diff --git a/cmd/faucet/faucet.go b/cmd/faucet/faucet.go
index cfe4e45f11..e17ac36f52 100644
--- a/cmd/faucet/faucet.go
+++ b/cmd/faucet/faucet.go
@@ -199,6 +199,8 @@ type faucet struct {
 
 	keystore *keystore.KeyStore // Keystore containing the single signer
 	account  accounts.Account   // Account funding user faucet requests
+	head     *types.Header      // Current head header of the faucet
+	balance  *big.Int           // Current balance of the faucet
 	nonce    uint64             // Current pending nonce of the faucet
 	price    *big.Int           // Current gas price to issue funds with
 
@@ -324,33 +326,30 @@ func (f *faucet) apiHandler(conn *websocket.Conn) {
 		nonce   uint64
 		err     error
 	)
-	for {
-		// Attempt to retrieve the stats, may error on no faucet connectivity
-		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 3*time.Second)
-		head, err = f.client.HeaderByNumber(ctx, nil)
-		if err == nil {
-			balance, err = f.client.BalanceAt(ctx, f.account.Address, head.Number)
-			if err == nil {
-				nonce, err = f.client.NonceAt(ctx, f.account.Address, nil)
-			}
+	for head == nil || balance == nil {
+		// Retrieve the current stats cached by the faucet
+		f.lock.RLock()
+		if f.head != nil {
+			head = types.CopyHeader(f.head)
 		}
-		cancel()
+		if f.balance != nil {
+			balance = new(big.Int).Set(f.balance)
+		}
+		nonce = f.nonce
+		f.lock.RUnlock()
 
-		// If stats retrieval failed, wait a bit and retry
-		if err != nil {
-			if err = sendError(conn, errors.New("Faucet offline: "+err.Error())); err != nil {
+		if head == nil || balance == nil {
+			// Report the faucet offline until initial stats are ready
+			if err = sendError(conn, errors.New("Faucet offline")); err != nil {
 				log.Warn("Failed to send faucet error to client", "err", err)
 				return
 			}
 			time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
-			continue
 		}
-		// Initial stats reported successfully, proceed with user interaction
-		break
 	}
 	// Send over the initial stats and the latest header
 	if err = send(conn, map[string]interface{}{
-		"funds":    balance.Div(balance, ether),
+		"funds":    new(big.Int).Div(balance, ether),
 		"funded":   nonce,
 		"peers":    f.stack.Server().PeerCount(),
 		"requests": f.reqs,
@@ -520,6 +519,47 @@ func (f *faucet) apiHandler(conn *websocket.Conn) {
 	}
 }
 
+// refresh attempts to retrieve the latest header from the chain and extract the
+// associated faucet balance and nonce for connectivity caching.
+func (f *faucet) refresh(head *types.Header) error {
+	// Ensure a state update does not run for too long
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	// If no header was specified, use the current chain head
+	var err error
+	if head == nil {
+		if head, err = f.client.HeaderByNumber(ctx, nil); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	// Retrieve the balance, nonce and gas price from the current head
+	var (
+		balance *big.Int
+		nonce   uint64
+		price   *big.Int
+	)
+	if balance, err = f.client.BalanceAt(ctx, f.account.Address, head.Number); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if nonce, err = f.client.NonceAt(ctx, f.account.Address, head.Number); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if price, err = f.client.SuggestGasPrice(ctx); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// Everything succeeded, update the cached stats and eject old requests
+	f.lock.Lock()
+	f.head, f.balance = head, balance
+	f.price, f.nonce = price, nonce
+	for len(f.reqs) > 0 && f.reqs[0].Tx.Nonce() < f.nonce {
+		f.reqs = f.reqs[1:]
+	}
+	f.lock.Unlock()
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // loop keeps waiting for interesting events and pushes them out to connected
 // websockets.
 func (f *faucet) loop() {
@@ -537,45 +577,27 @@ func (f *faucet) loop() {
 	go func() {
 		for head := range update {
 			// New chain head arrived, query the current stats and stream to clients
-			var (
-				balance *big.Int
-				nonce   uint64
-				price   *big.Int
-				err     error
-			)
-			ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
-			balance, err = f.client.BalanceAt(ctx, f.account.Address, head.Number)
-			if err == nil {
-				nonce, err = f.client.NonceAt(ctx, f.account.Address, nil)
-				if err == nil {
-					price, err = f.client.SuggestGasPrice(ctx)
-				}
+			timestamp := time.Unix(head.Time.Int64(), 0)
+			if time.Since(timestamp) > time.Hour {
+				log.Warn("Skipping faucet refresh, head too old", "number", head.Number, "hash", head.Hash(), "age", common.PrettyAge(timestamp))
+				continue
 			}
-			cancel()
-
-			// If querying the data failed, try for the next block
-			if err != nil {
+			if err := f.refresh(head); err != nil {
 				log.Warn("Failed to update faucet state", "block", head.Number, "hash", head.Hash(), "err", err)
 				continue
-			} else {
-				log.Info("Updated faucet state", "block", head.Number, "hash", head.Hash(), "balance", balance, "nonce", nonce, "price", price)
 			}
 			// Faucet state retrieved, update locally and send to clients
-			balance = new(big.Int).Div(balance, ether)
-
-			f.lock.Lock()
-			f.price, f.nonce = price, nonce
-			for len(f.reqs) > 0 && f.reqs[0].Tx.Nonce() < f.nonce {
-				f.reqs = f.reqs[1:]
-			}
-			f.lock.Unlock()
-
 			f.lock.RLock()
+			log.Info("Updated faucet state", "number", head.Number, "hash", head.Hash(), "age", common.PrettyAge(timestamp), "balance", f.balance, "nonce", f.nonce, "price", f.price)
+
+			balance := new(big.Int).Div(f.balance, ether)
+			peers := f.stack.Server().PeerCount()
+
 			for _, conn := range f.conns {
 				if err := send(conn, map[string]interface{}{
 					"funds":    balance,
 					"funded":   f.nonce,
-					"peers":    f.stack.Server().PeerCount(),
+					"peers":    peers,
 					"requests": f.reqs,
 				}, time.Second); err != nil {
 					log.Warn("Failed to send stats to client", "err", err)