diff --git a/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain-blocks/blockchain-blocks.component.html b/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain-blocks/blockchain-blocks.component.html
index 400016d02..deb915f26 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain-blocks/blockchain-blocks.component.html
+++ b/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain-blocks/blockchain-blocks.component.html
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <div class="blocks-container blockchain-blocks-container" [class.time-ltr]="timeLtr"
   [style.left]="static ? (offset || 0) + 'px' : null"
-  *ngIf="(loadingBlocks$ | async) === false; else loadingBlocksTemplate">
+  *ngIf="static || (loadingBlocks$ | async) === false; else loadingBlocksTemplate">
   <div *ngFor="let block of blocks; let i = index; trackBy: trackByBlocksFn">
     <ng-container *ngIf="block && !block.loading && !block.placeholder; else placeholderBlock">
       <div [attr.data-cy]="'bitcoin-block-offset-' + offset + '-index-' + i"
@@ -59,17 +59,17 @@
       </div>
     </ng-container>
     <ng-template #placeholderBlock>
-      <ng-container *ngIf="block && block.placeholder; else loadingBlock">
+      <ng-container *ngIf="block && block.placeholder && !loadingTip; else loadingBlock">
         <div [attr.data-cy]="'bitcoin-block-' + offset + '-index-' + i"
           class="text-center bitcoin-block mined-block placeholder-block blockchain-blocks-{{ i }}"
           id="bitcoin-block-{{ block.height }}" [ngStyle]="blockStyles[i]">
-
+ 
         </div>
       </ng-container>
     </ng-template>
     <ng-template #loadingBlock>
-      <ng-container *ngIf="block && block.loading">
-        <div class="flashing">
+      <ng-container *ngIf="loadingTip || (block && block.loading)">
+        <div class="flashing loading">
           <div class="text-center bitcoin-block mined-block" id="bitcoin-block-{{ block.height }}"
             [ngStyle]="blockStyles[i]"></div>
         </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain-blocks/blockchain-blocks.component.scss b/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain-blocks/blockchain-blocks.component.scss
index 64bfd2379..5db452470 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain-blocks/blockchain-blocks.component.scss
+++ b/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain-blocks/blockchain-blocks.component.scss
@@ -137,6 +137,10 @@
   opacity: 1;
 }
 
+.loading .bitcoin-block.mined-block {
+  background: #2d3348;
+}
+
 @keyframes opacityPulse {
   0% {opacity: 0.7;}
   50% {opacity: 1.0;}
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain-blocks/blockchain-blocks.component.ts b/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain-blocks/blockchain-blocks.component.ts
index fb37cf72a..39f68c22e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain-blocks/blockchain-blocks.component.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain-blocks/blockchain-blocks.component.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ export class BlockchainBlocksComponent implements OnInit, OnChanges, OnDestroy {
   @Input() offset: number = 0;
   @Input() height: number = 0;
   @Input() count: number = 8;
+  @Input() loadingTip: boolean = false;
+  @Input() connected: boolean = true;
   
   specialBlocks = specialBlocks;
   network = '';
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain/blockchain.component.html b/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain/blockchain.component.html
index ad2e5e86a..0c4a1cbb7 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain/blockchain.component.html
+++ b/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain/blockchain.component.html
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
         <app-mempool-blocks [hidden]="pageIndex > 0"></app-mempool-blocks>
         <app-blockchain-blocks [hidden]="pageIndex > 0"></app-blockchain-blocks>
         <ng-container *ngFor="let page of pages; trackBy: trackByPageFn">
-          <app-blockchain-blocks [static]="true" [offset]="page.offset" [height]="page.height" [count]="blocksPerPage"></app-blockchain-blocks>
+          <app-blockchain-blocks [static]="true" [offset]="page.offset" [height]="page.height" [count]="blocksPerPage" [loadingTip]="loadingTip" [connected]="connected"></app-blockchain-blocks>
         </ng-container>
       </div>
       <div id="divider" [hidden]="pageIndex > 0">
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain/blockchain.component.ts b/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain/blockchain.component.ts
index 0ad3625ea..ab9875a4c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain/blockchain.component.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/components/blockchain/blockchain.component.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { Component, OnInit, OnDestroy, ChangeDetectionStrategy, Input, OnChanges, SimpleChanges } from '@angular/core';
-import { Subscription } from 'rxjs';
+import { firstValueFrom, Subscription } from 'rxjs';
 import { StateService } from '../../services/state.service';
 
 @Component({
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ export class BlockchainComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
   timeLtrSubscription: Subscription;
   timeLtr: boolean = this.stateService.timeLtr.value;
   ltrTransitionEnabled = false;
+  connectionStateSubscription: Subscription;
+  loadingTip: boolean = true;
+  connected: boolean = true;
 
   constructor(
     public stateService: StateService,
@@ -28,10 +31,17 @@ export class BlockchainComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
     this.timeLtrSubscription = this.stateService.timeLtr.subscribe((ltr) => {
       this.timeLtr = !!ltr;
     });
+    this.connectionStateSubscription = this.stateService.connectionState$.subscribe(state => {
+      this.connected = (state === 2);
+    })
+    firstValueFrom(this.stateService.chainTip$).then(tip => {
+      this.loadingTip = false;
+    });
   }
 
   ngOnDestroy() {
     this.timeLtrSubscription.unsubscribe();
+    this.connectionStateSubscription.unsubscribe();
   }
 
   trackByPageFn(index: number, item: { index: number }) {
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/components/start/start.component.ts b/frontend/src/app/components/start/start.component.ts
index 28f9cf6aa..c7b8a83bc 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/components/start/start.component.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/components/start/start.component.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ export class StartComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
   timeLtr: boolean = this.stateService.timeLtr.value;
   chainTipSubscription: Subscription;
   chainTip: number = -1;
+  tipIsSet: boolean = false;
   markBlockSubscription: Subscription;
   blockCounterSubscription: Subscription;
   @ViewChild('blockchainContainer') blockchainContainer: ElementRef;
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ export class StartComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
     });
     this.chainTipSubscription = this.stateService.chainTip$.subscribe((height) => {
       this.chainTip = height;
+      this.tipIsSet = true;
       this.updatePages();
       if (this.pendingMark != null) {
         this.scrollToBlock(this.pendingMark);
@@ -66,7 +68,7 @@ export class StartComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
     });
     this.markBlockSubscription = this.stateService.markBlock$.subscribe((mark) => {
       if (mark?.blockHeight != null) {
-        if (this.chainTip >=0) {
+        if (this.tipIsSet) {
           if (!this.blockInViewport(mark.blockHeight)) {
             this.scrollToBlock(mark.blockHeight);
           }
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/services/cache.service.ts b/frontend/src/app/services/cache.service.ts
index be37164dd..15ef99859 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/services/cache.service.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/services/cache.service.ts
@@ -62,7 +62,12 @@ export class CacheService {
       for (let i = 0; i < chunkSize; i++) {
         this.blockLoading[maxHeight - i] = true;
       }
-      const result = await firstValueFrom(this.apiService.getBlocks$(maxHeight));
+      let result;
+      try {
+        result = await firstValueFrom(this.apiService.getBlocks$(maxHeight));
+      } catch (e) {
+        console.log("failed to load blocks: ", e.message);
+      }
       for (let i = 0; i < chunkSize; i++) {
         delete this.blockLoading[maxHeight - i];
       }