diff --git a/blockchain/merkle.go b/blockchain/merkle.go
index 8f3f6b97..f4b902f1 100644
--- a/blockchain/merkle.go
+++ b/blockchain/merkle.go
@@ -230,8 +230,8 @@ func ValidateWitnessCommitment(blk *btcutil.Block) error {
 	coinbaseWitness := coinbaseTx.MsgTx().TxIn[0].Witness
 	if len(coinbaseWitness) != 1 {
 		str := fmt.Sprintf("the coinbase transaction has %d items in "+
-			"its witness stack when only one is allowed",
-			len(coinbaseWitness))
+			"its witness stack when only one is allowed. Height: %d",
+			len(coinbaseWitness), blk.Height())
 		return ruleError(ErrInvalidWitnessCommitment, str)
 	}
 	witnessNonce := coinbaseWitness[0]
diff --git a/blockchain/weight.go b/blockchain/weight.go
index e23dd87d..a2a07507 100644
--- a/blockchain/weight.go
+++ b/blockchain/weight.go
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ const (
 	// weight of a "base" byte is 4, while the weight of a witness byte is
 	// 1. As a result, for a block to be valid, the BlockWeight MUST be
 	// less than, or equal to MaxBlockWeight.
-	MaxBlockWeight = 4000000
+	MaxBlockWeight = 8000000
 
 	// MaxBlockBaseSize is the maximum number of bytes within a block
 	// which can be allocated to non-witness data.
-	MaxBlockBaseSize = 2000000
+	MaxBlockBaseSize = 8000000
 
 	// MaxBlockSigOpsCost is the maximum number of signature operations
 	// allowed for a block. It is calculated via a weighted algorithm which
diff --git a/netsync/manager.go b/netsync/manager.go
index 2b6c0411..a56433dd 100644
--- a/netsync/manager.go
+++ b/netsync/manager.go
@@ -1293,9 +1293,16 @@ func (sm *SyncManager) handleInvMsg(imsg *invMsg) {
 			break
 		}
 	}
+
+	e := wire.BaseEncoding
+	// we think that the iv.Type set above is sufficient. If not:
+	// if peer.IsWitnessEnabled() {
+	//	e = wire.WitnessEncoding
+	//}
+
 	state.requestQueue = requestQueue
 	if len(gdmsg.InvList) > 0 {
-		peer.QueueMessage(gdmsg, nil)
+		peer.QueueMessageWithEncoding(gdmsg, nil, e)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/peer/peer.go b/peer/peer.go
index 92ac3d27..47d30959 100644
--- a/peer/peer.go
+++ b/peer/peer.go
@@ -2226,9 +2226,15 @@ func newPeerBase(origCfg *Config, inbound bool) *Peer {
 		cfg.TrickleInterval = DefaultTrickleInterval
 	}
 
+	encoding := wire.BaseEncoding
+	// we think this gets overwritten downstream. If not:
+	// if cfg.Services&wire.SFNodeWitness > 0 {
+	//	encoding = wire.WitnessEncoding
+	//}
+
 	p := Peer{
 		inbound:         inbound,
-		wireEncoding:    wire.BaseEncoding,
+		wireEncoding:    encoding,
 		knownInventory:  lru.NewCache(maxKnownInventory),
 		stallControl:    make(chan stallControlMsg, 1), // nonblocking sync
 		outputQueue:     make(chan outMsg, outputBufferSize),