diff --git a/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/api/XmrConnectionService.java b/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/api/XmrConnectionService.java
index 30497020ea..9020954b9a 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/api/XmrConnectionService.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/api/XmrConnectionService.java
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ public final class XmrConnectionService {
     private static final long KEY_IMAGE_REFRESH_PERIOD_MS_LOCAL = 20000; // 20 seconds
     private static final long KEY_IMAGE_REFRESH_PERIOD_MS_REMOTE = 300000; // 5 minutes
     private static final int MAX_CONSECUTIVE_ERRORS = 3; // max errors before switching connections
+    private static final int SYNC_TOLERANCE_NUM_BLOCKS = 3;
     private static int numConsecutiveErrors = 0;
 
     public enum XmrConnectionFallbackType {
@@ -289,11 +290,39 @@ public final class XmrConnectionService {
         // get best connection
         Set<MoneroRpcConnection> ignoredConnectionsSet = new HashSet<>(ignoredConnections);
         addLocalNodeIfIgnored(ignoredConnectionsSet);
-        MoneroRpcConnection bestConnection = connectionManager.getBestAvailableConnection(ignoredConnectionsSet.toArray(new MoneroRpcConnection[0])); // checks connections
-        if (bestConnection == null && connectionManager.getConnections().size() == 1 && !ignoredConnectionsSet.contains(connectionManager.getConnections().get(0))) bestConnection = connectionManager.getConnections().get(0);
+        MoneroRpcConnection bestConnection = connectionManager.getBestAvailableConnection(ignoredConnectionsSet.toArray(new MoneroRpcConnection[0])); // checks connections // TODO: capture set of connections to avoid repeatedly querying their status
+
+        // return only connection if no best connection
+        if (bestConnection == null && connectionManager.getConnections().size() == 1 && !ignoredConnectionsSet.contains(connectionManager.getConnections().get(0))) {
+            return connectionManager.getConnections().get(0);
+        }
+
+        // return next best connection if not connected or synced
+        if (bestConnection != null && bestConnection.isConnected() && !isSyncedWithinTolerance(new MoneroDaemonRpc(bestConnection))) {
+            ignoredConnectionsSet.add(bestConnection);
+            MoneroRpcConnection nextBestConnection = getBestConnection(ignoredConnectionsSet);
+            if (nextBestConnection != null) bestConnection = nextBestConnection;
+        }
+
         return bestConnection;
     }
 
+    private static boolean isSyncedWithinTolerance(MoneroDaemonRpc monerod) {
+        try {
+            return isSyncedWithinTolerance(monerod.getInfo());
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            log.warn("Error checking if connection is synced within tolerance, connection={}, error={}", monerod.getRpcConnection().getUri(), e.getMessage());
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static boolean isSyncedWithinTolerance(MoneroDaemonInfo info) {
+        Long targetHeight = getTargetHeight(info);
+        if (targetHeight == null) return false;
+        if (targetHeight - getHeight(info) <= SYNC_TOLERANCE_NUM_BLOCKS) return true; // synced if within 3 blocks of target height
+        return false;
+    }
+
     private boolean fallbackRequiredBeforeConnectionSwitch() {
         return lastInfo == null && !fallbackApplied && usedSyncingLocalNodeBeforeStartup && (!xmrLocalNode.isDetected() || xmrLocalNode.shouldBeIgnored());
     }
@@ -418,20 +447,25 @@ public final class XmrConnectionService {
     }
 
     public Long getHeight() {
-        if (lastInfo == null) return null;
-        return lastInfo.getHeight();
+        return getHeight(lastInfo);
+    }
+
+    private static Long getHeight(MoneroDaemonInfo info) {
+        if (info == null) return null;
+        return info.getHeightWithoutBootstrap() == null || info.getHeightWithoutBootstrap() == 0 ? info.getHeight() : info.getHeightWithoutBootstrap();
     }
 
     public Long getTargetHeight() {
-        if (lastInfo == null) return null;
-        return lastInfo.getTargetHeight() == 0 ? lastInfo.getHeight() : lastInfo.getTargetHeight();
+        return getTargetHeight(lastInfo);
+    }
+
+    private static Long getTargetHeight(MoneroDaemonInfo info) {
+        if (info == null) return null;
+        return info.getTargetHeight() == 0 ? info.getHeight() : info.getTargetHeight();
     }
 
     public boolean isSyncedWithinTolerance() {
-        Long targetHeight = getTargetHeight();
-        if (targetHeight == null) return false;
-        if (targetHeight - chainHeight.get() <= 3) return true; // synced if within 3 blocks of target height
-        return false;
+        return isSyncedWithinTolerance(lastInfo);
     }
 
     public XmrKeyImagePoller getKeyImagePoller() {
@@ -607,14 +641,19 @@ public final class XmrConnectionService {
                         }
 
                         // update connection
+                        boolean isCurrentConnection = getConnection() != null && getConnection().getUri().equals(connection.getUri());
                         if (isConnected) {
-                            setConnection(connection.getUri());
 
-                            // reset error connecting to local node
-                            if (connectionServiceFallbackType.get() == XmrConnectionFallbackType.LOCAL && isConnectionLocalHost()) {
-                                connectionServiceFallbackType.set(null);
+                            // set connection if local node is synced
+                            if (isSyncedWithinTolerance(xmrLocalNode.getDaemon())) {
+                                setConnection(connection.getUri());
+
+                                // reset error connecting to local node
+                                if (connectionServiceFallbackType.get() == XmrConnectionFallbackType.LOCAL && isConnectionLocalHost()) {
+                                    connectionServiceFallbackType.set(null);
+                                }
                             }
-                        } else if (getConnection() != null && getConnection().getUri().equals(connection.getUri())) {
+                        } else if (isCurrentConnection) {
                             MoneroRpcConnection bestConnection = getBestConnection();
                             if (bestConnection != null) setConnection(bestConnection); // switch to best connection
                         }
@@ -863,7 +902,7 @@ public final class XmrConnectionService {
                 connectionServiceFallbackType.set(null);
 
                 // set chain height
-                chainHeight.set(lastInfo.getHeight());
+                chainHeight.set(getHeight());
 
                 // determine if blockchain is syncing locally
                 boolean blockchainSyncing = lastInfo.getHeight().equals(lastInfo.getHeightWithoutBootstrap()) || (lastInfo.getTargetHeight().equals(0l) && lastInfo.getHeightWithoutBootstrap().equals(0l)); // blockchain is syncing if height equals height without bootstrap, or target height and height without bootstrap both equal 0