diff --git a/src/block_watcher.rs b/src/block_watcher.rs
index f50fc2c8..40342b6a 100644
--- a/src/block_watcher.rs
+++ b/src/block_watcher.rs
@@ -2,13 +2,14 @@ use ethers::prelude::{Block, TxHash};
 use governor::clock::{Clock, QuantaClock, QuantaInstant};
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use tokio::sync::mpsc;
+use tokio::time::{interval, Duration};
 use tracing::{info, warn};
 
 // TODO: what type for the Item? String url works, but i don't love it
 // TODO: think about boxing this
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub enum BlockWatcherItem {
-    NewHead((String, Block<TxHash>)),
+    NewHead(Box<(String, Block<TxHash>)>),
     SubscribeHttp(String),
     Interval,
 }
@@ -18,8 +19,9 @@ pub type BlockWatcherReceiver = mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<BlockWatcherItem>;
 
 pub struct BlockWatcher {
     clock: QuantaClock,
+    sender: BlockWatcherSender,
     receiver: BlockWatcherReceiver,
-    last_update: QuantaInstant,
+    last_poll: QuantaInstant,
     /// TODO: i don't think we want a hashmap. we want a left-right or some other concurrent map
     blocks: HashMap<String, Block<TxHash>>,
 }
@@ -29,11 +31,12 @@ impl BlockWatcher {
         // TODO: this also needs to return a reader for blocks
         let (sender, receiver) = mpsc::unbounded_channel();
 
-        let last_update = clock.now();
+        let last_poll = clock.now();
 
         let watcher = Self {
             clock,
-            last_update,
+            last_poll,
+            sender: sender.clone(),
             receiver,
             blocks: Default::default(),
         };
@@ -42,14 +45,39 @@ impl BlockWatcher {
     }
 
     pub async fn run(&mut self) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
-        // TODO:
+        // TODO: we should probably set this to something like blocktime / 3
+        let mut poll_interval = interval(Duration::from_secs(2));
+        // TODO: think more about what missed tick behavior we want
+        // interval.set_missed_tick_behavior(MissedTickBehavior::Skip);
+
+        // TODO: only do this if we have http providers to watch
+        let interval_sender = self.sender.clone();
+        tokio::spawn(async move {
+            loop {
+                poll_interval.tick().await;
+
+                interval_sender
+                    .send(BlockWatcherItem::Interval)
+                    .expect("sending BlockWatcherItem::Interval failed");
+            }
+        });
+
+        // don't poll faster than every second
+        let min_wait_nanos = 1_000_000_000.into();
 
         while let Some(x) = self.receiver.recv().await {
             match x {
                 BlockWatcherItem::Interval => {
+                    if self.clock.now() < self.last_poll + min_wait_nanos {
+                        // we already updated recently
+                        continue;
+                    }
+
                     // TODO: we got an interval. if we haven't updated the blocks recently,
+                    info!("TODO: query all the subscribed http providers")
                 }
-                BlockWatcherItem::NewHead((rpc, block)) => {
+                BlockWatcherItem::NewHead(new_head) => {
+                    let (rpc, block) = *new_head;
                     info!(
                         "{:?} = {} Ts: {:?}, block number: {}",
                         block.hash.unwrap(),
@@ -59,7 +87,9 @@ impl BlockWatcher {
                     );
                     self.blocks.insert(rpc, block);
 
-                    self.last_update = self.clock.now();
+                    self.sender
+                        .send(BlockWatcherItem::Interval)
+                        .expect("sending BlockWatcherItem::Interval failed");
                 }
                 BlockWatcherItem::SubscribeHttp(rpc) => {
                     warn!("subscribing to {} is not yet supported", rpc);
diff --git a/src/provider.rs b/src/provider.rs
index e00d0904..3668bf1b 100644
--- a/src/provider.rs
+++ b/src/provider.rs
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ impl Web3Provider {
                 let mut stream = provider.subscribe_blocks().await?;
                 while let Some(block) = stream.next().await {
                     block_watcher_sender
-                        .send(BlockWatcherItem::NewHead((url.clone(), block)))
+                        .send(BlockWatcherItem::NewHead(Box::new((url.clone(), block))))
                         .unwrap();
                 }
             }