diff --git a/src/dexorder/blockchain/connection.py b/src/dexorder/blockchain/connection.py
index caba6e0..77122b5 100644
--- a/src/dexorder/blockchain/connection.py
+++ b/src/dexorder/blockchain/connection.py
@@ -181,30 +181,29 @@ ARCHIVE_ERRORS = {
     'state recreation l2 gas depth limit exceeded',
 }
 
+
+def is_archive_method(method, params):
+    expected_args = ARCHIVE_METHODS.get(method, -1)
+    return len(params) == expected_args
+
+
 async def archive_intercept_middleware(make_request, w3):
     """
     Middleware to intercept any call with `block_number` and manage marking archive_fault_height
     """
     async def middleware(method, params):
         # Only intercept relevant methods
-        expected_args = ARCHIVE_METHODS.get(method,-1)
-        is_archive_method = len(params) == expected_args
+        is_archival = is_archive_method(method, params)
         block_height = None
-        if is_archive_method:
+        resp = await make_request(method, params)
+        if is_archival and 'error' in resp and resp['error']['message'] in ARCHIVE_ERRORS:
             block_identifier = params[-1]
             if block_identifier not in ('latest', 'pending',):
                 block_height = int(block_identifier, 16) if type(block_identifier) is str else int(params[-1])
-                if block_height <= w3.archive_fault_height:
-                    # this block is at least as old as another block that already failed to fetch history from this RPC
-                    raise ArchiveException(method, block_height)
-        resp = await make_request(method, params)
-        if is_archive_method and 'error' in resp and resp['error']['message'] in ARCHIVE_ERRORS:
-            if block_height is None:
+                raise ArchiveException(method, block_height)
+            else:
                 # noinspection PyUnboundLocalVariable
                 raise Exception(f'Got an archive fault using a block_identifier of {block_identifier}: {w3.provider.endpoint_uri} {method} {params}\n{resp}')
-            # noinspection PyTypeChecker
-            w3.archive_fault_height = max(w3.archive_fault_height, block_height)
-            raise ArchiveException(method, block_height)
         return resp
 
     return middleware
@@ -287,7 +286,15 @@ class RoundRobinHTTPProvider (AsyncJSONBaseProvider):
 
     async def make_request(self, method: RPCEndpoint, params: Any) -> RPCResponse:
         provider = self._current()
+        is_archival = is_archive_method(method, params)
         try:
+            if is_archival:
+                block_identifier = params[-1]
+                if block_identifier not in ('latest', 'pending',):
+                    block_height = int(block_identifier, 16) if type(block_identifier) is str else int(params[-1])
+                    if block_height <= provider.archive_fault_height:
+                        # this block is at least as old as another block that already failed to fetch history from this RPC
+                        raise ArchiveException(method, block_height)
             return await provider.make_request(method, params)
         except ArchiveException as e:
             provider.archive_fault_height = max(provider.archive_fault_height, e.block_number)