diff --git a/rust/agents/updater/src/updater.rs b/rust/agents/updater/src/updater.rs
index 0b83de203..b98d84234 100644
--- a/rust/agents/updater/src/updater.rs
+++ b/rust/agents/updater/src/updater.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use prometheus::IntCounter;
 use rocksdb::DB;
 use tokio::{
     sync::{
-        mpsc::{self, Receiver, Sender},
+        mpsc::{self, error::TrySendError, Receiver, Sender},
         Mutex,
     },
     task::JoinHandle,
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ use tokio::{
 };
 use tracing::{error, info, instrument::Instrumented, Instrument};
 
+use crate::settings::UpdaterSettings as Settings;
 use optics_base::{
     agent::{AgentCore, OpticsAgent},
     db::UsingPersistence,
@@ -29,8 +30,6 @@ use optics_core::{
     SignedUpdate, Signers, Update,
 };
 
-use crate::settings::UpdaterSettings as Settings;
-
 #[derive(Debug)]
 struct UpdateHandler {
     home: Arc<Homes>,
@@ -112,6 +111,19 @@ impl UpdateHandler {
     #[tracing::instrument(err, skip(self), fields(self = %self))]
     async fn handle_update(&self, update: Update) -> Result<()> {
         info!("Have an update, awaiting the tick");
+
+        // We poll acceptable immediately, to prevent waiting on
+        // any unacceptable updates that got into the channel
+        // We poll it AGAIN after sleeping to ensure that the update
+        // is still acceptable.
+
+        // TODO(james): later refactor this to only allow acceptable
+        // updates into the channel?
+        if !self.acceptable(&update).await? {
+            info!("Declined to submit update. No longer current");
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+
         // Wait `update_pause` seconds
         sleep(Duration::from_secs(self.update_pause)).await;
 
@@ -184,9 +196,10 @@ impl UpdatePoller {
     fn spawn(self) -> Instrumented<JoinHandle<Result<()>>> {
         tokio::spawn(async move {
             loop {
-                match self.home.produce_update().await? {
-                    Some(update) => self.tx.send(update).await?,
-                    None => info!("No update available"),
+                if let Some(update) = self.home.produce_update().await? {
+                    if let Err(TrySendError::Closed(_)) = self.tx.try_send(update) {
+                        bail!("UpdatePoller died");
+                    }
                 }
                 sleep(Duration::from_secs(self.interval_seconds)).await;
             }
@@ -258,7 +271,7 @@ impl OpticsAgent for Updater {
         let home = self.home();
         let address = self.signer.address();
 
-        let (tx, rx) = mpsc::channel(32);
+        let (tx, rx) = mpsc::channel(1);
         let poller = UpdatePoller::new(self.home(), tx, self.interval_seconds);
         let handler = UpdateHandler::new(
             self.home(),