diff --git a/eth/downloader/beaconsync.go b/eth/downloader/beaconsync.go
index 1f6fad26ee0f..6c0b76016053 100644
--- a/eth/downloader/beaconsync.go
+++ b/eth/downloader/beaconsync.go
@@ -54,6 +54,12 @@ func (b *beaconBackfiller) suspend() {
 // resume starts the downloader threads for backfilling state and chain data.
 func (b *beaconBackfiller) resume() {
 	b.lock.Lock()
+	if b.filling {
+		// If a previous filling cycle is still running, just ignore this start
+		// request. // TODO(karalabe): We should make this channel driven
+		b.lock.Unlock()
+		return
+	}
 	b.filling = true
 	mode := b.syncMode
 	b.lock.Unlock()
diff --git a/eth/downloader/downloader.go b/eth/downloader/downloader.go
index 0463025eaaa2..c0c483678a54 100644
--- a/eth/downloader/downloader.go
+++ b/eth/downloader/downloader.go
@@ -1296,8 +1296,6 @@ func (d *Downloader) processHeaders(origin uint64, td *big.Int, beaconMode bool)
 					}
 					d.pivotLock.RUnlock()
 
-					fmt.Println(pivot)
-
 					frequency := fsHeaderCheckFrequency
 					if chunk[len(chunk)-1].Number.Uint64()+uint64(fsHeaderForceVerify) > pivot {
 						frequency = 1
diff --git a/eth/downloader/skeleton.go b/eth/downloader/skeleton.go
index 698acfc9c1dd..7c604cbffac7 100644
--- a/eth/downloader/skeleton.go
+++ b/eth/downloader/skeleton.go
@@ -294,6 +294,7 @@ func (s *skeleton) Terminate() error {
 // This method does not block, rather it just waits until the syncer receives the
 // fed header. What the syncer does with it is the syncer's problem.
 func (s *skeleton) Sync(head *types.Header) error {
+	log.Trace("New skeleton head announced", "number", head.Number, "hash", head.Hash())
 	select {
 	case s.headEvents <- head:
 		return nil
@@ -393,6 +394,12 @@ func (s *skeleton) sync(head *types.Header) (*types.Header, error) {
 			if reorged := s.processNewHead(head); reorged {
 				return head, errSyncReorged
 			}
+			// New head was integrated into the skeleton chain. If the backfiller
+			// is still running, it will pick it up. If it already terminated,
+			// a new cycle needs to be spun up.
+			if s.scratchHead == 0 {
+				s.filler.resume()
+			}
 
 		case req := <-requestFails:
 			s.revertRequest(req)