diff --git a/eth/downloader/downloader.go b/eth/downloader/downloader.go
index 135efbf5a0..a5ac153afc 100644
--- a/eth/downloader/downloader.go
+++ b/eth/downloader/downloader.go
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ var (
 var (
 	errBusy                    = errors.New("busy")
 	errUnknownPeer             = errors.New("peer is unknown or unhealthy")
+	errLaggingPeer             = errors.New("peer is lagging")
 	errBadPeer                 = errors.New("action from bad peer ignored")
 	errStallingPeer            = errors.New("peer is stalling")
 	errUnsyncedPeer            = errors.New("unsynced peer")
@@ -395,7 +396,7 @@ func (d *Downloader) Synchronise(id string, head common.Hash, td *big.Int, mode
 		}
 		return err
 	}
-	log.Warn("Synchronisation failed, retrying", "err", err)
+	log.Warn("Synchronisation failed, retrying", "peer", id, "err", err)
 	return err
 }
 
@@ -492,7 +493,7 @@ func (d *Downloader) syncWithPeer(p *peerConnection, hash common.Hash, td *big.I
 	}(time.Now())
 
 	// Look up the sync boundaries: the common ancestor and the target block
-	latest, pivot, err := d.fetchHead(p)
+	remoteHeader, pivot, err := d.fetchHead(p)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -503,22 +504,43 @@ func (d *Downloader) syncWithPeer(p *peerConnection, hash common.Hash, td *big.I
 		// nil panics on an access.
 		pivot = d.blockchain.CurrentBlock().Header()
 	}
-	height := latest.Number.Uint64()
 
-	origin, err := d.findAncestor(p, latest)
+	// If the remote peer is lagging behind, no need to sync with it, drop the peer.
+	remoteHeight := remoteHeader.Number.Uint64()
+	var localHeight uint64
+	switch mode {
+	case FullSync:
+		localHeight = d.blockchain.CurrentBlock().NumberU64()
+	case SnapSync:
+		localHeight = d.blockchain.CurrentFastBlock().NumberU64()
+	default:
+		localHeight = d.lightchain.CurrentHeader().Number.Uint64()
+	}
+
+	origin, err := d.findAncestor(p, localHeight, remoteHeader)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+
+	if localHeight >= remoteHeight {
+		// if remoteHeader does not exist in local chain, will move on to insert it as a side chain.
+		if d.blockchain.GetBlockByHash(remoteHeader.Hash()) != nil ||
+			(mode == LightSync && d.blockchain.GetHeaderByHash(remoteHeader.Hash()) != nil) {
+			p.log.Warn("syncWithPeer", "local", localHeight, "remote", remoteHeight, "mode", mode, "err", errLaggingPeer)
+			p.peer.MarkLagging()
+			return errLaggingPeer
+		}
+	}
 	d.syncStatsLock.Lock()
 	if d.syncStatsChainHeight <= origin || d.syncStatsChainOrigin > origin {
 		d.syncStatsChainOrigin = origin
 	}
-	d.syncStatsChainHeight = height
+	d.syncStatsChainHeight = remoteHeight
 	d.syncStatsLock.Unlock()
 
