diff --git a/lib/hk-util.js b/lib/hk-util.js
index 4b71e7c5b..c0da609ee 100644
--- a/lib/hk-util.js
+++ b/lib/hk-util.js
@@ -235,6 +235,54 @@ const getIndex = (Env, channelName, cb) => {
     });
 };
 
+/*  checkOffsetMap
+
+Sorry for the weird function --ansuz
+
+This should be almost equivalent to `Object.keys(map).length` except
+that is will use less memory by not allocating space for the temporary array.
+Beyond that, it returns length * -1 if any of the members of the map
+are not in ascending order. The function for removing older members of the map
+loops over elements in order and deletes them, so ordering is important!
+
+*/
+var checkOffsetMap = function (map) {
+    var prev = 0;
+    var cur;
+    var ooo = 0; // out of order
+    var count = 0;
+    for (let k in map) {
+        count++;
+        cur = map[k];
+        if (!ooo && prev > cur) { ooo = true; }
+        prev = cur;
+    }
+    return ooo ? count * -1: count;
+};
+
+/* Pass the map and the number of elements it contains */
+var trimOffsetByOrder = function (map, n) {
+    var toRemove = Math.max(n - 50, 0);
+    var i = 0;
+    for (let k in map) {
+        if (i >= toRemove) { return; }
+        i++;
+        delete map[k];
+    }
+};
+
+/*  Remove from the map any byte offsets which are below
+    the lowest offset you'd like to preserve
+    (probably the oldest checkpoint */
+var trimMapByOffset = function (map, offset) {
+    if (!offset) { return; }
+    for (let k in map) {
+        if (map[k] < offset) {
+            delete map[k];
+        }
+    }
+};
+
 /*  storeMessage
     * channel id
     * the message to store
@@ -286,17 +334,28 @@ const storeMessage = function (Env, channel, msg, isCp, optionalMessageHash) {
                 if (typeof (index.line) === "number") { index.line++; }
                 if (isCp) {
                     index.cpIndex = sliceCpIndex(index.cpIndex, index.line || 0);
-                    for (let k in index.offsetByHash) {
-                        if (index.offsetByHash[k] < index.cpIndex[0]) {
-                            delete index.offsetByHash[k];
-                        }
-                    }
+                    trimMapByOffset(index.offsetByHash, index.cpIndex[0]);
                     index.cpIndex.push({
                         offset: index.size,
                         line: ((index.line || 0) + 1)
                     });
                 }
-                if (optionalMessageHash) { index.offsetByHash[optionalMessageHash] = index.size; }
+                if (optionalMessageHash) {
+                    index.offsetByHash[optionalMessageHash] = index.size;
+                    index.offsets++;
+                }
+                if (index.offsets >= 100 && !index.cpIndex.length) {
+                    let offsetCount = checkOffsetMap(index.offsetByHash);
+                    if (offsetCount < 0) {
+                        Log.warn('OFFSET_TRIM_OOO', {
+                            channel: id,
+                            map: index.OffsetByHash
+                        });
+                    } else if (offsetCount > 0) {
+                        trimOffsetByOrder(index.offsetByHash, index.offsets);
+                        index.offsets = checkOffsetMap(index.offsetByHash);
+                    }
+                }
                 index.size += msgBin.length;
 
                 // handle the next element in the queue
diff --git a/lib/workers/db-worker.js b/lib/workers/db-worker.js
index 62e182765..65a381479 100644
--- a/lib/workers/db-worker.js
+++ b/lib/workers/db-worker.js
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ const computeIndex = function (data, cb) {
     const CB = Util.once(cb);
 
     const offsetByHash = {};
+    let offsetCount = 0;
     let size = 0;
     nThen(function (w) {
         // iterate over all messages in the channel log
@@ -151,6 +152,8 @@ const computeIndex = function (data, cb) {
                     // so clear the buffer every time you see a new one
                     messageBuf = [];
                 }
+            } else if (messageBuf.length > 100 && cpIndex.length === 0) {
+                messageBuf = messageBuf.slice(0, 50);
             }
             // if it's not metadata or a checkpoint then it should be a regular message
             // store it in the buffer
@@ -163,6 +166,7 @@ const computeIndex = function (data, cb) {
             }
 
             // once indexing is complete you should have a buffer of messages since the latest checkpoint
+            // or the 50-100 latest messages if the channel is of a type without checkpoints.
             // map the 'hash' of each message to its byte offset in the log, to be used for reconnecting clients
             messageBuf.forEach((msgObj) => {
                 const msg = HK.tryParse(Env, msgObj.buff.toString('utf8'));
@@ -171,6 +175,7 @@ const computeIndex = function (data, cb) {
                     // msgObj.offset is API guaranteed by our storage module
                     // it should always be a valid positive integer
                     offsetByHash[HK.getHash(msg[4])] = msgObj.offset;
+                    offsetCount++;
                 }
                 // There is a trailing \n at the end of the file
                 size = msgObj.offset + msgObj.buff.length + 1;
@@ -182,6 +187,7 @@ const computeIndex = function (data, cb) {
             // Only keep the checkpoints included in the last 100 messages
             cpIndex: HK.sliceCpIndex(cpIndex, i),
             offsetByHash: offsetByHash,
+            offsets: offsetCount,
             size: size,
             //metadata: metadata,
             line: i