diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/core/CheckpointManager.java b/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/core/CheckpointManager.java
index 844a86b8..55652ac5 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/core/CheckpointManager.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/core/CheckpointManager.java
@@ -216,6 +216,9 @@ public class CheckpointManager {
 
         time -= 86400 * 7;
 
+        checkArgument(time > 0);
+        log.info("Attempting to initialize a new block store with a checkpoint for time {}", time);
+
         BufferedInputStream stream = new BufferedInputStream(checkpoints);
         CheckpointManager manager = new CheckpointManager(params, stream);
         StoredBlock checkpoint = manager.getCheckpointBefore(time);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/core/Wallet.java b/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/core/Wallet.java
index ed48439e..173483cf 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/core/Wallet.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/core/Wallet.java
@@ -823,6 +823,8 @@ public class Wallet extends BaseTaggableObject implements Serializable, BlockCha
         try {
             for (final Script script : scripts) {
                 if (watchedScripts.contains(script)) continue;
+                if (script.getCreationTimeSeconds() == 0)
+                    log.warn("Adding a script to the wallet with a creation time of zero, this will disable the checkpointing optimization!    {}", script);
                 watchedScripts.add(script);
                 added++;
             }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/kits/WalletAppKit.java b/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/kits/WalletAppKit.java
index 903e97a7..d04df757 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/kits/WalletAppKit.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/kits/WalletAppKit.java
@@ -295,7 +295,10 @@ public class WalletAppKit extends AbstractIdleService {
                     } else {
                         time = vWallet.getEarliestKeyCreationTime();
                     }
-                    CheckpointManager.checkpoint(params, checkpoints, vStore, time);
+                    if (time > 0)
+                        CheckpointManager.checkpoint(params, checkpoints, vStore, time);
+                    else
+                        log.warn("Creating a new uncheckpointed block store due to a wallet with a creation time of zero: this will result in a very slow chain sync");
                 } else if (chainFileExists) {
                     log.info("Deleting the chain file in preparation from restore.");
                     vStore.close();