diff --git a/api/gateway/availability.go b/api/gateway/availability.go
index 3833aae166..383f69bb54 100644
--- a/api/gateway/availability.go
+++ b/api/gateway/availability.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ func (h *Handler) handleHeightAvailabilityRequest(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http
 		return
 	}
 
+	//TODO: change this to NetworkHead once the adjacency in the store is fixed.
 	head, err := h.header.LocalHead(r.Context())
 	if err != nil {
 		writeError(w, http.StatusInternalServerError, heightAvailabilityEndpoint, err)
@@ -35,7 +36,8 @@ func (h *Handler) handleHeightAvailabilityRequest(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http
 	}
 	if headHeight := int(head.Height()); headHeight < height {
 		err = fmt.Errorf(
-			"current header store head height: %v is lower then requested height: %v", headHeight, height)
+			"current head store head height: %v is lower then requested height: %v"+
+				" give header sync some time and retry later", headHeight, height)
 		writeError(w, http.StatusServiceUnavailable, heightAvailabilityEndpoint, err)
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/api/gateway/header.go b/api/gateway/header.go
index cdef2211e4..c816750957 100644
--- a/api/gateway/header.go
+++ b/api/gateway/header.go
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ func (h *Handler) performGetHeaderRequest(
 		writeError(w, http.StatusBadRequest, endpoint, err)
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	//TODO: change this to NetworkHead once the adjacency in the store is fixed.
 	head, err := h.header.LocalHead(r.Context())
 	if err != nil {
 		writeError(w, http.StatusInternalServerError, heightAvailabilityEndpoint, err)
@@ -77,7 +78,8 @@ func (h *Handler) performGetHeaderRequest(
 	}
 	if headHeight := int(head.Height()); headHeight < height {
 		err = fmt.Errorf(
-			"current head store head height: %v is lower then requested height: %v", headHeight, height)
+			"current head store head height: %v is lower then requested height: %v"+
+				" give header sync some time and retry later", headHeight, height)
 		writeError(w, http.StatusServiceUnavailable, endpoint, err)
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/api/gateway/share.go b/api/gateway/share.go
index b97f7422e4..0696a2b237 100644
--- a/api/gateway/share.go
+++ b/api/gateway/share.go
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ func (h *Handler) getShares(ctx context.Context, height uint64, nID namespace.ID
 		header *header.ExtendedHeader
 	)
 
+	//TODO: change this to NetworkHead once the adjacency in the store is fixed.
 	header, err = h.header.LocalHead(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, 0, err
@@ -108,9 +109,8 @@ func (h *Handler) getShares(ctx context.Context, height uint64, nID namespace.ID
 	if height > 0 {
 		if storeHeight := uint64(header.Height()); storeHeight < height {
 			return nil, 0, fmt.Errorf(
-				"current header store head height: %v is lower then requested height: %v",
-				storeHeight, height,
-			)
+				"current head store head height: %v is lower then requested height: %v"+
+					" give header sync some time and retry later", storeHeight, height)
 		}
 		header, err = h.header.GetByHeight(ctx, height)
 	}