diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index d88eadc40..887233079 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -476,6 +476,7 @@ std::string HelpMessage(HelpMessageMode mode)
         CURRENCY_UNIT, FormatMoney(DEFAULT_TRANSACTION_MAXFEE)));
     strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-printtoconsole", _("Send trace/debug info to console instead of debug.log file"));
     strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-prunedebuglogfile", _("Prune (limit) filesize of debug.log")); // FIXME.SUGAR // prune debug.log
+    strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-fastsync", _("Skip PoW check during IBD for faster sync")); // FIXME.SUGAR // skip PoW check during IBD
     if (showDebug)
     {
         strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-printpriority", strprintf("Log transaction fee per kB when mining blocks (default: %u)", DEFAULT_PRINTPRIORITY));
@@ -831,6 +832,7 @@ void InitLogging()
 {
     fPrintToConsole = gArgs.GetBoolArg("-printtoconsole", false);
     fPruneDebugLog = gArgs.GetBoolArg("-prunedebuglogfile", false); // FIXME.SUGAR // prune debug.log
+    fFastSync = gArgs.GetBoolArg("-fastsync", false); // FIXME.SUGAR // skip PoW check during IBD
     fLogTimestamps = gArgs.GetBoolArg("-logtimestamps", DEFAULT_LOGTIMESTAMPS);
     fLogTimeMicros = gArgs.GetBoolArg("-logtimemicros", DEFAULT_LOGTIMEMICROS);
     fLogIPs = gArgs.GetBoolArg("-logips", DEFAULT_LOGIPS);
diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
index 3cdc9be64..5013c5b56 100644
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -228,6 +228,8 @@ uint64_t nPruneTarget = 0;
 int64_t nMaxTipAge = DEFAULT_MAX_TIP_AGE;
 bool fEnableReplacement = DEFAULT_ENABLE_REPLACEMENT;
 
+bool fFastSync = false; // FIXME.SUGAR // skip PoW check during IBD
+
 uint256 hashAssumeValid;
 arith_uint256 nMinimumChainWork;
 
@@ -3044,6 +3046,12 @@ static bool FindUndoPos(CValidationState &state, int nFile, CDiskBlockPos &pos,
 
 static bool CheckBlockHeader(const CBlockHeader& block, CValidationState& state, const Consensus::Params& consensusParams, bool fCheckPOW = true)
 {
+    // FIXME.SUGAR // skip PoW check during IBD
+    if (fFastSync == true && IsInitialBlockDownload() == true) {
+        printf("Fast Sync Mode (fFastSync=%d)\n", fFastSync);
+        return true;
+    }
+
     // Check proof of work matches claimed amount
     if (fCheckPOW && !CheckProofOfWork(block.GetPoWHash_cached(), block.nBits, consensusParams))
         return state.DoS(50, false, REJECT_INVALID, "high-hash", false, "proof of work failed");
diff --git a/src/validation.h b/src/validation.h
index 14ee44104..10db0fd79 100644
--- a/src/validation.h
+++ b/src/validation.h
@@ -193,6 +193,8 @@ extern CAmount maxTxFee;
 extern int64_t nMaxTipAge;
 extern bool fEnableReplacement;
 
+extern bool fFastSync; // FIXME.SUGAR // skip PoW check during IBD
+
 /** Block hash whose ancestors we will assume to have valid scripts without checking them. */
 extern uint256 hashAssumeValid;
 
@@ -230,7 +232,7 @@ static const unsigned int DEFAULT_CHECKLEVEL = 3;
 // Setting the target to > than 550MB will make it likely we can respect the target.
 static const uint64_t MIN_DISK_SPACE_FOR_BLOCK_FILES = 550 * 1024 * 1024;
 
-/** 
+/**
  * Process an incoming block. This only returns after the best known valid
  * block is made active. Note that it does not, however, guarantee that the
  * specific block passed to it has been checked for validity!
@@ -241,7 +243,7 @@ static const uint64_t MIN_DISK_SPACE_FOR_BLOCK_FILES = 550 * 1024 * 1024;
  *
  * Note that we guarantee that either the proof-of-work is valid on pblock, or
  * (and possibly also) BlockChecked will have been called.
- * 
+ *
  * Call without cs_main held.
  *
  * @param[in]   pblock  The block we want to process.
@@ -367,7 +369,7 @@ bool CheckSequenceLocks(const CTransaction &tx, int flags, LockPoints* lp = null
 
 /**
  * Closure representing one script verification
- * Note that this stores references to the spending transaction 
+ * Note that this stores references to the spending transaction
  */
 class CScriptCheck
 {