diff --git a/lbry/wallet/server/chain_reader.py b/lbry/wallet/server/chain_reader.py
index 5f4a31aad..8e395824f 100644
--- a/lbry/wallet/server/chain_reader.py
+++ b/lbry/wallet/server/chain_reader.py
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ class BlockchainReaderServer(BlockchainReader):
         self.es_notification_client = ElasticNotifierClientProtocol(self.es_notifications)
         self.synchronized = asyncio.Event()
         self._es_height = None
+        self._es_block_hash = None
 
     def clear_caches(self):
         self.history_cache.clear()
@@ -166,9 +167,9 @@ class BlockchainReaderServer(BlockchainReader):
         synchronized.set()
         try:
             while True:
-                self._es_height = await self.es_notifications.get()
+                self._es_height, self._es_block_hash = await self.es_notifications.get()
                 self.clear_search_cache()
-                if self._es_height == self.db.db_height:
+                if self.last_state and self._es_block_hash == self.last_state.tip:
                     self.synchronized.set()
                     self.log.warning("es and reader are in sync")
                 else:
diff --git a/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/notifier.py b/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/notifier.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..702bc23ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/notifier.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import struct
+import typing
+import asyncio
+import logging
+
+
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class ElasticNotifierProtocol(asyncio.Protocol):
+    """notifies the reader when ES has written updates"""
+
+    def __init__(self, listeners):
+        self._listeners = listeners
+        self.transport: typing.Optional[asyncio.Transport] = None
+
+    def connection_made(self, transport):
+        self.transport = transport
+        self._listeners.append(self)
+        log.warning("got es notifier connection")
+
+    def connection_lost(self, exc) -> None:
+        self._listeners.remove(self)
+        self.transport = None
+
+    def send_height(self, height: int, block_hash: bytes):
+        log.warning("notify es update '%s'", height)
+        self.transport.write(struct.pack(b'>Q32s', height, block_hash) + b'\n')
+
+
+class ElasticNotifierClientProtocol(asyncio.Protocol):
+    """notifies the reader when ES has written updates"""
+
+    def __init__(self, notifications: asyncio.Queue):
+        self.notifications = notifications
+        self.transport: typing.Optional[asyncio.Transport] = None
+
+    def close(self):
+        if self.transport and not self.transport.is_closing():
+            self.transport.close()
+
+    def connection_made(self, transport):
+        self.transport = transport
+        log.warning("connected to es notifier")
+
+    def connection_lost(self, exc) -> None:
+        self.transport = None
+
+    def data_received(self, data: bytes) -> None:
+        height, block_hash = struct.unpack(b'>Q32s', data.rstrip(b'\n'))
+        self.notifications.put_nowait((height, block_hash))
diff --git a/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/sync.py b/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/sync.py
index 70d1923e5..7024d4eb5 100644
--- a/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/sync.py
+++ b/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/sync.py
@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@ class ElasticWriter(BlockchainReader):
         async with server:
             await server.serve_forever()
 
-    def notify_es_notification_listeners(self, height: int):
+    def notify_es_notification_listeners(self, height: int, block_hash: bytes):
         for p in self._listeners:
-            p.send_height(height)
+            p.send_height(height, block_hash)
             self.log.warning("notify listener %i", height)
 
     def _read_es_height(self):
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ class ElasticWriter(BlockchainReader):
             self._trending.clear()
             self._advanced = False
             self.synchronized.set()
-            self.notify_es_notification_listeners(self._last_wrote_height)
+            self.notify_es_notification_listeners(self._last_wrote_height, self.db.db_tip)
 
     @property
     def last_synced_height(self) -> int:
diff --git a/lbry/wallet/server/env.py b/lbry/wallet/server/env.py
index a109abf76..a2a0cd06b 100644
--- a/lbry/wallet/server/env.py
+++ b/lbry/wallet/server/env.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class Env:
                  allow_lan_udp=None, cache_all_tx_hashes=None, cache_all_claim_txos=None, country=None,
                  payment_address=None, donation_address=None, max_send=None, max_receive=None, max_sessions=None,
                  session_timeout=None, drop_client=None, description=None, daily_fee=None,
-                 database_query_timeout=None, db_max_open_files=512):
+                 database_query_timeout=None, db_max_open_files=512, elastic_notifier_port=None):
         self.logger = class_logger(__name__, self.__class__.__name__)
 
         self.db_dir = db_dir if db_dir is not None else self.required('DB_DIRECTORY')
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ class Env:
         self.rpc_host = rpc_host if rpc_host is not None else self.default('RPC_HOST', 'localhost')
         self.elastic_host = elastic_host if elastic_host is not None else self.default('ELASTIC_HOST', 'localhost')
         self.elastic_port = elastic_port if elastic_port is not None else self.integer('ELASTIC_PORT', 9200)
+        self.elastic_notifier_port = elastic_notifier_port if elastic_notifier_port is not None else self.integer('ELASTIC_NOTIFIER_PORT', 19080)
+
         self.loop_policy = self.set_event_loop_policy(
             loop_policy if loop_policy is not None else self.default('EVENT_LOOP_POLICY', None)
         )