diff --git a/bin/reth/src/share_blocks.rs b/bin/reth/src/share_blocks.rs
index 49666ce6d..ba7454922 100644
--- a/bin/reth/src/share_blocks.rs
+++ b/bin/reth/src/share_blocks.rs
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ impl ShareBlocks {
         let client = Client::new(Vec::new()).with_timeout(Duration::from_secs(5));
         let bf = Backfiller::new(client, &args.archive_dir, args.hist_threshold);
 
-        let _autodetect = spawn_autodetect(network, args.share_blocks_port, bf.clone());
+        let _autodetect = spawn_autodetect(network, host, args.share_blocks_port, bf.clone());
 
         info!(%bind, dir=%args.archive_dir.display(), hist_threshold=%args.hist_threshold, "hlfs: enabled (reth peers)");
         Ok(Self { _backfiller: bf, _server, _autodetect })
@@ -72,7 +72,12 @@ impl ShareBlocks {
     }
 }
 
-fn spawn_autodetect<Net>(network: Net, hlfs_port: u16, backfiller: Backfiller) -> JoinHandle<()>
+fn spawn_autodetect<Net>(
+    network: Net,
+    self_ip: IpAddr,
+    hlfs_port: u16,
+    backfiller: Backfiller,
+) -> JoinHandle<()>
 where
     Net: FullNetwork + Clone + 'static,
 {
@@ -84,6 +89,12 @@ where
         loop {
             match events.next().await {
                 Some(NetworkEvent::ActivePeerSession { info, .. }) => {
+                    let ip = info.remote_addr.ip();
+                    // skip unusable/self
+                    if ip.is_unspecified() || ip == self_ip {
+                        debug!(%ip, "hlfs: skip self/unspecified");
+                        continue;
+                    }
                     let addr = SocketAddr::new(info.remote_addr.ip(), hlfs_port);
                     if probe_hlfs(addr).await {
                         let mut g = good.lock().await;
diff --git a/crates/net/hlfs/src/lib.rs b/crates/net/hlfs/src/lib.rs
index bd940b9f5..f0a8bace6 100644
--- a/crates/net/hlfs/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/net/hlfs/src/lib.rs
@@ -42,6 +42,14 @@ fn put_u32(b: &mut BytesMut, v: u32) {
     b.put_u32_le(v)
 }
 
+async fn ensure_parent_dirs(path: &str) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+    if let Some(parent) = Path::new(path).parent() {
+        fs::create_dir_all(parent).await
+    } else {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
 /// Client: tries each peer once; rotates starting index per call.
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct Client {
@@ -62,6 +70,7 @@ impl Client {
     }
     pub async fn get_block(&self, number: u64, rr_index: usize) -> Result<Vec<u8>, HlfsError> {
         let peers = self.peers.lock().clone();
+        debug!(peer_count = peers.len(), "hlfs: peers");
         if peers.is_empty() {
             debug!(block = number, "hlfs: no peers");
             return Err(HlfsError::Timeout);
@@ -69,10 +78,11 @@ impl Client {
         for t in 0..peers.len() {
             let i = (rr_index + t) % peers.len();
             let addr = peers[i];
-            trace!(block=number, %addr, "hlfs: try");
+            debug!(block=number, %addr, "hlfs: try");
+            let start = std::time::Instant::now();
             match timeout(self.timeout, fetch_once(addr, number)).await {
                 Err(_) => {
-                    debug!(block=number, %addr, "hlfs: timeout");
+                    debug!(elapsed=?start.elapsed(), %addr, block=number, "hlfs: timeout");
                     continue;
                 }
                 Ok(Err(HlfsError::Busy(d))) => {
@@ -98,6 +108,7 @@ impl Client {
     }
 }
 async fn fetch_once(addr: SocketAddr, number: u64) -> Result<Vec<u8>, HlfsError> {
+    debug!(%addr, "hlfs: connect");
     let mut s = TcpStream::connect(addr).await?;
     let mut buf = BytesMut::with_capacity(9);
     buf.put_u8(0x01);
@@ -255,12 +266,20 @@ impl Backfiller {
         let path = format!("{}/{f}/{s}/{number}.rmp.lz4", self.root.to_string_lossy());
         if fs::try_exists(&path).await? {
             return Ok(None);
+        } else {
+            ensure_parent_dirs(&path).await?;
         }
+
         debug!(block = number, "hlfs: going to get_block from client");
         match self.client.get_block(number, rr_index).await {
             Ok(bytes) => {
+                debug!(block = number, "hlfs: YAY! got block from client");
                 let tmp = format!("{}/{f}/{s}/{number}.rmp.lz4.part", self.root.to_string_lossy());
+                ensure_parent_dirs(&tmp).await?;
+
+                debug!(block = number, path=%tmp, "hlfs: writing file");
                 fs::write(&tmp, &bytes).await?;
+                debug!(block = number, from=%tmp, to=%path, "hlfs: moving file");
                 fs::rename(&tmp, &path).await?;
                 info!(block=number, bytes=bytes.len(), path=%path, "hlfs: wrote");
                 Ok(Some(bytes.len()))