diff --git a/acctmgr.go b/acctmgr.go
index c25db0c..82bedb3 100644
--- a/acctmgr.go
+++ b/acctmgr.go
@@ -949,9 +949,15 @@ func (am *AccountManager) ListUnspent(minconf, maxconf int,
 }
 
 // RescanActiveAddresses begins a rescan for all active addresses for
-// each account.
-func (am *AccountManager) RescanActiveAddresses() error {
+// each account.  If markBestBlock is non-nil, the block described by
+// the blockstamp is used to mark the synced-with height of the wallet
+// just before the rescan is submitted and started.  This allows the
+// caller to mark the progress that the rescan is expected to complete
+// through, if the account otherwise does not contain any recently
+// seen blocks.
+func (am *AccountManager) RescanActiveAddresses(markBestBlock *wallet.BlockStamp) error {
 	var job *RescanJob
+	var defaultAcct *Account
 	for _, a := range am.AllAccounts() {
 		acctJob, err := a.RescanActiveJob()
 		if err != nil {
@@ -962,8 +968,16 @@ func (am *AccountManager) RescanActiveAddresses() error {
 		} else {
 			job.Merge(acctJob)
 		}
+
+		if a.name == "" {
+			defaultAcct = a
+		}
 	}
 	if job != nil {
+		if markBestBlock != nil {
+			defaultAcct.SetSyncedWith(markBestBlock)
+		}
+
 		// Submit merged job and block until rescan completes.
 		jobFinished := am.rm.SubmitJob(job)
 		<-jobFinished
diff --git a/rescan.go b/rescan.go
index c8e44a8..a13e3ab 100644
--- a/rescan.go
+++ b/rescan.go
@@ -140,10 +140,6 @@ func (b *rescanBatch) merge(job *RescanJob) {
 	}
 }
 
-type rescanFinished struct {
-	error
-}
-
 // jobHandler runs the RescanManager's for-select loop to manage rescan jobs
 // and dispatch requests.
 func (m *RescanManager) jobHandler() {
@@ -224,11 +220,13 @@ func (m *RescanManager) rpcHandler() {
 		}
 		client, err := accessClient()
 		if err != nil {
-			m.status <- rescanFinished{err}
+			m.MarkFinished(rescanFinished{err})
 			return
 		}
 		err = client.Rescan(job.StartHeight, addrs, job.OutPoints)
-		m.status <- rescanFinished{err}
+		if err != nil {
+			m.MarkFinished(rescanFinished{err})
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -268,3 +266,9 @@ func (m *RescanManager) SubmitJob(job *RescanJob) <-chan struct{} {
 func (m *RescanManager) MarkProgress(height rescanProgress) {
 	m.status <- height
 }
+
+// MarkFinished messages the RescanManager that the currently running rescan
+// finished, or errored prematurely.
+func (m *RescanManager) MarkFinished(finished rescanFinished) {
+	m.status <- finished
+}
diff --git a/rpcclient.go b/rpcclient.go
index 97792fc..cfc7cd8 100644
--- a/rpcclient.go
+++ b/rpcclient.go
@@ -61,8 +61,6 @@ const (
 	maxUnhandledNotifications = 50
 )
 
-type notificationChan chan notification
-
 type blockSummary struct {
 	hash   *btcwire.ShaHash
 	height int32
@@ -87,9 +85,14 @@ type (
 	blockDisconnected blockSummary
 	recvTx            acceptedTx
 	redeemingTx       acceptedTx
-	rescanProgress    int32
+	rescanFinished    struct {
+		error
+	}
+	rescanProgress int32
 )
 
+type notificationChan chan notification
+
 func (c notificationChan) onBlockConnected(hash *btcwire.ShaHash, height int32) {
 	c <- (blockConnected)(blockSummary{hash, height})
 }
@@ -106,6 +109,10 @@ func (c notificationChan) onRedeemingTx(tx *btcutil.Tx, block *btcws.BlockDetail
 	c <- redeemingTx{tx, block}
 }
 
