diff --git a/lbry/dht/protocol/iterative_find.py b/lbry/dht/protocol/iterative_find.py
index fc523f480..5f5ca0ad4 100644
--- a/lbry/dht/protocol/iterative_find.py
+++ b/lbry/dht/protocol/iterative_find.py
@@ -85,22 +85,19 @@ class IterativeFinder:
         self.protocol = protocol
 
         self.key = key
-        self.bottom_out_limit = bottom_out_limit
-        self.max_results = max_results
+        self.max_results = max(constants.K, max_results)
         self.exclude = exclude or []
 
         self.active: typing.Set['KademliaPeer'] = set()
         self.contacted: typing.Set['KademliaPeer'] = set()
         self.distance = Distance(key)
 
-        self.closest_peer: typing.Optional['KademliaPeer'] = None
-        self.prev_closest_peer: typing.Optional['KademliaPeer'] = None
+        self.closest_k_ids: typing.List[bytes] = []
 
         self.iteration_queue = asyncio.Queue(loop=self.loop)
 
         self.running_probes: typing.Set[asyncio.Task] = set()
         self.iteration_count = 0
-        self.bottom_out_count = 0
         self.running = False
         self.tasks: typing.List[asyncio.Task] = []
         self.delayed_calls: typing.List[asyncio.Handle] = []
@@ -139,14 +136,16 @@ class IterativeFinder:
         return []
 
     def _is_closer(self, peer: 'KademliaPeer') -> bool:
-        return not self.closest_peer or self.distance.is_closer(peer.node_id, self.closest_peer.node_id)
+        if len(self.closest_k_ids) < self.max_results:
+            return True
+        return self.distance.is_closer(peer.node_id, self.closest_k_ids[self.max_results - 1])
 
     def _add_active(self, peer):
         if peer not in self.active and peer.node_id and peer.node_id != self.protocol.node_id:
             self.active.add(peer)
             if self._is_closer(peer):
-                self.prev_closest_peer = self.closest_peer
-                self.closest_peer = peer
+                self.closest_k_ids.append(peer.node_id)
+                self.closest_k_ids.sort(key=lambda sorting_peer: self.distance(self.key))
 
     async def _handle_probe_result(self, peer: 'KademliaPeer', response: FindResponse):
         self._add_active(peer)
@@ -285,7 +284,7 @@ class IterativeNodeFinder(IterativeFinder):
             and self.peer_manager.peer_is_good(peer) is not False
         ]
         not_yet_yielded.sort(key=lambda peer: self.distance(peer.node_id))
-        to_yield = not_yet_yielded[:min(constants.K, len(not_yet_yielded))]
+        to_yield = not_yet_yielded[:self.max_results]
         if to_yield:
             self.yielded_peers.update(to_yield)
             self.iteration_queue.put_nowait(to_yield)
@@ -297,17 +296,7 @@ class IterativeNodeFinder(IterativeFinder):
 
         if found:
             log.debug("found")
-            return self.put_result(self.active, finish=True)
-        if self.prev_closest_peer and self.closest_peer and not self._is_closer(self.prev_closest_peer):
-            # log.info("improving, %i %i %i %i %i", len(self.shortlist), len(self.active), len(self.contacted),
-            #          self.bottom_out_count, self.iteration_count)
-            self.bottom_out_count = 0
-        elif self.prev_closest_peer and self.closest_peer:
-            self.bottom_out_count += 1
-            log.info("bottom out %i %i %i", len(self.active), len(self.contacted), self.bottom_out_count)
-        if self.bottom_out_count >= self.bottom_out_limit or self.iteration_count >= self.bottom_out_limit:
-            log.info("limit hit")
-            self.put_result(self.active, True)
+            return self.put_result(self.active.union(self.contacted), finish=True)
 
 
 class IterativeValueFinder(IterativeFinder):
@@ -359,7 +348,6 @@ class IterativeValueFinder(IterativeFinder):
             blob_peers = [self.peer_manager.decode_tcp_peer_from_compact_address(compact_addr)
                           for compact_addr in response.found_compact_addresses]
             to_yield = []
-            self.bottom_out_count = 0
             for blob_peer in blob_peers:
                 if blob_peer not in self.blob_peers:
                     self.blob_peers.add(blob_peer)
@@ -371,11 +359,6 @@ class IterativeValueFinder(IterativeFinder):
                 #     log.info("enough blob peers found")
                 #     if not self.finished.is_set():
                 #         self.finished.set()
-        elif self.prev_closest_peer and self.closest_peer:
-            self.bottom_out_count += 1
-            if self.bottom_out_count >= self.bottom_out_limit:
-                log.info("blob peer search bottomed out")
-                self.iteration_queue.put_nowait(None)
 
     def get_initial_result(self) -> typing.List['KademliaPeer']:
         if self.protocol.data_store.has_peers_for_blob(self.key):