diff --git a/controller/checksum.go b/controller/checksum.go
index 685c7c87..e9c047dd 100644
--- a/controller/checksum.go
+++ b/controller/checksum.go
@@ -2,19 +2,17 @@ package controller
 
 import (
 	"crypto/md5"
-	"encoding/binary"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/tidwall/resp"
 	"github.com/tidwall/tile38/controller/log"
 	"github.com/tidwall/tile38/core"
 )
 
-const backwardsBufferSize = 50000
-
 // checksum performs a simple md5 checksum on the aof file
 func (c *Controller) checksum(pos, size int64) (sum string, err error) {
 	if pos+size > int64(c.aofsz) {
@@ -63,6 +61,10 @@ func connAOFMD5(conn *Conn, pos, size int64) (sum string, err error) {
 		return "", err
 	}
 	if v.Error() != nil {
+		errmsg := v.Error().Error()
+		if errmsg == "ERR EOF" || errmsg == "EOF" {
+			return "", io.EOF
+		}
 		return "", v.Error()
 	}
 	sum = v.String()
@@ -90,6 +92,50 @@ func (c *Controller) matchChecksums(conn *Conn, pos, size int64) (match bool, er
 	return csum == sum, nil
 }
 
+// getEndOfLastValuePositionInFile is a very slow operation because it reads the file
+// backwards on byte at a time. Eek. It seek+read, seek+read, etc.
+func getEndOfLastValuePositionInFile(fname string, startPos int64) (int64, error) {
+	pos := startPos
+	f, err := os.Open(fname)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+	readByte := func() (byte, error) {
+		if pos <= 0 {
+			return 0, io.EOF
+		}
+		pos--
+		if _, err := f.Seek(pos, 0); err != nil {
+			return 0, err
+		}
+		b := make([]byte, 1)
+		if n, err := f.Read(b); err != nil {
+			return 0, err
+		} else if n != 1 {
+			return 0, errors.New("invalid read")
+		}
+		return b[0], nil
+	}
+	for {
+		c, err := readByte()
+		if err != nil {
+			return 0, err
+		}
+		if c == '*' {
+			if _, err := f.Seek(pos, 0); err != nil {
+				return 0, err
+			}
+			rd := resp.NewReader(f)
+			_, telnet, n, err := rd.ReadMultiBulk()
+			if err != nil || telnet {
+				continue // keep reading backwards
+			}
+			return pos + int64(n), nil
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // followCheckSome is not a full checksum. It just "checks some" data.
 // We will do some various checksums on the leader until we find the correct position to start at.
 func (c *Controller) followCheckSome(addr string, followc uint64) (pos int64, err error) {
@@ -118,6 +164,7 @@ func (c *Controller) followCheckSome(addr string, followc uint64) (pos int64, er
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
+
 	if match {
 		min += checksumsz // bump up the min
 		for {
@@ -152,63 +199,10 @@ func (c *Controller) followCheckSome(addr string, followc uint64) (pos int64, er
 
 	// we want to truncate at a command location
 	// search for nearest command
-	f, err := os.Open(c.f.Name())
+	pos, err = getEndOfLastValuePositionInFile(c.f.Name(), fullpos)
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
-	defer f.Close()
-	if _, err := f.Seek(pos, 0); err != nil {
-		return 0, err
-	}
-	// need to read backwards looking for null byte
-	const bufsz = backwardsBufferSize
-	buf := make([]byte, bufsz)
-outer:
-	for {
-		if pos < int64(len(buf)) {
-			pos = 0
-			break
-		}
-		if _, err := f.Seek(pos-bufsz, 0); err != nil {
-			return 0, err
-		}
-		if _, err := io.ReadFull(f, buf); err != nil {
-			return 0, err
-		}
-		for i := len(buf) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
-			if buf[i] == 0 {
-				tpos := pos - bufsz + int64(i) - 4
-				if tpos < 0 {
-					pos = 0
-					break outer // at beginning of file
-				}
-				if _, err := f.Seek(tpos, 0); err != nil {
-					return 0, err
-				}
-				szb := make([]byte, 4)
-				if _, err := io.ReadFull(f, szb); err != nil {
-					return 0, err
-				}
-				sz2 := int64(binary.LittleEndian.Uint32(szb))
-				tpos = tpos - sz2 - 4
-				if tpos < 0 {
-					continue // keep scanning
-				}
-				if _, err := f.Seek(tpos, 0); err != nil {
-					return 0, err
-				}
-				if _, err := io.ReadFull(f, szb); err != nil {
-					return 0, err
-				}
-				sz1 := int64(binary.LittleEndian.Uint32(szb))
-				if sz1 == sz2 {
-					pos = pos - bufsz + int64(i) + 1
-					break outer // we found our match
-				}
-			}
-		}
-		pos -= bufsz
-	}
 	if pos == fullpos {
 		if core.ShowDebugMessages {
 			log.Debug("follow: aof fully intact")
@@ -217,7 +211,6 @@ outer:
 	}
 	log.Warnf("truncating aof to %d", pos)
 	// any errror below are fatal.
-	f.Close()
 	c.f.Close()
 	if err := os.Truncate(fname, pos); err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("could not truncate aof, possible data loss. %s", err.Error())