diff --git a/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/blob_downloader.ex b/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/blob_downloader.ex
index 4493a4fc0..81877f045 100644
--- a/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/blob_downloader.ex
+++ b/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/blob_downloader.ex
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.BlobDownloader do
   def request_blobs_by_range(slot, count, on_blobs, retries) do
     Logger.debug("Requesting blobs", slot: slot)
 
-    # TODO: handle no-peers asynchronously?
+    # FIXME: handle no-peers asynchronously! this is hanging Libp2pPort when there are no peers
     peer_id = get_some_peer()
 
     # NOTE: BeaconBlocksByRangeRequest == BlobSidecarsByRangeRequest
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.BlobDownloader do
         P2P.Peerbook.penalize_peer(peer_id)
 
         if retries > 0 do
-          Logger.debug("Retrying request for #{count} blobs", slot: slot)
+          Logger.info("Retrying request for #{count} blobs, reason: #{inspect(reason)} in 2 second", slot: slot)
+          Process.sleep(2000)
           request_blobs_by_range(slot, count, on_blobs, retries - 1)
           {:ok, store}
         else
@@ -123,6 +124,9 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.BlobDownloader do
   defp get_some_peer() do
     case P2P.Peerbook.get_some_peer() do
       nil ->
+        stacktrace = Process.info(self(), :current_stacktrace)
+        IO.inspect(stacktrace, label: "Current stacktrace")
+
         Process.sleep(100)
         get_some_peer()
 
diff --git a/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/block_downloader.ex b/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/block_downloader.ex
index 6522fa84a..6438ccfd1 100644
--- a/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/block_downloader.ex
+++ b/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/block_downloader.ex
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.BlockDownloader do
   def request_blocks_by_range(slot, count, on_blocks, retries) do
     Logger.debug("Requesting block", slot: slot)
 
-    # TODO: handle no-peers asynchronously?
+    # FIXME: handle no-peers asynchronously! this is hanging Libp2pPort when there are no peers
     peer_id = get_some_peer()
 
     request =
@@ -173,7 +173,8 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.BlockDownloader do
         if retries > 0 do
           :telemetry.execute([:network, :request], %{blocks: 0}, Map.put(tags, :result, "retry"))
           pretty_roots = Enum.map_join(roots, ", ", &Base.encode16/1)
-          Logger.debug("Retrying request for blocks with roots #{pretty_roots}")
+          Logger.debug("Retrying request (reason: #{inspect(reason)}) for blocks with roots #{pretty_roots}, in 2 second")
+          Process.sleep(2000)
           request_blocks_by_root(roots, on_blocks, retries - 1)
           {:ok, store}
         else
@@ -186,6 +187,9 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.BlockDownloader do
   defp get_some_peer() do
     case P2P.Peerbook.get_some_peer() do
       nil ->
+        stacktrace = Process.info(self(), :current_stacktrace)
+        IO.inspect(stacktrace, label: "Current stacktrace")
+
         Process.sleep(100)
         get_some_peer()
 
diff --git a/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/peerbook.ex b/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/peerbook.ex
index 96b9c34a9..785e198fb 100644
--- a/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/peerbook.ex
+++ b/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/peerbook.ex
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.Peerbook do
   @moduledoc """
   General peer bookkeeping.
   """
+  require Logger
   alias LambdaEthereumConsensus.Libp2pPort
   alias LambdaEthereumConsensus.Store.KvSchema
 
   @initial_score 100
+  @penalize 2
   @target_peers 128
   @max_prune_size 8
   @prune_percentage 0.05
@@ -53,11 +55,29 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.Peerbook do
   end
 
   def penalize_peer(peer_id) do
-    fetch_peerbook!() |> Map.delete(peer_id) |> store_peerbook()
+    Logger.debug("Penalizing peer: #{inspect(LambdaEthereumConsensus.Utils.format_shorten_binary(peer_id))}")
+    peer_score = fetch_peerbook!() |> Map.get(peer_id)
+
+    case peer_score do
+      nil ->
+        :ok
+
+      score when score - @penalize <= 0 ->
+        Logger.info("Removing peer: #{inspect(LambdaEthereumConsensus.Utils.format_shorten_binary(peer_id))}")
+        fetch_peerbook!()
+        |> Map.delete(peer_id)
+        |> store_peerbook()
+
+      score ->
+        fetch_peerbook!()
+        |> Map.put(peer_id, score - @penalize)
+        |> store_peerbook()
+    end
   end
 
   def handle_new_peer(peer_id) do
     peerbook = fetch_peerbook!()
+    Logger.debug("New peer connected: #{inspect(LambdaEthereumConsensus.Utils.format_shorten_binary(peer_id))}")
 
     if not Map.has_key?(peerbook, peer_id) do
       :telemetry.execute([:peers, :connection], %{id: peer_id}, %{result: "success"})