diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/Ledger.cpp b/src/cpp/ripple/Ledger.cpp
index bb1da54cef..3db595c5aa 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/Ledger.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/Ledger.cpp
@@ -94,19 +94,19 @@ Ledger::Ledger(bool /* dummy */, Ledger& prevLedger) :
 	zeroFees();
 }
 
-Ledger::Ledger(const std::vector<unsigned char>& rawLedger) :
+Ledger::Ledger(const std::vector<unsigned char>& rawLedger, bool hasPrefix) :
 	mClosed(false), mValidHash(false), mAccepted(false), mImmutable(true)
 {
 	Serializer s(rawLedger);
-	setRaw(s);
+	setRaw(s, hasPrefix);
 	zeroFees();
 }
 
-Ledger::Ledger(const std::string& rawLedger) :
+Ledger::Ledger(const std::string& rawLedger, bool hasPrefix) :
 	mClosed(false), mValidHash(false), mAccepted(false), mImmutable(true)
 {
 	Serializer s(rawLedger);
-	setRaw(s);
+	setRaw(s, hasPrefix);
 	zeroFees();
 }
 
@@ -127,9 +127,10 @@ void Ledger::updateHash()
 	mValidHash = true;
 }
 
-void Ledger::setRaw(Serializer &s)
+void Ledger::setRaw(Serializer &s, bool hasPrefix)
 {
 	SerializerIterator sit(s);
+	if (hasPrefix) sit.get32();
 	mLedgerSeq =		sit.get32();
 	mTotCoins =			sit.get64();
 	mParentHash =		sit.get256();
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/Ledger.h b/src/cpp/ripple/Ledger.h
index b9cf05892b..27fad106c1 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/Ledger.h
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/Ledger.h
@@ -109,9 +109,8 @@ public:
 		uint64 totCoins, uint32 closeTime, uint32 parentCloseTime, int closeFlags, int closeResolution,
 		uint32 ledgerSeq); // used for database ledgers
 
-	Ledger(const std::vector<unsigned char>& rawLedger);
-
-	Ledger(const std::string& rawLedger);
+	Ledger(const std::vector<unsigned char>& rawLedger, bool hasPrefix);
+	Ledger(const std::string& rawLedger, bool hasPrefix);
 
 	Ledger(bool dummy, Ledger& previous);	// ledger after this one
 
@@ -132,7 +131,7 @@ public:
 
 	// ledger signature operations
 	void addRaw(Serializer &s) const;
-	void setRaw(Serializer& s);
+	void setRaw(Serializer& s, bool hasPrefix);
 
 	uint256 getHash();
 	const uint256& getParentHash() const	{ return mParentHash; }
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/LedgerAcquire.cpp b/src/cpp/ripple/LedgerAcquire.cpp
index 29a2aad708..55c539be1b 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/LedgerAcquire.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/LedgerAcquire.cpp
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ LedgerAcquire::LedgerAcquire(const uint256& hash) : PeerSet(hash, LEDGER_ACQUIRE
 #ifdef LA_DEBUG
 	cLog(lsTRACE) << "Acquiring ledger " << mHash;
 #endif
+	tryLocal();
 }
 
 bool LedgerAcquire::tryLocal()
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ bool LedgerAcquire::tryLocal()
 	if (!node)
 		return false;
 
-	mLedger = boost::make_shared<Ledger>(strCopy(node->getData()));
+	mLedger = boost::make_shared<Ledger>(strCopy(node->getData()), true);
 	assert(mLedger->getHash() == mHash);
 	mHaveBase = true;
 
@@ -254,7 +255,8 @@ void LedgerAcquire::trigger(Peer::ref peer, bool timer)
 			mLedger->peekTransactionMap()->getMissingNodes(nodeIDs, nodeHashes, 128, &tFilter);
 			if (nodeIDs.empty())
 			{
-				if (!mLedger->peekTransactionMap()->isValid()) mFailed = true;
+				if (!mLedger->peekTransactionMap()->isValid())
+					mFailed = true;
 				else
 				{
 					mHaveTransactions = true;
@@ -294,7 +296,8 @@ void LedgerAcquire::trigger(Peer::ref peer, bool timer)
 			mLedger->peekAccountStateMap()->getMissingNodes(nodeIDs, nodeHashes, 128, &aFilter);
 			if (nodeIDs.empty())
 			{
- 				if (!mLedger->peekAccountStateMap()->isValid()) mFailed = true;
+				if (!mLedger->peekAccountStateMap()->isValid())
+					mFailed = true;
 				else
 				{
 					mHaveState = true;
@@ -367,14 +370,14 @@ int PeerSet::getPeerCount() const
 	return ret;
 }
 
-bool LedgerAcquire::takeBase(const std::string& data)
+bool LedgerAcquire::takeBase(const std::string& data) // data must not have hash prefix
 { // Return value: true=normal, false=bad data
 #ifdef LA_DEBUG
 	cLog(lsTRACE) << "got base acquiring ledger " << mHash;
 #endif
 	boost::recursive_mutex::scoped_lock sl(mLock);
 	if (mHaveBase) return true;
-	mLedger = boost::make_shared<Ledger>(data);
+	mLedger = boost::make_shared<Ledger>(data, false);
 	if (mLedger->getHash() != mHash)
 	{
 		cLog(lsWARNING) << "Acquire hash mismatch";