diff --git a/src/SHAMap.cpp b/src/SHAMap.cpp
index 3d6f70620..09877fa40 100644
--- a/src/SHAMap.cpp
+++ b/src/SHAMap.cpp
@@ -690,7 +690,10 @@ SHAMapTreeNode::pointer SHAMap::fetchNodeExternal(const SHAMapNode& id, const ui
 
 	HashedObject::pointer obj(theApp->getHashedObjectStore().retrieve(hash));
 	if (!obj)
+	{
+		Log(lsTRACE) << "fetchNodeExternal: missing " << hash;
 		throw SHAMapMissingNode(mType, id, hash);
+	}
 	assert(Serializer::getSHA512Half(obj->getData()) == hash);
 
 	try
@@ -708,6 +711,13 @@ SHAMapTreeNode::pointer SHAMap::fetchNodeExternal(const SHAMapNode& id, const ui
 	}
 }
 
+void SHAMap::fetchRoot(const uint256& hash)
+{
+	root = fetchNodeExternal(SHAMapNode(), hash);
+	root->makeInner();
+	mTNByID[*root] = root;
+}
+
 void SHAMap::armDirty()
 { // begin saving dirty nodes
 	++mSeq;
diff --git a/src/SHAMap.h b/src/SHAMap.h
index 72a4f23c3..f144b5ca9 100644
--- a/src/SHAMap.h
+++ b/src/SHAMap.h
@@ -273,6 +273,8 @@ public:
 	bool hasTargetIndex() const				{ return !mTargetIndex.isZero(); }
 };
 
+extern std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream&, const SHAMapMissingNode&);
+
 class SHAMap
 {
 public:
@@ -330,6 +332,7 @@ public:
 	ScopedLock Lock() const { return ScopedLock(mLock); }
 
 	bool hasNode(const SHAMapNode& id);
+	void fetchRoot(const uint256& hash);
 
 	// normal hash access functions
 	bool hasItem(const uint256& id);