diff --git a/lbry/wallet/server/block_processor.py b/lbry/wallet/server/block_processor.py
index 0e06aebd7..d0e33e812 100644
--- a/lbry/wallet/server/block_processor.py
+++ b/lbry/wallet/server/block_processor.py
@@ -1754,11 +1754,13 @@ class BlockProcessor:
 
         self._caught_up_event = caught_up_event
         try:
-            await self.db.open_dbs()
+            self.db.open_db()
             self.height = self.db.db_height
             self.tip = self.db.db_tip
             self.tx_count = self.db.db_tx_count
             self.status_server.set_height(self.db.fs_height, self.db.db_tip)
+            await self.db.initialize_caches()
+            await self.db.search_index.start()
             await asyncio.wait([
                 self.prefetcher.main_loop(self.height),
                 self._process_prefetched_blocks()
diff --git a/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/sync.py b/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/sync.py
index 35941b61a..79331102d 100644
--- a/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/sync.py
+++ b/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/sync.py
@@ -15,14 +15,15 @@ async def get_recent_claims(env, index_name='claims', db=None):
     db = db or LevelDB(env)
     try:
         if need_open:
-            await db.open_dbs()
-        db_state = db.prefix_db.db_state.get()
-        if db_state.es_sync_height == db_state.height:
+            db.open_db()
+        if db.es_sync_height == db.db_height or db.db_height <= 0:
             return
+        if need_open:
+            await db.initialize_caches()
         cnt = 0
         touched_claims = set()
         deleted_claims = set()
-        for height in range(db_state.es_sync_height, db_state.height + 1):
+        for height in range(db.es_sync_height, db.db_height + 1):
             touched_or_deleted = db.prefix_db.touched_or_deleted.get(height)
             touched_claims.update(touched_or_deleted.touched_claims)
             deleted_claims.update(touched_or_deleted.deleted_claims)
@@ -65,7 +66,8 @@ async def get_all_claims(env, index_name='claims', db=None):
     need_open = db is None
     db = db or LevelDB(env)
     if need_open:
-        await db.open_dbs()
+        db.open_db()
+        await db.initialize_caches()
     logging.info("Fetching claims to send ES from leveldb")
     try:
         cnt = 0
diff --git a/lbry/wallet/server/leveldb.py b/lbry/wallet/server/leveldb.py
index dddf3f1fb..426778d07 100644
--- a/lbry/wallet/server/leveldb.py
+++ b/lbry/wallet/server/leveldb.py
@@ -823,7 +823,7 @@ class LevelDB:
             return struct.unpack('<I', self.headers[height][100:104])[0]
         return int(160.6855883050695 * height)
 
-    async def open_dbs(self):
+    def open_db(self):
         if self.prefix_db and not self.prefix_db.closed:
             return
 
@@ -856,10 +856,9 @@ class LevelDB:
             self.logger.error(msg)
             raise RuntimeError(msg)
         self.logger.info(f'flush count: {self.hist_flush_count:,d}')
-
         self.utxo_flush_count = self.hist_flush_count
 
-        # Read TX counts (requires meta directory)
+    async def initialize_caches(self):
         await self._read_tx_counts()
         await self._read_headers()
         if self.env.cache_all_claim_txos:
@@ -867,9 +866,6 @@ class LevelDB:
         if self.env.cache_all_tx_hashes:
             await self._read_tx_hashes()
 
-        # start search index
-        await self.search_index.start()
-
     def close(self):
         self.prefix_db.close()
 
@@ -1082,6 +1078,7 @@ class LevelDB:
             self.hist_comp_flush_count = -1
             self.hist_comp_cursor = -1
             self.hist_db_version = max(self.DB_VERSIONS)
+            self.es_sync_height = 0
         else:
             self.db_version = state.db_version
             if self.db_version not in self.DB_VERSIONS:
@@ -1102,6 +1099,7 @@ class LevelDB:
             self.hist_comp_flush_count = state.comp_flush_count
             self.hist_comp_cursor = state.comp_cursor
             self.hist_db_version = state.db_version
+            self.es_sync_height = state.es_sync_height
 
     def assert_db_state(self):
         state = self.prefix_db.db_state.get()
diff --git a/tests/integration/other/test_chris45.py b/tests/integration/other/test_chris45.py
index 52f3b179c..bcdbc290b 100644
--- a/tests/integration/other/test_chris45.py
+++ b/tests/integration/other/test_chris45.py
@@ -199,5 +199,6 @@ class EpicAdventuresOfChris45(CommandTestCase):
         # He closes and opens the wallet server databases to see how horribly they break
         db = self.conductor.spv_node.server.db
         db.close()
-        await db.open_dbs()
+        db.open_db()
+        await db.initialize_caches()
         # They didn't! (error would be AssertionError: 276 vs 266 (264 counts) on startup)