diff --git a/core/state/snapshot/difflayer.go b/core/state/snapshot/difflayer.go
index 0f7a4223f..644c8fb4b 100644
--- a/core/state/snapshot/difflayer.go
+++ b/core/state/snapshot/difflayer.go
@@ -227,9 +227,6 @@ func (dl *diffLayer) flatten() snapshot {
 // This is meant to be used during shutdown to persist the snapshot without
 // flattening everything down (bad for reorgs).
 func (dl *diffLayer) Journal() error {
-	dl.lock.RLock()
-	defer dl.lock.RUnlock()
-
 	writer, err := dl.journal()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/core/state/snapshot/difflayer_journal.go b/core/state/snapshot/difflayer_journal.go
index 844ee8859..16fdb8a97 100644
--- a/core/state/snapshot/difflayer_journal.go
+++ b/core/state/snapshot/difflayer_journal.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package snapshot
 
 import (
+	"bufio"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
@@ -105,12 +106,22 @@ func (dl *diffLayer) journal() (io.WriteCloser, error) {
 		}
 		writer = file
 	}
+	dl.lock.RLock()
+	defer dl.lock.RUnlock()
+
+	if dl.stale {
+		writer.Close()
+		return nil, ErrSnapshotStale
+	}
+	buf := bufio.NewWriter(writer)
 	// Everything below was journalled, persist this layer too
-	if err := rlp.Encode(writer, dl.number); err != nil {
+	if err := rlp.Encode(buf, dl.number); err != nil {
+		buf.Flush()
 		writer.Close()
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if err := rlp.Encode(writer, dl.root); err != nil {
+	if err := rlp.Encode(buf, dl.root); err != nil {
+		buf.Flush()
 		writer.Close()
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -118,7 +129,8 @@ func (dl *diffLayer) journal() (io.WriteCloser, error) {
 	for hash, blob := range dl.accountData {
 		accounts = append(accounts, journalAccount{Hash: hash, Blob: blob})
 	}
-	if err := rlp.Encode(writer, accounts); err != nil {
+	if err := rlp.Encode(buf, accounts); err != nil {
+		buf.Flush()
 		writer.Close()
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -132,9 +144,11 @@ func (dl *diffLayer) journal() (io.WriteCloser, error) {
 		}
 		storage = append(storage, journalStorage{Hash: hash, Keys: keys, Vals: vals})
 	}
-	if err := rlp.Encode(writer, storage); err != nil {
+	if err := rlp.Encode(buf, storage); err != nil {
+		buf.Flush()
 		writer.Close()
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	buf.Flush()
 	return writer, nil
 }
diff --git a/core/state/snapshot/difflayer_test.go b/core/state/snapshot/difflayer_test.go
index 5499f2016..5b7907301 100644
--- a/core/state/snapshot/difflayer_test.go
+++ b/core/state/snapshot/difflayer_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"math/big"
 	"math/rand"
+	"os"
+	"path"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
@@ -340,3 +342,46 @@ func BenchmarkFlatten(b *testing.B) {
 		b.StopTimer()
 	}
 }
+
+// This test writes ~324M of diff layers to disk, spread over
+// - 128 individual layers,
+// - each with 200 accounts
+// - containing 200 slots
+//
+// BenchmarkJournal-6   	       1	1471373923 ns/ops
+// BenchmarkJournal-6   	       1	1208083335 ns/op // bufio writer
+func BenchmarkJournal(b *testing.B) {
+	fill := func(parent snapshot, blocknum int) *diffLayer {
+		accounts := make(map[common.Hash][]byte)
+		storage := make(map[common.Hash]map[common.Hash][]byte)
+
+		for i := 0; i < 200; i++ {
+			accountKey := randomHash()
+			accounts[accountKey] = randomAccount()
+
+			accStorage := make(map[common.Hash][]byte)
+			for i := 0; i < 200; i++ {
+				value := make([]byte, 32)
+				rand.Read(value)
+				accStorage[randomHash()] = value
+
+			}
+			storage[accountKey] = accStorage
+		}
+		return newDiffLayer(parent, uint64(blocknum), common.Hash{}, accounts, storage)
+	}
+
+	var layer snapshot
+	layer = &diskLayer{
+		journal: path.Join(os.TempDir(), "difflayer_journal.tmp"),
+	}
+	for i := 1; i < 128; i++ {
+		layer = fill(layer, i)
+	}
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		f, _ := layer.(*diffLayer).journal()
+		f.Close()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/core/state/snapshot/snapshot.go b/core/state/snapshot/snapshot.go
index a18178977..668522fec 100644
--- a/core/state/snapshot/snapshot.go
+++ b/core/state/snapshot/snapshot.go
@@ -160,13 +160,15 @@ func (st *SnapshotTree) Update(blockRoot common.Hash, parentRoot common.Hash, ac
 // are flattened downwards.
 func (st *SnapshotTree) Cap(blockRoot common.Hash, layers int, memory uint64) error {
 	// Retrieve the head snapshot to cap from
-	snap := st.Snapshot(blockRoot).(snapshot)
-	if snap == nil {
+	var snap snapshot
+	if s := st.Snapshot(blockRoot); s == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("snapshot [%#x] missing", blockRoot)
+	} else {
+		snap = s.(snapshot)
 	}
 	diff, ok := snap.(*diffLayer)
 	if !ok {
-		return fmt.Errorf("snapshot [%#x] is base layer", blockRoot)
+		return fmt.Errorf("snapshot [%#x] is disk layer", blockRoot)
 	}
 	// Run the internal capping and discard all stale layers
 	st.lock.Lock()
@@ -228,13 +230,14 @@ func (st *SnapshotTree) Cap(blockRoot common.Hash, layers int, memory uint64) er
 // block numbers for the disk layer and first diff layer are returned for GC.
 func (st *SnapshotTree) cap(diff *diffLayer, layers int, memory uint64) (uint64, uint64) {
 	// Dive until we run out of layers or reach the persistent database
-	if layers > 2 {
-		// If we still have diff layers below, recurse
+	for ; layers > 2; layers-- {
+		// If we still have diff layers below, continue down
 		if parent, ok := diff.parent.(*diffLayer); ok {
-			return st.cap(parent, layers-1, memory)
+			diff = parent
+		} else {
+			// Diff stack too shallow, return block numbers without modifications
+			return diff.parent.(*diskLayer).number, diff.number
 		}
-		// Diff stack too shallow, return block numbers without modifications
-		return diff.parent.(*diskLayer).number, diff.number
 	}
 	// We're out of layers, flatten anything below, stopping if it's the disk or if
 	// the memory limit is not yet exceeded.
@@ -356,9 +359,11 @@ func diffToDisk(bottom *diffLayer) *diskLayer {
 // flattening everything down (bad for reorgs).
 func (st *SnapshotTree) Journal(blockRoot common.Hash) error {
 	// Retrieve the head snapshot to journal from
-	snap := st.Snapshot(blockRoot).(snapshot)
-	if snap == nil {
+	var snap snapshot
+	if s := st.Snapshot(blockRoot); s == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("snapshot [%#x] missing", blockRoot)
+	} else {
+		snap = s.(snapshot)
 	}
 	// Run the journaling
 	st.lock.Lock()
diff --git a/core/state/snapshot/snapshot_test.go b/core/state/snapshot/snapshot_test.go
index ecd39bf3e..1551a71a2 100644
--- a/core/state/snapshot/snapshot_test.go
+++ b/core/state/snapshot/snapshot_test.go
@@ -205,6 +205,15 @@ func TestDiffLayerExternalInvalidationPartialFlatten(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	ref := snaps.Snapshot(common.HexToHash("0x02"))
 