 	// Ensure our origin point is below any snap sync pivot point
 	if mode == SnapSync {
-		if height <= uint64(fsMinFullBlocks) {
+		if remoteHeight <= uint64(fsMinFullBlocks) {
 			origin = 0
 		} else {
 			pivotNumber := pivot.Number.Uint64()
@@ -551,8 +573,8 @@ func (d *Downloader) syncWithPeer(p *peerConnection, hash common.Hash, td *big.I
 		// could cause issues.
 		if d.checkpoint != 0 && d.checkpoint > fullMaxForkAncestry+1 {
 			d.ancientLimit = d.checkpoint
-		} else if height > fullMaxForkAncestry+1 {
-			d.ancientLimit = height - fullMaxForkAncestry - 1
+		} else if remoteHeight > fullMaxForkAncestry+1 {
+			d.ancientLimit = remoteHeight - fullMaxForkAncestry - 1
 		} else {
 			d.ancientLimit = 0
 		}
@@ -576,12 +598,12 @@ func (d *Downloader) syncWithPeer(p *peerConnection, hash common.Hash, td *big.I
 	// Initiate the sync using a concurrent header and content retrieval algorithm
 	d.queue.Prepare(origin+1, mode)
 	if d.syncInitHook != nil {
-		d.syncInitHook(origin, height)
+		d.syncInitHook(origin, remoteHeight)
 	}
 	fetchers := []func() error{
-		func() error { return d.fetchHeaders(p, origin+1, latest.Number.Uint64()) }, // Headers are always retrieved
-		func() error { return d.fetchBodies(origin + 1) },                           // Bodies are retrieved during normal and snap sync
-		func() error { return d.fetchReceipts(origin + 1) },                         // Receipts are retrieved during snap sync
+		func() error { return d.fetchHeaders(p, origin+1, remoteHeader.Number.Uint64()) }, // Headers are always retrieved
+		func() error { return d.fetchBodies(origin + 1) },                                 // Bodies are retrieved during normal and snap sync
+		func() error { return d.fetchReceipts(origin + 1) },                               // Receipts are retrieved during snap sync
 		func() error { return d.processHeaders(origin+1, td) },
 	}
 	if mode == SnapSync {
@@ -766,22 +788,14 @@ func calculateRequestSpan(remoteHeight, localHeight uint64) (int64, int, int, ui
 // on the correct chain, checking the top N links should already get us a match.
 // In the rare scenario when we ended up on a long reorganisation (i.e. none of
 // the head links match), we do a binary search to find the common ancestor.
-func (d *Downloader) findAncestor(p *peerConnection, remoteHeader *types.Header) (uint64, error) {
+func (d *Downloader) findAncestor(p *peerConnection, localHeight uint64, remoteHeader *types.Header) (uint64, error) {
 	// Figure out the valid ancestor range to prevent rewrite attacks
 	var (
 		floor        = int64(-1)
-		localHeight  uint64
 		remoteHeight = remoteHeader.Number.Uint64()
 	)
 	mode := d.getMode()
-	switch mode {
-	case FullSync:
-		localHeight = d.blockchain.CurrentBlock().NumberU64()
-	case SnapSync:
-		localHeight = d.blockchain.CurrentFastBlock().NumberU64()
-	default:
-		localHeight = d.lightchain.CurrentHeader().Number.Uint64()
-	}
+
 	p.log.Debug("Looking for common ancestor", "local", localHeight, "remote", remoteHeight)
 
 	// Recap floor value for binary search
diff --git a/eth/downloader/downloader_test.go b/eth/downloader/downloader_test.go
index 88951fba11..8b4a8504cf 100644
--- a/eth/downloader/downloader_test.go
+++ b/eth/downloader/downloader_test.go
@@ -147,6 +147,9 @@ type downloadTesterPeer struct {
 	withholdHeaders map[common.Hash]struct{}
 }
 
+func (dlp *downloadTesterPeer) MarkLagging() {
+}
+
 // Head constructs a function to retrieve a peer's current head hash
 // and total difficulty.
 func (dlp *downloadTesterPeer) Head() (common.Hash, *big.Int) {
@@ -926,8 +929,8 @@ func testHighTDStarvationAttack(t *testing.T, protocol uint, mode SyncMode) {
 
 	chain := testChainBase.shorten(1)
 	tester.newPeer("attack", protocol, chain.blocks[1:])
-	if err := tester.sync("attack", big.NewInt(1000000), mode); err != errStallingPeer {
-		t.Fatalf("synchronisation error mismatch: have %v, want %v", err, errStallingPeer)
+	if err := tester.sync("attack", big.NewInt(1000000), mode); err != errLaggingPeer {
+		t.Fatalf("synchronisation error mismatch: have %v, want %v", err, errLaggingPeer)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1235,9 +1238,26 @@ func testFakedSyncProgress(t *testing.T, protocol uint, mode SyncMode) {
 	pending.Wait()
 	afterFailedSync := tester.downloader.Progress()
 
