diff --git a/crates/blackbeard-api/src/bridgescan.rs b/crates/blackbeard-api/src/bridgescan.rs
index acf9c4e..605e342 100644
--- a/crates/blackbeard-api/src/bridgescan.rs
+++ b/crates/blackbeard-api/src/bridgescan.rs
@@ -183,7 +183,28 @@ async fn mints(
                 tokio::time::sleep(TIP_WAIT).await;
                 continue;
             };
-        let Ok(layout) = near.shard_layout(heights[0]).await else {
+        // From the first height in the batch that exists. NEAR skips heights,
+        // and asking at a skipped one is UNKNOWN_BLOCK forever: the backward
+        // pass sat on #218,897,633 that way, retrying the same never-produced
+        // block every turn without a word (blackbeard/observer#31, again).
+        let mut layout = None;
+        for &height in &heights {
+            match near.shard_layout(height).await {
+                Ok(l) => {
+                    layout = Some(l);
+                    break;
+                }
+                Err(e) if blackbeard_data::near::unknown(&e) => continue,
+                Err(e) => {
+                    tracing::warn!(chain = %id, near_height = height, error = %e,
+                        "bridge mint shard layout unreadable");
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        let Some(layout) = layout else {
+            tracing::warn!(chain = %id, from = heights[0], to = heights[heights.len() - 1],
+                "no height in the bridge mint batch is readable; will retry");
             tokio::time::sleep(RETRY).await;
             continue;
         };
@@ -357,11 +378,20 @@ async fn history(
     tracing::info!(chain = %id, changes = changes.len(), "supply changes found before our nodes");
 
     for (height, delta) in changes {
+        // A change can be recorded at a skipped height (the supply read falls
+        // back to the block before), so walk down past any that were never
+        // produced rather than asking about the same one forever.
+        let mut at = height;
         let layout = loop {
             tokio::time::sleep(ARCHIVE_SPACING).await;
-            match archive.shard_layout(height).await {
+            match archive.shard_layout(at).await {
                 Ok(l) => break l,
-                Err(_) => tokio::time::sleep(RETRY).await,
+                Err(e) if blackbeard_data::near::unknown(&e) && at + LOOKBACK > height => at -= 1,
+                Err(e) => {
+                    tracing::debug!(chain = %id, near_height = at, error = %e,
+                        "archive layout unreadable; retrying");
+                    tokio::time::sleep(RETRY).await
+                }
             }
         };
         let shard_of = |a: &str| core::shard_for(a, &layout.boundary_accounts, &layout.shard_ids);