+	// Doing a Cap operation with many allowed layers should be a no-op
+	exp := len(snaps.layers)
+	if err := snaps.Cap(common.HexToHash("0x04"), 2000, 1024*1024); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to flatten diff layer into accumulator: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got := len(snaps.layers); got != exp {
+		t.Errorf("layers modified, got %d exp %d", got, exp)
+	}
+
 	// Flatten the diff layer into the bottom accumulator
 	if err := snaps.Cap(common.HexToHash("0x04"), 2, 1024*1024); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("failed to flatten diff layer into accumulator: %v", err)
@@ -277,6 +286,10 @@ func TestPostCapBasicDataAccess(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := checkExist(snap, "0xb3"); err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
+	// Cap to a bad root should fail
+	if err := snaps.Cap(common.HexToHash("0x1337"), 0, 1024); err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("expected error, got none")
+	}
 	// Now, merge the a-chain
 	snaps.Cap(common.HexToHash("0xa3"), 0, 1024)
 
@@ -300,4 +313,9 @@ func TestPostCapBasicDataAccess(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := shouldErr(snap, "0xa3"); err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
+	// Now, merge it again, just for fun. It should now error, since a3
+	// is a disk layer
+	if err := snaps.Cap(common.HexToHash("0xa3"), 0, 1024); err == nil {
+		t.Error("expected error capping the disk layer, got none")
+	}
 }