diff --git a/web3_proxy/src/bin/web3_proxy_cli/proxyd.rs b/web3_proxy/src/bin/web3_proxy_cli/proxyd.rs
index 38fe591d..f46835b8 100644
--- a/web3_proxy/src/bin/web3_proxy_cli/proxyd.rs
+++ b/web3_proxy/src/bin/web3_proxy_cli/proxyd.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ use tokio::sync::broadcast;
 use web3_proxy::app::{flatten_handle, flatten_handles, Web3ProxyApp};
 use web3_proxy::config::TopConfig;
 use web3_proxy::{frontend, prometheus};
-use anyhow::Context;
 
 /// start the main proxy daemon
 #[derive(FromArgs, PartialEq, Debug, Eq)]
@@ -64,6 +63,8 @@ async fn run(
     let app_prometheus_port = prometheus_port;
 
     // TODO: should we use a watch or broadcast for these?
+    // Maybe this one ?
+    // let mut shutdown_receiver = shutdown_sender.subscribe();
     let (app_shutdown_sender, _app_shutdown_receiver) = broadcast::channel(1);
 
     let frontend_shutdown_receiver = frontend_shutdown_sender.subscribe();
@@ -74,7 +75,84 @@ async fn run(
         broadcast::channel(1);
 
     // start the main app
-    let mut spawned_app = Web3ProxyApp::spawn(top_config, num_workers, app_shutdown_sender.clone()).await?;
+    // let mut spawned_app = Web3ProxyApp::spawn(top_config, num_workers, app_shutdown_sender.clone()).await?;
+    let mut spawned_app =
+        Web3ProxyApp::spawn(top_config.clone(), num_workers, app_shutdown_sender.clone()).await?;
+
+    // start thread for watching config
+    if let Some(top_config_path) = top_config_path {
+        let config_sender = spawned_app.new_top_config_sender;
+        /*
+        #[cfg(feature = "inotify")]
+        {
+            let mut inotify = Inotify::init().expect("Failed to initialize inotify");
+
+            inotify
+                .add_watch(top_config_path.clone(), WatchMask::MODIFY)
+                .expect("Failed to add inotify watch on config");
+
+            let mut buffer = [0u8; 4096];
+
+            // TODO: exit the app if this handle exits
+            thread::spawn(move || loop {
+                // TODO: debounce
+
+                let events = inotify
+                    .read_events_blocking(&mut buffer)
+                    .expect("Failed to read inotify events");
+
+                for event in events {
+                    if event.mask.contains(EventMask::MODIFY) {
+                        info!("config changed");
+                        match fs::read_to_string(&top_config_path) {
+                            Ok(top_config) => match toml::from_str(&top_config) {
+                                Ok(top_config) => {
+                                    config_sender.send(top_config).unwrap();
+                                }
+                                Err(err) => {
+                                    // TODO: panic?
+                                    error!("Unable to parse config! {:#?}", err);
+                                }
+                            },
+                            Err(err) => {
+                                // TODO: panic?
+                                error!("Unable to read config! {:#?}", err);
+                            }
+                        };
+                    } else {
+                        // TODO: is "MODIFY" enough, or do we want CLOSE_WRITE?
+                        unimplemented!();
+                    }
+                }
+            });
+        }
+        */
+        // #[cfg(not(feature = "inotify"))]
+        {
+            thread::spawn(move || loop {
+                match fs::read_to_string(&top_config_path) {
+                    Ok(new_top_config) => match toml::from_str(&new_top_config) {
+                        Ok(new_top_config) => {
+                            if new_top_config != top_config {
+                                top_config = new_top_config;
+                                config_sender.send(top_config.clone()).unwrap();
+                            }
+                        }
+                        Err(err) => {
+                            // TODO: panic?
+                            error!("Unable to parse config! {:#?}", err);
+                        }
+                    },
+                    Err(err) => {
+                        // TODO: panic?
+                        error!("Unable to read config! {:#?}", err);
+                    }
+                }
+
+                thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(10));
+            });
+        }
+    }
 
     // start thread for watching config
     // if let Some(top_config_path) = top_config_path {
@@ -114,6 +192,8 @@ async fn run(
 
     // wait until the app has seen its first consensus head block
     // if backups were included, wait a little longer
+    // let _ = spawned_app.app.head_block_receiver().changed().await;
+    // if backups were included, wait a little longer
     // for _ in 0..3 {
     //     let _ = spawned_app.consensus_connections_watcher.changed().await;
     //
@@ -121,16 +201,19 @@ async fn run(
     //         .consensus_connections_watcher
     //         .borrow_and_update();
     //
-    //     if *consensus.context("Channel closed!")?.backups_needed {
+    //     // Let's just do a super dirty unwrap to get things going
+    //     if consensus.unwrap().backups_needed {
     //         info!(
     //             "waiting longer. found consensus with backups: {}",
-    //             *consensus.context("Channel closed!")?.head_block.as_ref().unwrap(),
+    //             consensus.unwrap().head_block.as_ref().unwrap(),
     //         );
     //     } else {
     //         // TODO: also check that we have at least one archive node connected?
     //         break;
     //     }
     // }
+    let _ = spawned_app.app.head_block_receiver().changed().await;
+
 
     // start the frontend port
     let frontend_handle = tokio::spawn(frontend::serve(