diff --git a/consensus/replay_test.go b/consensus/replay_test.go
index 8cde817a4..149ffb2f0 100644
--- a/consensus/replay_test.go
+++ b/consensus/replay_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
 )
 
+// TODO: these tests ensure we can always recover from any state of the wal,
+// assuming a related state of the priv val
+// it would be better to verify explicitly which states we can recover from without the wal
+// and which ones we need the wal for
+
 var data_dir = path.Join(GoPath, "src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint/consensus", "test_data")
 
 // the priv validator changes step at these lines for a block with 1 val and 1 part
@@ -142,6 +147,16 @@ func setupReplayTest(thisCase *testCase, nLines int, crashAfter bool) (*Consensu
 	return cs, newBlockCh, lastMsg, walDir
 }
 
+func readJSON(t *testing.T, walMsg string) TimedWALMessage {
+	var err error
+	var msg TimedWALMessage
+	wire.ReadJSON(&msg, []byte(walMsg), &err)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Error reading json data: %v", err)
+	}
+	return msg
+}
+
 //-----------------------------------------------
 // Test the log at every iteration, and set the privVal last step
 // as if the log was written after signing, before the crash
@@ -164,14 +179,9 @@ func TestReplayCrashBeforeWritePropose(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, thisCase := range testCases {
 		lineNum := thisCase.proposeLine
 		cs, newBlockCh, proposalMsg, walDir := setupReplayTest(thisCase, lineNum, false) // propose
-		// Set LastSig
-		var err error
-		var msg TimedWALMessage
-		wire.ReadJSON(&msg, []byte(proposalMsg), &err)
+		msg := readJSON(t, proposalMsg)
 		proposal := msg.Msg.(msgInfo).Msg.(*ProposalMessage)
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("Error reading json data: %v", err)
-		}
+		// Set LastSig
 		toPV(cs.privValidator).LastSignBytes = types.SignBytes(cs.state.ChainID, proposal.Proposal)
 		toPV(cs.privValidator).LastSignature = proposal.Proposal.Signature
 		runReplayTest(t, cs, walDir, newBlockCh, thisCase, lineNum)
@@ -180,40 +190,24 @@ func TestReplayCrashBeforeWritePropose(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestReplayCrashBeforeWritePrevote(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, thisCase := range testCases {
-		lineNum := thisCase.prevoteLine
-		cs, newBlockCh, voteMsg, walDir := setupReplayTest(thisCase, lineNum, false) // prevote
-		types.AddListenerForEvent(cs.evsw, "tester", types.EventStringCompleteProposal(), func(data types.TMEventData) {
-			// Set LastSig
-			var err error
-			var msg TimedWALMessage
-			wire.ReadJSON(&msg, []byte(voteMsg), &err)
-			vote := msg.Msg.(msgInfo).Msg.(*VoteMessage)
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Fatalf("Error reading json data: %v", err)
-			}
-			toPV(cs.privValidator).LastSignBytes = types.SignBytes(cs.state.ChainID, vote.Vote)
-			toPV(cs.privValidator).LastSignature = vote.Vote.Signature
-		})
-		runReplayTest(t, cs, walDir, newBlockCh, thisCase, lineNum)
+		testReplayCrashBeforeWriteVote(t, thisCase, thisCase.prevoteLine, types.EventStringCompleteProposal())
 	}
 }
 
 func TestReplayCrashBeforeWritePrecommit(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, thisCase := range testCases {
-		lineNum := thisCase.precommitLine
-		cs, newBlockCh, voteMsg, walDir := setupReplayTest(thisCase, lineNum, false) // precommit
-		types.AddListenerForEvent(cs.evsw, "tester", types.EventStringPolka(), func(data types.TMEventData) {
-			// Set LastSig
-			var err error
-			var msg TimedWALMessage
-			wire.ReadJSON(&msg, []byte(voteMsg), &err)
-			vote := msg.Msg.(msgInfo).Msg.(*VoteMessage)
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Fatalf("Error reading json data: %v", err)
-			}
-			toPV(cs.privValidator).LastSignBytes = types.SignBytes(cs.state.ChainID, vote.Vote)
-			toPV(cs.privValidator).LastSignature = vote.Vote.Signature
-		})
-		runReplayTest(t, cs, walDir, newBlockCh, thisCase, lineNum)
+		testReplayCrashBeforeWriteVote(t, thisCase, thisCase.precommitLine, types.EventStringPolka())
 	}
 }
+
+func testReplayCrashBeforeWriteVote(t *testing.T, thisCase *testCase, lineNum int, eventString string) {
+	cs, newBlockCh, voteMsg, walDir := setupReplayTest(thisCase, lineNum, false) // prevote
+	types.AddListenerForEvent(cs.evsw, "tester", eventString, func(data types.TMEventData) {
+		msg := readJSON(t, voteMsg)
+		vote := msg.Msg.(msgInfo).Msg.(*VoteMessage)
+		// Set LastSig
+		toPV(cs.privValidator).LastSignBytes = types.SignBytes(cs.state.ChainID, vote.Vote)
+		toPV(cs.privValidator).LastSignature = vote.Vote.Signature
+	})
+	runReplayTest(t, cs, walDir, newBlockCh, thisCase, lineNum)
+}
diff --git a/consensus/wal.go b/consensus/wal.go
index ea16e776c..2c03027cd 100644
--- a/consensus/wal.go
+++ b/consensus/wal.go
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ func (wal *WAL) Save(wmsg WALMessage) {
 	if wal.light {
 		// in light mode we only write new steps, timeouts, and our own votes (no proposals, block parts)
 		if mi, ok := wmsg.(msgInfo); ok {
-			_ = mi
 			if mi.PeerKey != "" {
 				return
 			}
@@ -97,6 +96,10 @@ func (wal *WAL) Save(wmsg WALMessage) {
 	if err != nil {
 		PanicQ(Fmt("Error writing msg to consensus wal. Error: %v \n\nMessage: %v", err, wmsg))
 	}
+	// TODO: only flush when necessary
+	if err := wal.group.Flush(); err != nil {
+		PanicQ(Fmt("Error flushing consensus wal buf to file. Error: %v \n", err))
+	}
 }
 
 func (wal *WAL) writeHeight(height int) {