diff --git a/ethcore/sync/src/chain/mod.rs b/ethcore/sync/src/chain/mod.rs
index 4162d8a096e..c1efa165fe9 100644
--- a/ethcore/sync/src/chain/mod.rs
+++ b/ethcore/sync/src/chain/mod.rs
@@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ pub struct ChainSync {
 	sync_start_time: Option<Instant>,
 	/// Transactions propagation statistics
 	transactions_stats: TransactionsStats,
-	/// Unfetched transactions
+	/// Transactions whose hash has been announced, but that we have not fetched
 	unfetched_pooled_transactions: H256FastMap<UnfetchedTransaction>,
 	/// Enable ancient block downloading
 	download_old_blocks: bool,
@@ -1126,22 +1126,32 @@ impl ChainSync {
 						}
 					}
 
-					// get some peers to give us transaction pool
+					// get the peer to give us at least some of announced but unfetched transactions
 					if !self.unfetched_pooled_transactions.is_empty() {
-						if let Some(s) = &mut self.peers.get_mut(&peer_id).unwrap().asking_pooled_transactions {
+						if let Some(s) = &mut self.peers.get_mut(&peer_id).expect("this is always an active peer; qed").asking_pooled_transactions {
 							let now = Instant::now();
 
 							let mut new_asking_pooled_transactions = s.iter().copied().collect::<HashSet<_>>();
-							let mut new_unfetched_pooled_transactions = self.unfetched_pooled_transactions.clone();
-							while new_asking_pooled_transactions.len() <= 256 {
-								for (hash, mut item) in self.unfetched_pooled_transactions.drain() {
-									if item.next_fetch < now {
-										new_asking_pooled_transactions.insert(hash);
-										item.tries += 1;
-										if item.tries < 5 {
-											item.next_fetch = now + (POOLED_TRANSACTIONS_TIMEOUT / 2);
-											new_unfetched_pooled_transactions.insert(hash, item);
-										}
+							let mut remaining_unfetched_pooled_transactions = self.unfetched_pooled_transactions.clone();
+							for (hash, mut item) in self.unfetched_pooled_transactions.drain() {
+								if new_asking_pooled_transactions.len() >= 256 {
+									// can't request any more transactions
+									break;
+								}
+
+								// if enough time has passed since last attempt...
+								if item.next_fetch < now {
+									// ...queue this hash for requesting
+									new_asking_pooled_transactions.insert(hash);
+									item.tries += 1;
+
+									// if we just started asking for it, queue it to be asked later on again
+									if item.tries < 5 {
+										item.next_fetch = now + (POOLED_TRANSACTIONS_TIMEOUT / 2);
+										remaining_unfetched_pooled_transactions.insert(hash, item);
+									} else {
+										// ...otherwise we assume this transaction does not exist and remove its hash from request queue
+										remaining_unfetched_pooled_transactions.remove(&hash);
 									}
 								}
 							}
@@ -1149,10 +1159,12 @@ impl ChainSync {
 							let new_asking_pooled_transactions = new_asking_pooled_transactions.into_iter().collect::<Vec<_>>();
 							SyncRequester::request_pooled_transactions(self, io, peer_id, &new_asking_pooled_transactions);
 
-							self.peers.get_mut(&peer_id).unwrap().asking_pooled_transactions = Some(new_asking_pooled_transactions);
-							self.unfetched_pooled_transactions = new_unfetched_pooled_transactions;
+							self.peers.get_mut(&peer_id).expect("this is always an active peer; qed").asking_pooled_transactions = Some(new_asking_pooled_transactions);
+							self.unfetched_pooled_transactions = remaining_unfetched_pooled_transactions;
 
 							return;
+						} else {
+							trace!(target: "sync", "Skipping transaction fetch for peer {} as they don't support eth/65", peer_id);
 						}
 					}