diff --git a/crates/net/hlfs/src/lib.rs b/crates/net/hlfs/src/lib.rs
index e5b318f42..9a8c88024 100644
--- a/crates/net/hlfs/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/net/hlfs/src/lib.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use bytes::{Buf, BufMut, Bytes, BytesMut};
 use parking_lot::Mutex;
 use reth_tracing::tracing::trace;
 use std::{
-    io,
+    fs, io,
     net::SocketAddr,
     path::{Path, PathBuf},
     sync::Arc,
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ use std::{
 };
 use thiserror::Error;
 use tokio::{
-    fs,
     io::{AsyncReadExt, AsyncWriteExt},
     net::{TcpListener, TcpStream},
     time::{sleep, timeout},
@@ -48,7 +47,7 @@ fn put_u32(b: &mut BytesMut, v: u32) {
 
 async fn ensure_parent_dirs(path: &str) -> std::io::Result<()> {
     if let Some(parent) = Path::new(path).parent() {
-        fs::create_dir_all(parent).await
+        fs::create_dir_all(parent)
     } else {
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -123,10 +122,11 @@ impl Client {
         } else if any_timeout {
             Err(HlfsError::Timeout)
         } else {
-            Err(HlfsError::Unknown)  // Fallback for other errors
+            Err(HlfsError::Unknown) // Fallback for other errors
         }
     }
 }
+
 async fn fetch_once(addr: SocketAddr, number: u64) -> Result<Vec<u8>, HlfsError> {
     debug!(%addr, "hlfs: connect");
     let mut s = TcpStream::connect(addr).await?;
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ async fn fetch_once(addr: SocketAddr, number: u64) -> Result<Vec<u8>, HlfsError>
     s.write_all(&buf).await?;
     let mut op = [0u8; 1];
     s.read_exact(&mut op).await?;
-    debug!(code=op[0], "hlfs: opcode");
+    debug!(code = op[0], "hlfs: opcode");
     match op[0] {
         0x02 => {
             let mut meta = [0u8; 12];
@@ -163,6 +163,36 @@ async fn fetch_once(addr: SocketAddr, number: u64) -> Result<Vec<u8>, HlfsError>
     }
 }
 
+fn find_max_number_file(root: &Path) -> Result<u64> {
+    fn parse_num(name: &str) -> Option<u64> {
+        name.strip_suffix(".rmp.lz4")?.parse::<u64>().ok()
+    }
+
+    fn walk(dir: &Path, best: &mut Option<u64>) -> io::Result<()> {
+        for entry in fs::read_dir(dir)? {
+            let entry = entry?;
+            let path = entry.path();
+            let ft = entry.file_type()?;
+            if ft.is_dir() {
+                walk(&path, best)?;
+            } else if ft.is_file() {
+                if let Some(name) = path.file_name().and_then(|s| s.to_str()) {
+                    if let Some(n) = parse_num(name) {
+                        if best.map_or(true, |(m, _)| n > m) {
+                            *best = Some((n, path.clone()));
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    let mut best = None;
+    walk(root, &mut best)?;
+    Ok(best.expect("cannot find block files"))
+}
+
 /// Server: serves `{root}/{number}.rlp`.
 pub struct Server {
     bind: SocketAddr,
@@ -170,15 +200,19 @@ pub struct Server {
     max_conns: usize,
     inflight: Arc<Mutex<usize>>,
     busy_retry_ms: u32,
+    max_block: u64,
 }
+
 impl Server {
     pub fn new(bind: SocketAddr, root: impl Into<PathBuf>) -> Self {
+        let n = find_max_number_file(&root.into()).unwrap();
         Self {
             bind,
             root: root.into(),
             max_conns: 512,
             inflight: Arc::new(Mutex::new(0)),
             busy_retry_ms: 100,
+            max_block: n.unwrap(),
         }
     }
     pub fn with_limits(mut self, max_conns: usize, busy_retry_ms: u32) -> Self {
@@ -187,7 +221,7 @@ impl Server {
         self
     }
     pub async fn run(self) -> Result<(), HlfsError> {
-        fs::create_dir_all(&self.root).await.ok();
+        fs::create_dir_all(&self.root).ok();
         info!(%self.bind, root=%self.root.display(), max_conns=%self.max_conns, "hlfs: server listening");
         let lst = TcpListener::bind(self.bind).await?;
         loop {
@@ -204,7 +238,7 @@ impl Server {
             let inflight = self.inflight.clone();
             let busy = self.busy_retry_ms;
             tokio::spawn(async move {
-                let _ = handle_conn(&mut sock, &root, busy, addr).await;
+                let _ = handle_conn(&mut sock, &root, busy, addr, self.max_block).await;
                 *inflight.lock() -= 1;
             });
         }
@@ -215,13 +249,21 @@ async fn handle_conn(
     root: &Path,
     busy_ms: u32,
     addr: SocketAddr,
+    max_block: u64,
 ) -> Result<(), HlfsError> {
     let mut op = [0u8; 1];
     sock.read_exact(&mut op).await?;
-    if op[0] != 0x01 {
+    if op[0] != 0x01 || op[0] != 0x02 {
         warn!(%addr, "hlfs: bad op");
         return Err(HlfsError::Proto);
     }
+    if op[0] == 0x02 {
+        let mut b = BytesMut::with_capacity(1 + 8 + 4);
+        b.put_u8(0x05);
+        put_u64(&mut b, max_block);
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+
     let mut nb = [0u8; 8];
     sock.read_exact(&mut nb).await?;
     let number = u64::from_le_bytes(nb);