diff --git a/site/swap.html b/site/swap.html
index 196dc10fb..c6775f3d8 100644
--- a/site/swap.html
+++ b/site/swap.html
@@ -430,6 +430,7 @@ dt{color:var(--ash)}dd{margin:0;font-family:var(--f-mono);font-size:13px;overflo
     lastQuote=null;$('amount-out').value='';
     if(!tin||!tout||tin.key===tout.key){say($('quote-line'),'Pick two different tokens.','');return;}
     if(amt===null||amt===0n){say($('quote-line'),'Enter an amount for a quote. Slippage limit 1 percent, deadline 10 minutes.','');return;}
+    if(rpcBehind){say($('quote-line'),'The public RPC is still syncing; quotes come when it reaches the pools.','bad');return;}
     call(A.router,enc(S.getAmountsOut,['uint256','address[]'],[amt,path(tin,tout)])).then(function(r){
       var w=words(r);var out=w[w.length-1];lastQuote={tin:tin,tout:tout,amt:amt,out:out,min:out*99n/100n};
       $('amount-out').value=fmt(out,6);
@@ -479,7 +480,15 @@ dt{color:var(--ash)}dd{margin:0;font-family:var(--f-mono);font-size:13px;overflo
   setInterval(refreshProofs,10000);
 
   // ---- pools and the faucets ----
+  var DEPLOY_BLOCK=26972, rpcBehind=false;
   function refreshPools(){
+    rpc('eth_blockNumber',[]).then(function(n){
+      var h=parseInt(n,16);rpcBehind=h<DEPLOY_BLOCK;
+      if(rpcBehind){$('pools-body').innerHTML='<tr><td colspan="2">The public RPC is still syncing: block '+h.toLocaleString('en-GB')+' of at least '+DEPLOY_BLOCK.toLocaleString('en-GB')+'. Reserves, quotes and swaps appear when it reaches the pools.</td></tr>';return;}
+      return readPools();
+    }).catch(function(){$('pools-body').innerHTML='<tr><td colspan="2">The public RPC did not answer. Try again in a minute.</td></tr>';});
+  }
+  function readPools(){
     Promise.all(POOLS.map(function(p){return call(A.router,enc(S.getReserves,['address','address'],[p.a,p.b])).then(function(r){var w=words(r);return fmt(w[0],2)+' '+p.sa+' / '+fmt(w[1],2)+' '+p.sb;}).catch(function(){return 'unreadable';});})).then(function(rows){
       $('pools-body').innerHTML=POOLS.map(function(p,i){return '<tr><td>'+p.name+'</td><td>'+rows[i]+'</td></tr>';}).join('');
     });