+func (c notificationChan) onRescanFinished(height int32) {
+	c <- rescanFinished{error: nil}
+}
+
 func (c notificationChan) onRescanProgress(height int32) {
 	c <- rescanProgress(height)
 }
@@ -133,7 +140,9 @@ func (n blockConnected) handleNotification() error {
 		wg.Wait()
 		NotifyBalanceSyncerChans.remove <- *n.hash
 	}
+	AcctMgr.Grab()
 	AcctMgr.BlockNotify(bs)
+	AcctMgr.Release()
 
 	// Pass notification to wallet clients too.
 	if server != nil {
@@ -158,6 +167,9 @@ func (n blockConnected) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 }
 
 func (n blockDisconnected) handleNotification() error {
+	AcctMgr.Grab()
+	defer AcctMgr.Release()
+
 	// Rollback Utxo and Tx data stores.
 	if err := AcctMgr.Rollback(n.height, n.hash); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -233,6 +245,9 @@ func (n recvTx) handleNotification() error {
 		SendTxHistSyncChans.remove <- *n.tx.Sha()
 	}
 
+	AcctMgr.Grab()
+	defer AcctMgr.Release()
+
 	// For every output, find all accounts handling that output address (if any)
 	// and record the received txout.
 	for outIdx, txout := range n.tx.MsgTx().TxOut {
@@ -301,7 +316,16 @@ func (n redeemingTx) handleNotification() error {
 		return InvalidNotificationError{err}
 	}
 	n.tx.SetIndex(txIdx)
-	return AcctMgr.RecordSpendingTx(n.tx, block)
+
+	AcctMgr.Grab()
+	err = AcctMgr.RecordSpendingTx(n.tx, block)
+	AcctMgr.Release()
+	return err
+}
+
+func (n rescanFinished) handleNotification() error {
+	AcctMgr.rm.MarkFinished(n)
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (n rescanProgress) handleNotification() error {
@@ -339,6 +363,7 @@ func newRPCClient(certs []byte) (*rpcClient, error) {
 		OnBlockDisconnected: ntfns.onBlockDisconnected,
 		OnRecvTx:            ntfns.onRecvTx,
 		OnRedeemingTx:       ntfns.onRedeemingTx,
+		OnRescanFinished:    ntfns.onRescanFinished,
 		OnRescanProgress:    ntfns.onRescanProgress,
 	}
 	conf := btcrpcclient.ConnConfig{
@@ -377,7 +402,6 @@ func (c *rpcClient) WaitForShutdown() {
 
 func (c *rpcClient) handleNotifications() {
 	for n := range c.chainNotifications {
-		AcctMgr.Grab()
 		err := n.handleNotification()
 		if err != nil {
 			switch e := err.(type) {
@@ -387,7 +411,6 @@ func (c *rpcClient) handleNotifications() {
 				log.Errorf("Cannot handle notification: %v", e)
 			}
 		}
-		AcctMgr.Release()
 	}
 	c.wg.Done()
 }
@@ -473,7 +496,7 @@ func (c *rpcClient) Handshake() error {
 
 		// Begin tracking wallets against this btcd instance.
 		AcctMgr.Track()
-		if err := AcctMgr.RescanActiveAddresses(); err != nil {
+		if err := AcctMgr.RescanActiveAddresses(nil); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		// TODO: Only begin tracking new unspent outputs as a result
@@ -492,7 +515,7 @@ func (c *rpcClient) Handshake() error {
 	// Iterator was invalid (wallet has never been synced) or there was a
 	// huge chain fork + reorg (more than 20 blocks).
 	AcctMgr.Track()
-	if err := AcctMgr.RescanActiveAddresses(); err != nil {
+	if err := AcctMgr.RescanActiveAddresses(&bs); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	// TODO: only begin tracking new unspent outputs as a result of the