diff --git a/core/commands/pin.go b/core/commands/pin.go
index d64356d0dc8..e754c0a6237 100644
--- a/core/commands/pin.go
+++ b/core/commands/pin.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ type PinOutput struct {
 
 var addPinCmd = &cmds.Command{
 	Helptext: cmds.HelpText{
-		Tagline: "Pins objects to local storage.",
+		Tagline:          "Pins objects to local storage.",
 		ShortDescription: "Stores an IPFS object(s) from a given path locally to disk.",
 	},
 
diff --git a/core/commands/refs.go b/core/commands/refs.go
index c910cf48510..9a7715f14ac 100644
--- a/core/commands/refs.go
+++ b/core/commands/refs.go
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ func (rw *RefWriter) writeRefsRecursive(n *dag.Node) (int, error) {
 	}
 
 	var count int
-	for i, ng := range rw.DAG.GetDAG(rw.Ctx, n) {
+	for i, ng := range dag.GetDAG(rw.Ctx, rw.DAG, n) {
 		lk := key.Key(n.Links[i].Hash)
 		if rw.skip(lk) {
 			continue
diff --git a/merkledag/merkledag.go b/merkledag/merkledag.go
index e324ceb883a..aebc370ad1d 100644
--- a/merkledag/merkledag.go
+++ b/merkledag/merkledag.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package merkledag
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"sync"
 
 	blocks "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/blocks"
 	key "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/blocks/key"
@@ -24,8 +25,7 @@ type DAGService interface {
 
 	// GetDAG returns, in order, all the single leve child
 	// nodes of the passed in node.
-	GetDAG(context.Context, *Node) []NodeGetter
-	GetNodes(context.Context, []key.Key) []NodeGetter
+	GetMany(context.Context, []key.Key) <-chan *NodeOption
 
 	Batch() *Batch
 }
@@ -146,21 +146,61 @@ func FindLinks(links []key.Key, k key.Key, start int) []int {
 	return out
 }
 
+type NodeOption struct {
+	Node *Node
+	Err  error
+}
+
+func (ds *dagService) GetMany(ctx context.Context, keys []key.Key) <-chan *NodeOption {
+	out := make(chan *NodeOption, len(keys))
+	blocks := ds.Blocks.GetBlocks(ctx, keys)
+	var count int
+
+	go func() {
+		defer close(out)
+		for {
+			select {
+			case b, ok := <-blocks:
+				if !ok {
+					if count != len(keys) {
+						out <- &NodeOption{Err: fmt.Errorf("failed to fetch all nodes")}
+					}
+					return
+				}
+				nd, err := Decoded(b.Data)
+				if err != nil {
+					out <- &NodeOption{Err: err}
+					return
+				}
+
+				// buffered, no need to select
+				out <- &NodeOption{Node: nd}
+				count++
+
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				out <- &NodeOption{Err: ctx.Err()}
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+	return out
+}
+
 // GetDAG will fill out all of the links of the given Node.
 // It returns a channel of nodes, which the caller can receive
 // all the child nodes of 'root' on, in proper order.
-func (ds *dagService) GetDAG(ctx context.Context, root *Node) []NodeGetter {
+func GetDAG(ctx context.Context, ds DAGService, root *Node) []NodeGetter {
 	var keys []key.Key
 	for _, lnk := range root.Links {
 		keys = append(keys, key.Key(lnk.Hash))
 	}
 
-	return ds.GetNodes(ctx, keys)
+	return GetNodes(ctx, ds, keys)
 }
 
 // GetNodes returns an array of 'NodeGetter' promises, with each corresponding
 // to the key with the same index as the passed in keys
-func (ds *dagService) GetNodes(ctx context.Context, keys []key.Key) []NodeGetter {
+func GetNodes(ctx context.Context, ds DAGService, keys []key.Key) []NodeGetter {
 
 	// Early out if no work to do
 	if len(keys) == 0 {
@@ -178,22 +218,29 @@ func (ds *dagService) GetNodes(ctx context.Context, keys []key.Key) []NodeGetter
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
 		defer cancel()
 
-		blkchan := ds.Blocks.GetBlocks(ctx, dedupedKeys)
+		nodechan := ds.GetMany(ctx, dedupedKeys)
 
 		for count := 0; count < len(keys); {
 			select {
-			case blk, ok := <-blkchan:
+			case opt, ok := <-nodechan:
 				if !ok {
 					return
 				}
 
-				nd, err := Decoded(blk.Data)
-				if err != nil {
-					// NB: can happen with improperly formatted input data
-					log.Debug("Got back bad block!")
+				if opt.Err != nil {
+					log.Error("error fetching: ", opt.Err)
 					return
 				}
-				is := FindLinks(keys, blk.Key(), 0)
+
+				nd := opt.Node
+
+				k, err := nd.Key()
+				if err != nil {
+					log.Error("Failed to get node key: ", err)
+					continue
+				}
+
+				is := FindLinks(keys, k, 0)
 				for _, i := range is {
 					count++
 					sendChans[i] <- nd
@@ -318,24 +365,30 @@ func EnumerateChildren(ctx context.Context, ds DAGService, root *Node, set key.K
 
 func EnumerateChildrenAsync(ctx context.Context, ds DAGService, root *Node, set key.KeySet) error {
 	toprocess := make(chan []key.Key, 8)
-	nodes := make(chan *Node, 8)
-	errs := make(chan error, 1)
+	nodes := make(chan *NodeOption, 8)
 
