diff --git a/libraries/app/application.cpp b/libraries/app/application.cpp
index 9079e543..76caf599 100644
--- a/libraries/app/application.cpp
+++ b/libraries/app/application.cpp
@@ -219,6 +219,15 @@ namespace detail {
          fc::remove_all(_data_dir / "blockchain/dblock");
       }
 
+      void set_dbg_init_key( genesis_state_type& genesis, const std::string& init_key )
+      {
+         flat_set< std::string > initial_witness_names;
+         public_key_type init_pubkey( init_key );
+         for( uint64_t i=0; i<genesis.initial_active_witnesses; i++ )
+            genesis.initial_witness_candidates[i].block_signing_key = init_pubkey;
+         return;
+      }
+
       void startup()
       { try {
          bool clean = !fc::exists(_data_dir / "blockchain/dblock");
@@ -229,12 +238,26 @@ namespace detail {
             if( _options->count("genesis-json") )
             {
                genesis_state_type genesis = fc::json::from_file(_options->at("genesis-json").as<boost::filesystem::path>()).as<genesis_state_type>();
+               bool modified_genesis = false;
                if( _options->count("genesis-timestamp") )
                {
                   genesis.initial_timestamp = fc::time_point_sec( graphene::time::now() ) + genesis.initial_parameters.block_interval + _options->at("genesis-timestamp").as<uint32_t>();
                   genesis.initial_timestamp -= genesis.initial_timestamp.sec_since_epoch() % genesis.initial_parameters.block_interval;
+                  modified_genesis = true;
                   std::cerr << "Used genesis timestamp:  " << genesis.initial_timestamp.to_iso_string() << " (PLEASE RECORD THIS)\n";
                }
+               if( _options->count("dbg-init-key") )
+               {
+                  std::string init_key = _options->at( "dbg-init-key" ).as<string>();
+                  FC_ASSERT( genesis.initial_witness_candidates.size() >= genesis.initial_active_witnesses );
+                  set_dbg_init_key( genesis, init_key );
+                  modified_genesis = true;
+                  std::cerr << "Set init witness key to " << init_key << "\n";
+               }
+               if( modified_genesis )
+               {
+                  std::cerr << "WARNING:  GENESIS WAS MODIFIED, YOUR CHAIN ID MAY BE DIFFERENT\n";
+               }
                return genesis;
             }
             else
@@ -610,6 +633,7 @@ void application::set_program_options(boost::program_options::options_descriptio
          ("server-pem,p", bpo::value<string>()->implicit_value("server.pem"), "The TLS certificate file for this server")
          ("server-pem-password,P", bpo::value<string>()->implicit_value(""), "Password for this certificate")
          ("genesis-json", bpo::value<boost::filesystem::path>(), "File to read Genesis State from")
+         ("dbg-init-key", bpo::value<string>(), "Block signing key to use for init witnesses, overrides genesis file")
          ("api-access", bpo::value<boost::filesystem::path>(), "JSON file specifying API permissions")
          ;
    command_line_options.add(configuration_file_options);
diff --git a/libraries/chain/block_database.cpp b/libraries/chain/block_database.cpp
index c0005971..281dd387 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/block_database.cpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/block_database.cpp
@@ -237,4 +237,40 @@ optional<signed_block> block_database::last()const
    }
    return optional<signed_block>();
 }
+
+optional<block_id_type> block_database::last_id()const
+{
+   try
+   {
+      index_entry e;
+      _block_num_to_pos.seekg( 0, _block_num_to_pos.end );
+
+      if( _block_num_to_pos.tellp() < sizeof(index_entry) )
+         return optional<block_id_type>();
+
+      _block_num_to_pos.seekg( -sizeof(index_entry), _block_num_to_pos.end );
+      _block_num_to_pos.read( (char*)&e, sizeof(e) );
+      uint64_t pos = _block_num_to_pos.tellg();
+      while( e.block_size == 0 && pos > 0 )
+      {
+         pos -= sizeof(index_entry);
+         _block_num_to_pos.seekg( pos );
+         _block_num_to_pos.read( (char*)&e, sizeof(e) );
+      }
+
+      if( e.block_size == 0 )
+         return optional<block_id_type>();
+
+      return e.block_id;
+   }
+   catch (const fc::exception&)
+   {
+   }
+   catch (const std::exception&)
+   {
+   }
+   return optional<block_id_type>();
+}
+
+
 } }
diff --git a/libraries/chain/db_management.cpp b/libraries/chain/db_management.cpp
index baf4548b..c33b3ad1 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/db_management.cpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/db_management.cpp
@@ -58,12 +58,32 @@ void database::reindex(fc::path data_dir, const genesis_state_type& initial_allo
    for( uint32_t i = 1; i <= last_block_num; ++i )
    {
       if( i % 2000 == 0 ) std::cerr << "   " << double(i*100)/last_block_num << "%   "<<i << " of " <<last_block_num<<"   \n";
-      apply_block(*_block_id_to_block.fetch_by_number(i), skip_witness_signature |
-                                skip_transaction_signatures |
-                                skip_transaction_dupe_check |
-                                skip_tapos_check |
-                                skip_witness_schedule_check |
-                                skip_authority_check);
+      fc::optional< signed_block > block = _block_id_to_block.fetch_by_number(i);
+      if( !block.valid() )
+      {
+         wlog( "Reindexing terminated due to gap:  Block ${i} does not exist!", ("i", i) );
+         uint32_t dropped_count = 0;
+         while( true )
+         {
+            fc::optional< block_id_type > last_id = _block_id_to_block.last_id();
+            // this can trigger if we attempt to e.g. read a file that has block #2 but no block #1
+            if( !last_id.valid() )
+               break;
+            // we've caught up to the gap
+            if( block_header::num_from_id( *last_id ) <= i )
+               break;
+            _block_id_to_block.remove( *last_id );
+            dropped_count++;
+         }
+         wlog( "Dropped ${n} blocks from after the gap", ("n", dropped_count) );
+         break;
+      }
+      apply_block(*block, skip_witness_signature |
+                          skip_transaction_signatures |
+                          skip_transaction_dupe_check |
+                          skip_tapos_check |
+                          skip_witness_schedule_check |
+                          skip_authority_check);
    }
    _undo_db.enable();
    auto end = fc::time_point::now();
diff --git a/libraries/chain/db_update.cpp b/libraries/chain/db_update.cpp
index cccc3bb2..debb05a0 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/db_update.cpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/db_update.cpp
@@ -109,9 +109,7 @@ void database::clear_expired_transactions()
    //Transactions must have expired by at least two forking windows in order to be removed.
