":"2016-12-18T05:05:38.595Z","msg":[2,{"msg":[17,{"Proposal":{"height":1,"round":0,"block_parts_header":{"total":1,"hash":"A434EC796DF1CECC01296E953839C4675863A4E5"},"pol_round":-1,"pol_block_id":{"hash":"","parts":{"total":0,"hash":""}},"signature":[1,"39563C3C7EDD9855B2971457A5DABF05CFDAF52805658847EB1F05115B8341344A77761CC85E670AF1B679DA9FC0905231957174699FE8326DBE7706209BDD0B"]}}],"peer_key":""}]}
diff --git a/consensus/test_data/small_block2.cswal b/consensus/test_data/small_block2.cswal
index 1be6c4c93..b5d1d282b 100644
--- a/consensus/test_data/small_block2.cswal
+++ b/consensus/test_data/small_block2.cswal
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#HEIGHT: 1
+#ENDHEIGHT: 0
 {"time":"2016-12-18T05:05:43.641Z","msg":[3,{"duration":969409681,"height":1,"round":0,"step":1}]}
 {"time":"2016-12-18T05:05:43.643Z","msg":[1,{"height":1,"round":0,"step":"RoundStepPropose"}]}
 {"time":"2016-12-18T05:05:43.643Z","msg":[2,{"msg":[17,{"Proposal":{"height":1,"round":0,"block_parts_header":{"total":5,"hash":"C916905C3C444501DDDAA1BF52E959B7531E762E"},"pol_round":-1,"pol_block_id":{"hash":"","parts":{"total":0,"hash":""}},"signature":[1,"F1A8E9928889C68FD393F3983B5362AECA4A95AA13FE3C78569B2515EC046893CB718071CAF54F3F1507DCD851B37CD5557EA17BB5471D2DC6FB5AC5FBB72E02"]}}],"peer_key":""}]}
diff --git a/consensus/wal.go b/consensus/wal.go
index 6d8eb3819..a89eff5e4 100644
--- a/consensus/wal.go
+++ b/consensus/wal.go
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func (wal *WAL) OnStart() error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	} else if size == 0 {
-		wal.writeHeight(1)
+		wal.writeEndHeight(0)
 	}
 	_, err = wal.group.Start()
 	return err
@@ -83,12 +83,6 @@ func (wal *WAL) Save(wmsg WALMessage) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	// Write #HEIGHT: XYZ if new height
-	if edrs, ok := wmsg.(types.EventDataRoundState); ok {
-		if edrs.Step == RoundStepNewHeight.String() {
-			wal.writeHeight(edrs.Height)
-		}
-	}
 	// Write the wal message
 	var wmsgBytes = wire.JSONBytes(TimedWALMessage{time.Now(), wmsg})
 	err := wal.group.WriteLine(string(wmsgBytes))
@@ -101,8 +95,8 @@ func (wal *WAL) Save(wmsg WALMessage) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (wal *WAL) writeHeight(height int) {
-	wal.group.WriteLine(Fmt("#HEIGHT: %v", height))
+func (wal *WAL) writeEndHeight(height int) {
+	wal.group.WriteLine(Fmt("#ENDHEIGHT: %v", height))
 
 	// TODO: only flush when necessary
 	if err := wal.group.Flush(); err != nil {