diff --git a/SHAMap.cpp b/SHAMap.cpp
index d945220dfa..902ee01e6a 100644
--- a/SHAMap.cpp
+++ b/SHAMap.cpp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 #include "BitcoinUtil.h"
 #include "SHAMap.h"
 
-SHAMap::SHAMap(uint32 seq) : mSeq(seq), mImmutable(false), mSynching(false)
+SHAMap::SHAMap(uint32 seq) : mSeq(seq), mState(Modifying)
 {
 	root=boost::make_shared<SHAMapTreeNode>(SHAMapNode(0, uint256()), mSeq);
 	root->makeInner();
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ std::stack<SHAMapTreeNode::pointer> SHAMap::getStack(const uint256& id, bool inc
 		node=getNode(node->getChildNodeID(branch), hash, false);
 		if(!node)
 		{
-			if(mSynching) return stack;
+			if(isSynching()) return stack;
 			throw SHAMapException(MissingNode);
 		}
 	}
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ void SHAMap::dirtyUp(std::stack<SHAMapTreeNode::pointer>& stack, const uint256&
 { // walk the tree up from through the inner nodes to the root
   // update linking hashes and add nodes to dirty list
 
-	assert(!mImmutable && !mSynching);
+	assert(mState!=Synching && mState!=Immutable);
 
 	while(!stack.empty())
 	{
diff --git a/SHAMap.h b/SHAMap.h
index ad4c665edf..51d1611eb9 100644
--- a/SHAMap.h
+++ b/SHAMap.h
@@ -208,6 +208,15 @@ enum SHAMapException
 	InvalidMap=3,
 };
 
+enum SHAMapState
+{
+	Modifying=0,	// Objects can be added and removed (like an open ledger)
+	Immutable=1,	// Map cannot be changed (like a closed ledger)
+	Synching=2,		// Map's hash is locked in, valid nodes can be added (like a peer's closing ledger)
+	Floating=3,		// Map is free to change hash (like a synching open ledger)
+	Invalid=4,		// Map is known not to be valid (usually synching a corrupt ledger)
+};
+
 class SHAMap
 {
 public:
@@ -223,7 +232,7 @@ private:
 
 	SHAMapTreeNode::pointer root;
 
-	bool mImmutable, mSynching;
+	SHAMapState mState;
 
 protected:
 
@@ -288,11 +297,13 @@ public:
 	bool addKnownNode(const SHAMapNode& nodeID, const std::vector<unsigned char>& rawNode);
 
 	// status functions
-	void setImmutable(void) { mImmutable=true; }
-	void clearImmutable(void) { mImmutable=false; }
-	bool isSynching(void) const { return mSynching; }
-	void setSynching(void) { mSynching=true; }
-	void clearSynching(void) { mSynching=false; }
+	void setImmutable(void) { assert(mState!=Invalid); mState=Immutable; }
+	void clearImmutable(void) { mState=Modifying; }
+	bool isSynching(void) const { return mState==Floating || mState==Synching; }
+	void setSynching(void) { mState=Synching; }
+	void setFloating(void) { mState=Floating; }
+	void clearSynching(void) { mState=Modifying; }
+	bool isValid(void) { return mState!=Invalid; }
 
 	// caution: otherMap must be accessed only by this function
 	// return value: true=successfully completed, false=too different
diff --git a/SHAMapSync.cpp b/SHAMapSync.cpp
index b3ca77bd63..e4ecf150e4 100644
--- a/SHAMapSync.cpp
+++ b/SHAMapSync.cpp
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ bool SHAMap::addRootNode(const uint256& hash, const std::vector<unsigned char>&
 bool SHAMap::addKnownNode(const SHAMapNode& node, const std::vector<unsigned char>& rawNode)
 { // return value: true=okay, false=error
 	assert(!node.isRoot());
-	assert(mSynching);
+	if(!isSynching()) return false;
 
 	boost::recursive_mutex::scoped_lock sl(mLock);
 
@@ -363,17 +363,15 @@ bool SHAMap::syncTest()
 
 
 	// add random data to the source map
-	int items=1000000;
+	int items=10000;
 	for(int i=0; i<items; i++)
 		source.addItem(*makeRandomAS(), false);
 
-#ifdef DO_CONFUSE
 #ifdef DEBUG
 	std::cerr << "Adding items, then removing them" << std::endl;
 #endif
-	if(!confuseMap(source, 12000))
+	if(!confuseMap(source, 500))
 		return false;
-#endif
 
 	source.setImmutable();