    auto& transaction_idx = static_cast<transaction_index&>(get_mutable_index(implementation_ids, impl_transaction_object_type));
    const auto& dedupe_index = transaction_idx.indices().get<by_expiration>();
-   const auto& global_parameters = get_global_properties().parameters;
-   while( !dedupe_index.empty()
-          && head_block_time() - dedupe_index.rbegin()->trx.expiration >= fc::seconds(global_parameters.maximum_expiration) )
+   while( (!dedupe_index.empty()) && (head_block_time() > dedupe_index.rbegin()->trx.expiration) )
       transaction_idx.remove(*dedupe_index.rbegin());
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/chain/get_config.cpp b/libraries/chain/get_config.cpp
index 9f10ce78..1d81ecfb 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/get_config.cpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/get_config.cpp
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ fc::variant_object get_config()
    result[ "GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAX_TIME_UNTIL_EXPIRATION" ] = GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAX_TIME_UNTIL_EXPIRATION;
    result[ "GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAINTENANCE_INTERVAL" ] = GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAINTENANCE_INTERVAL;
    result[ "GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAINTENANCE_SKIP_SLOTS" ] = GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAINTENANCE_SKIP_SLOTS;
-   result[ "GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAX_EXPIRATION_SEC" ] = GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAX_EXPIRATION_SEC;
    result[ "GRAPHENE_MIN_UNDO_HISTORY" ] = GRAPHENE_MIN_UNDO_HISTORY;
    result[ "GRAPHENE_MAX_UNDO_HISTORY" ] = GRAPHENE_MAX_UNDO_HISTORY;
    result[ "GRAPHENE_MIN_BLOCK_SIZE_LIMIT" ] = GRAPHENE_MIN_BLOCK_SIZE_LIMIT;
diff --git a/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/block_database.hpp b/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/block_database.hpp
index 1e8a97a6..816df798 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/block_database.hpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/block_database.hpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ namespace graphene { namespace chain {
          optional<signed_block> fetch_optional( const block_id_type& id )const;
          optional<signed_block> fetch_by_number( uint32_t block_num )const;
          optional<signed_block> last()const;
+         optional<block_id_type> last_id()const;
       private:
          mutable std::fstream _blocks;
          mutable std::fstream _block_num_to_pos;
diff --git a/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/config.hpp b/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/config.hpp
index 7256fbb2..3ad559ea 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/config.hpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/config.hpp
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@
 #define GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAX_TIME_UNTIL_EXPIRATION (60*60*24) // seconds,  aka: 1 day
 #define GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAINTENANCE_INTERVAL  (60*60*24) // seconds, aka: 1 day
 #define GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAINTENANCE_SKIP_SLOTS 3  // number of slots to skip for maintenance interval
-#define GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAX_EXPIRATION_SEC (60*60) // 1 hour 
 
 #define GRAPHENE_MIN_UNDO_HISTORY 10
 #define GRAPHENE_MAX_UNDO_HISTORY 1000
diff --git a/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/protocol/chain_parameters.hpp b/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/protocol/chain_parameters.hpp
index ac91d777..1f0e8d76 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/protocol/chain_parameters.hpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/protocol/chain_parameters.hpp
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ namespace graphene { namespace chain {
       uint32_t                committee_proposal_review_period    = GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_COMMITTEE_PROPOSAL_REVIEW_PERIOD_SEC; ///< minimum time in seconds that a proposed transaction requiring committee authority may not be signed, prior to expiration
       uint32_t                maximum_transaction_size            = GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAX_TRANSACTION_SIZE; ///< maximum allowable size in bytes for a transaction
       uint32_t                maximum_block_size                  = GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAX_BLOCK_SIZE; ///< maximum allowable size in bytes for a block
-      uint32_t                maximum_expiration                  = GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAX_EXPIRATION_SEC; ///< maximum number of seconds in the future a transaction may expire
+      uint32_t                maximum_expiration                  = 0; ///< ignored, but included to ensure we don't hardfork; see #308
       uint32_t                maximum_time_until_expiration       = GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAX_TIME_UNTIL_EXPIRATION; ///< maximum lifetime in seconds for transactions to be valid, before expiring
       uint32_t                maximum_proposal_lifetime           = GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAX_PROPOSAL_LIFETIME_SEC; ///< maximum lifetime in seconds for proposed transactions to be kept, before expiring
       uint8_t                 maximum_asset_whitelist_authorities = GRAPHENE_DEFAULT_MAX_ASSET_WHITELIST_AUTHORITIES; ///< maximum number of accounts which an asset may list as authorities for its whitelist OR blacklist