-	// Synchronise with a good peer and check that the progress height has been reduced to
+	// it is no longer valid to sync to a lagging peer
+	laggingChain := chain.shorten(800 / 2)
+	tester.newPeer("lagging", protocol, laggingChain.blocks[1:])
+	pending.Add(1)
+	go func() {
+		defer pending.Done()
+		if err := tester.sync("lagging", nil, mode); err != errLaggingPeer {
+			panic(fmt.Sprintf("unexpected lagging synchronisation err:%v", err))
+		}
+	}()
+	// lagging peer will return before syncInitHook, skip <-starting and progress <- struct{}{}
+	checkProgress(t, tester.downloader, "lagging", ethereum.SyncProgress{
+		CurrentBlock: afterFailedSync.CurrentBlock,
+		HighestBlock: uint64(len(chain.blocks) - 1),
+	})
+	pending.Wait()
+
+	// Synchronise with a good peer and check that the progress height has been increased to
 	// the true value.
-	validChain := chain.shorten(len(chain.blocks) - numMissing)
+	validChain := chain.shorten(len(chain.blocks))
 	tester.newPeer("valid", protocol, validChain.blocks[1:])
 	pending.Add(1)
 
diff --git a/eth/downloader/peer.go b/eth/downloader/peer.go
index 2d140abfd0..b22ce89941 100644
--- a/eth/downloader/peer.go
+++ b/eth/downloader/peer.go
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ type peerConnection struct {
 // LightPeer encapsulates the methods required to synchronise with a remote light peer.
 type LightPeer interface {
 	Head() (common.Hash, *big.Int)
+	MarkLagging()
 	RequestHeadersByHash(common.Hash, int, int, bool, chan *eth.Response) (*eth.Request, error)
 	RequestHeadersByNumber(uint64, int, int, bool, chan *eth.Response) (*eth.Request, error)
 }
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ type lightPeerWrapper struct {
 }
 
 func (w *lightPeerWrapper) Head() (common.Hash, *big.Int) { return w.peer.Head() }
+func (w *lightPeerWrapper) MarkLagging()                  { w.peer.MarkLagging() }
 func (w *lightPeerWrapper) RequestHeadersByHash(h common.Hash, amount int, skip int, reverse bool, sink chan *eth.Response) (*eth.Request, error) {
 	return w.peer.RequestHeadersByHash(h, amount, skip, reverse, sink)
 }
diff --git a/eth/peerset.go b/eth/peerset.go
index b68d0e7783..6484dae8dd 100644
--- a/eth/peerset.go
+++ b/eth/peerset.go
@@ -478,6 +478,9 @@ func (ps *peerSet) peerWithHighestTD() *eth.Peer {
 		bestTd   *big.Int
 	)
 	for _, p := range ps.peers {
+		if p.Lagging() {
+			continue
+		}
 		if _, td := p.Head(); bestPeer == nil || td.Cmp(bestTd) > 0 {
 			bestPeer, bestTd = p.Peer, td
 		}
diff --git a/eth/protocols/eth/peer.go b/eth/protocols/eth/peer.go
index 2f6b0293f6..8bf973f9c3 100644
--- a/eth/protocols/eth/peer.go
+++ b/eth/protocols/eth/peer.go
@@ -74,8 +74,9 @@ type Peer struct {
 	version         uint              // Protocol version negotiated
 	statusExtension *UpgradeStatusExtension
 
-	head common.Hash // Latest advertised head block hash
-	td   *big.Int    // Latest advertised head block total difficulty
+	lagging bool        // lagging peer is still connected, but won't be used to sync.
+	head    common.Hash // Latest advertised head block hash
+	td      *big.Int    // Latest advertised head block total difficulty
 
 	knownBlocks     *knownCache            // Set of block hashes known to be known by this peer
 	queuedBlocks    chan *blockPropagation // Queue of blocks to broadcast to the peer
@@ -153,6 +154,14 @@ func (p *Peer) Version() uint {
 	return p.version
 }
 
+func (p *Peer) Lagging() bool {
+	return p.lagging
+}
+
+func (p *Peer) MarkLagging() {
+	p.lagging = true
+}
+
 // Head retrieves the current head hash and total difficulty of the peer.
 func (p *Peer) Head() (hash common.Hash, td *big.Int) {
 	p.lock.RLock()
@@ -166,7 +175,7 @@ func (p *Peer) Head() (hash common.Hash, td *big.Int) {
 func (p *Peer) SetHead(hash common.Hash, td *big.Int) {
 	p.lock.Lock()
 	defer p.lock.Unlock()
-
+	p.lagging = false
 	copy(p.head[:], hash[:])
 	p.td.Set(td)
 }