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
 	defer cancel()
 	defer close(toprocess)
 
-	go fetchNodes(ctx, ds, toprocess, nodes, errs)
+	go fetchNodes(ctx, ds, toprocess, nodes)
 
-	nodes <- root
+	nodes <- &NodeOption{Node: root}
 	live := 1
 
 	for {
 		select {
-		case nd, ok := <-nodes:
+		case opt, ok := <-nodes:
 			if !ok {
 				return nil
 			}
+
+			if opt.Err != nil {
+				return opt.Err
+			}
+
+			nd := opt.Node
+
 			// a node has been fetched
 			live--
 
@@ -360,38 +413,35 @@ func EnumerateChildrenAsync(ctx context.Context, ds DAGService, root *Node, set
 					return ctx.Err()
 				}
 			}
-		case err := <-errs:
-			return err
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			return ctx.Err()
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-func fetchNodes(ctx context.Context, ds DAGService, in <-chan []key.Key, out chan<- *Node, errs chan<- error) {
-	defer close(out)
+func fetchNodes(ctx context.Context, ds DAGService, in <-chan []key.Key, out chan<- *NodeOption) {
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	defer func() {
+		// wait for all 'get' calls to complete so we don't accidentally send
+		// on a closed channel
+		wg.Wait()
+		close(out)
+	}()
 
-	get := func(g NodeGetter) {
-		nd, err := g.Get(ctx)
-		if err != nil {
+	get := func(ks []key.Key) {
+		defer wg.Done()
+		nodes := ds.GetMany(ctx, ks)
+		for opt := range nodes {
 			select {
-			case errs <- err:
+			case out <- opt:
 			case <-ctx.Done():
+				return
 			}
-			return
-		}
-
-		select {
-		case out <- nd:
-		case <-ctx.Done():
-			return
 		}
 	}
 
 	for ks := range in {
-		ng := ds.GetNodes(ctx, ks)
-		for _, g := range ng {
-			go get(g)
-		}
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go get(ks)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0081-repo-pinning.sh b/test/sharness/t0081-repo-pinning.sh
index 1d408598606..319cc39fddf 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0081-repo-pinning.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0081-repo-pinning.sh
@@ -238,9 +238,9 @@ test_expect_success "some are no longer there" '
 '
 
 test_expect_success "recursive pin fails without objects" '
-	ipfs pin rm "$HASH_DIR1" &&
-	test_must_fail ipfs pin add -r "$HASH_DIR1" --timeout=500ms 2>err_expected8 &&
-	grep "context deadline exceeded" err_expected8 ||
+	ipfs pin rm -r=false "$HASH_DIR1" &&
+	test_must_fail ipfs pin add -r "$HASH_DIR1" 2>err_expected8 &&
+	grep "pin: failed to fetch all nodes" err_expected8 ||
 	test_fsh cat err_expected8
 '
 
@@ -275,9 +275,9 @@ test_expect_success "test add nopin dir" '
 FICTIONAL_HASH="QmXV4f9v8a56MxWKBhP3ETsz4EaafudU1cKfPaaJnenc48"
 test_launch_ipfs_daemon
 test_expect_success "test unpinning a hash that's not pinned" "
-  test_expect_code 1 ipfs pin rm $FICTIONAL_HASH --timeout=5s
-  test_expect_code 1 ipfs pin rm $FICTIONAL_HASH/a --timeout=5s
-  test_expect_code 1 ipfs pin rm $FICTIONAL_HASH/a/b --timeout=5s
+  test_expect_code 1 ipfs pin rm $FICTIONAL_HASH --timeout=2s
+  test_expect_code 1 ipfs pin rm $FICTIONAL_HASH/a --timeout=2s
+  test_expect_code 1 ipfs pin rm $FICTIONAL_HASH/a/b --timeout=2s
 "
 test_kill_ipfs_daemon
 
diff --git a/unixfs/archive/tar/writer.go b/unixfs/archive/tar/writer.go
index 32596618a23..ad151016ad0 100644
--- a/unixfs/archive/tar/writer.go
+++ b/unixfs/archive/tar/writer.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func (w *Writer) writeDir(nd *mdag.Node, fpath string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	for i, ng := range w.Dag.GetDAG(w.ctx, nd) {
+	for i, ng := range mdag.GetDAG(w.ctx, w.Dag, nd) {
 		child, err := ng.Get(w.ctx)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/unixfs/io/dagreader.go b/unixfs/io/dagreader.go
index 5b2a8b112ea..3c68ad896ba 100644
--- a/unixfs/io/dagreader.go
+++ b/unixfs/io/dagreader.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func NewDagReader(ctx context.Context, n *mdag.Node, serv mdag.DAGService) (*Dag
 
 func NewDataFileReader(ctx context.Context, n *mdag.Node, pb *ftpb.Data, serv mdag.DAGService) *DagReader {
 	fctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
-	promises := serv.GetDAG(fctx, n)
+	promises := mdag.GetDAG(fctx, serv, n)
 	return &DagReader{
 		node:     n,
 		serv:     serv,