diff --git a/consensus/replay.go b/consensus/replay.go
index 19c117eac..9bb0fb055 100644
--- a/consensus/replay.go
+++ b/consensus/replay.go
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) catchupReplay(height int) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	// set replayMode
+	cs.replayMode = true
+	defer func() { cs.replayMode = false }()
+
 	// starting from end of file,
 	// read messages until a new height is found
 	nLines, err := cs.wal.SeekFromEnd(func(lineBytes []byte) bool {
diff --git a/consensus/state.go b/consensus/state.go
index e7edb7308..714d17c77 100644
--- a/consensus/state.go
+++ b/consensus/state.go
@@ -233,7 +233,8 @@ type ConsensusState struct {
 
 	evsw *events.EventSwitch
 
-	wal *WAL
+	wal        *WAL
+	replayMode bool // so we don't log signing errors during replay
 
 	nSteps int // used for testing to limit the number of transitions the state makes
 }
@@ -303,11 +304,11 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) OnStart() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// start timeout routine
-	// NOTE: we dont start receiveRoutine until after replay
-	// so we dont re-write events, and so we dont process
-	// peer msgs before replay on app restarts.
-	// timeoutRoutine needed to read off tickChan during replay
+	// we need the timeoutRoutine for replay so
+	//  we don't block on the tick chan.
+	// NOTE: we will get a build up of garbage go routines
+	//  firing on the tockChan until the receiveRoutine is started
+	//  to deal with them (by that point, at most one will be valid)
 	go cs.timeoutRoutine()
 
 	// we may have lost some votes if the process crashed
@@ -317,12 +318,13 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) OnStart() error {
 		// let's go for it anyways, maybe we're fine
 	}
 
-	// start
-	go cs.receiveRoutine(0)
-
 	// schedule the first round!
 	cs.scheduleRound0(cs.Height)
 
+	// start the receiveRoutine last
+	// to avoid races (catchupReplay may have queued tocks/messages)
+	go cs.receiveRoutine(0)
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -855,7 +857,9 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) decideProposal(height, round int) {
 		log.Info("Signed proposal", "height", height, "round", round, "proposal", proposal)
 		log.Debug(Fmt("Signed proposal block: %v", block))
 	} else {
-		log.Warn("enterPropose: Error signing proposal", "height", height, "round", round, "error", err)
+		if !cs.replayMode {
+			log.Warn("enterPropose: Error signing proposal", "height", height, "round", round, "error", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 }
@@ -1514,8 +1518,9 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) signVote(type_ byte, hash []byte, header types.PartSet
 	return vote, err
 }
 
-// signs the vote, publishes on internalMsgQueue
+// sign the vote and publish on internalMsgQueue
 func (cs *ConsensusState) signAddVote(type_ byte, hash []byte, header types.PartSetHeader) *types.Vote {
+
 	if cs.privValidator == nil || !cs.Validators.HasAddress(cs.privValidator.Address) {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -1527,7 +1532,9 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) signAddVote(type_ byte, hash []byte, header types.Part
 		log.Info("Signed and pushed vote", "height", cs.Height, "round", cs.Round, "vote", vote, "error", err)
 		return vote
 	} else {
-		log.Warn("Error signing vote", "height", cs.Height, "round", cs.Round, "vote", vote, "error", err)
+		if !cs.replayMode {
+			log.Warn("Error signing vote", "height", cs.Height, "round", cs.Round, "vote", vote, "error", err)
+		}
 		return nil
 	}
 }
diff --git a/consensus/state_test.go b/consensus/state_test.go
index 9a8d60905..d890c4e93 100644
--- a/consensus/state_test.go
+++ b/consensus/state_test.go
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ func TestFullRound1(t *testing.T) {
 	cs, vss := randConsensusState(1)
 	height, round := cs.Height, cs.Round
 
-	voteCh := subscribeToEvent(cs.evsw, "tester", types.EventStringVote(), 1)
+	voteCh := subscribeToEvent(cs.evsw, "tester", types.EventStringVote(), 0)
 	propCh := subscribeToEvent(cs.evsw, "tester", types.EventStringCompleteProposal(), 1)
 	newRoundCh := subscribeToEvent(cs.evsw, "tester", types.EventStringNewRound(), 1)
 
@@ -249,6 +249,8 @@ func TestFullRound1(t *testing.T) {
 	propBlockHash := re.(types.EventDataRoundState).RoundState.(*RoundState).ProposalBlock.Hash()
 
 	<-voteCh // wait for prevote
+	// NOTE: voteChan cap of 0 ensures we can complete this
+	// before consensus can move to the next height (and cause a race condition)
 	validatePrevote(t, cs, round, vss[0], propBlockHash)
 
 	<-voteCh // wait for precommit