diff --git a/services/leanhelixterm/leanhelix_term.go b/services/leanhelixterm/leanhelix_term.go
index dfd452d..2c44fef 100644
--- a/services/leanhelixterm/leanhelix_term.go
+++ b/services/leanhelixterm/leanhelix_term.go
@@ -20,9 +20,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/orbs-network/lean-helix-go/spec/types/go/protocol"
 	"github.com/orbs-network/lean-helix-go/state"
 	"github.com/orbs-network/scribe/log"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"math"
+	"time"
 )
 
+const CallCommitteeContractInterval = 200 * time.Millisecond
+
 type LeanHelixTerm struct {
 	*ConsensusMessagesFilter
 	termInCommittee *termincommittee.TermInCommittee
@@ -35,21 +39,21 @@ func NewLeanHelixTerm(ctx context.Context, logger logger.LHLogger, config *inter
 	myMemberId := config.Membership.MyMemberId()
 	messageFactory := messagesfactory.NewMessageFactory(config.InstanceId, config.KeyManager, myMemberId, randomSeed)
 
-	committeeMembers, err := requestOrderedCommittee(state, blockHeight, randomSeed, config)
+	committeeMembers, err := requestOrderedCommitteePersist(state, blockHeight, randomSeed, config, logger)
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.Info("OUT OF COMMITTEE WITH ERROR RECEIVING COMMITTEE: H=%d, prevBlockProof=%s, randomSeed=%d, error=%s", blockHeight, printShortBlockProofBytes(prevBlockProofBytes), randomSeed, err)
-		return termNotInCommittee(randomSeed, config)
+		logger.Info("ERROR RECEIVING COMMITTEE: H=%d, error=%s", blockHeight, err)
 	}
-
-	isParticipating := isParticipatingInCommittee(myMemberId, committeeMembers)
-	logger.Debug("RECEIVED COMMITTEE: H=%d, prevBlockProof=%s, randomSeed=%d, members=%s, isParticipating=%t", blockHeight, printShortBlockProofBytes(prevBlockProofBytes), randomSeed, termincommittee.ToCommitteeMembersStr(committeeMembers), isParticipating)
-	logger.ConsensusTrace("got committee for the current consensus round", nil, log.StringableSlice("committee", committeeMembers))
+	// on ctx terminated requestOrderedCommitteePersist returns nil committee
+	isParticipating := isParticipatingInTerm(myMemberId, committeeMembers)
 
 	if !isParticipating {
-		logger.Info("OUT OF COMMITTEE: H=%d, prevBlockProof=%s, randomSeed=%d, members=%s, isParticipating=%t", blockHeight, printShortBlockProofBytes(prevBlockProofBytes), randomSeed, termincommittee.ToCommitteeMembersStr(committeeMembers), isParticipating)
+		logger.Debug("OUT OF COMMITTEE: H=%d, prevBlockProof=%s, randomSeed=%d, members=%s, isParticipating=%t", blockHeight, printShortBlockProofBytes(prevBlockProofBytes), randomSeed, termincommittee.ToCommitteeMembersStr(committeeMembers), isParticipating)
 		return termNotInCommittee(randomSeed, config)
 	}
 
+	logger.Debug("RECEIVED COMMITTEE: H=%d, prevBlockProof=%s, randomSeed=%d, members=%s, isParticipating=%t", blockHeight, printShortBlockProofBytes(prevBlockProofBytes), randomSeed, termincommittee.ToCommitteeMembersStr(committeeMembers), isParticipating)
+	logger.ConsensusTrace("got committee for the current consensus round", nil, log.StringableSlice("committee", committeeMembers))
+
 	termInCommittee := termincommittee.NewTermInCommittee(logger, config, state, messageFactory, electionTrigger, committeeMembers, prevBlock, canBeFirstLeader, CommitsToProof(logger, config.KeyManager, onCommit))
 	return &LeanHelixTerm{
 		ConsensusMessagesFilter: NewConsensusMessagesFilter(termInCommittee, config.KeyManager, randomSeed),
@@ -57,19 +61,44 @@ func NewLeanHelixTerm(ctx context.Context, logger logger.LHLogger, config *inter
 	}
 }
 
-func requestOrderedCommittee(s *state.State, blockHeight primitives.BlockHeight, randomSeed uint64, config *interfaces.Config) ([]primitives.MemberId, error) {
+func requestOrderedCommitteePersist(s *state.State, blockHeight primitives.BlockHeight, randomSeed uint64, config *interfaces.Config, logger logger.LHLogger) ([]primitives.MemberId, error) {
 	const maxView = primitives.View(math.MaxUint64)
 	ctx, err := s.Contexts.For(state.NewHeightView(blockHeight, maxView)) // term-level context
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	committeeMembers, err := config.Membership.RequestOrderedCommittee(ctx, blockHeight, randomSeed)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+	logger.Debug("Polling RequestOrderedCommittee: H=%d, interval-between-attempts=%d", blockHeight, CallCommitteeContractInterval)
+
+	attempts := 1
+	for {
+
+		// exit on term update (node sync) or system shutdown
+		if ctx.Err() != nil {
+			return nil, errors.Wrap(ctx.Err(), "requestOrderedCommitteePersist: context terminated")
+		}
+
+		committeeMembers, err := config.Membership.RequestOrderedCommittee(ctx, blockHeight, randomSeed)
+		if err == nil {
+			return committeeMembers, nil
+		}
+
+		// log every 500 failures
+		if attempts%500 == 1 {
+			if ctx.Err() == nil { // this may fail rightfully on graceful shutdown (ctx.Done), we don't want to report an error in this case
+				logger.Info("requestOrderedCommitteePersist: cannot get ordered committee #attempts=%d, error=%s", attempts, err)
+			}
+		}
+
+		// sleep or wait for ctx done, whichever comes first
+		sleepOrShutdown, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, CallCommitteeContractInterval)
+		<-sleepOrShutdown.Done()
+		cancel()
+
+		attempts++
 	}
-	return committeeMembers, nil
 }
 
+
 func termNotInCommittee(randomSeed uint64, config *interfaces.Config) *LeanHelixTerm {
 	return &LeanHelixTerm{
 		ConsensusMessagesFilter: NewConsensusMessagesFilter(nil, config.KeyManager, randomSeed),
@@ -84,7 +113,7 @@ func (lht *LeanHelixTerm) Dispose() {
 	}
 }
 
-func isParticipatingInCommittee(myMemberId primitives.MemberId, committeeMembers []primitives.MemberId) bool {
+func isParticipatingInTerm(myMemberId primitives.MemberId, committeeMembers []primitives.MemberId) bool {
 	for _, committeeMember := range committeeMembers {
 		if myMemberId.Equal(committeeMember) {
 			return true
@@ -99,3 +128,4 @@ func printShortBlockProofBytes(b []byte) string {
 	}
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s..%s", hex.EncodeToString(b[:6]), hex.EncodeToString(b[len(b)-6:]))
 }
+
diff --git a/services/leanhelixterm/leanhelix_term_participating_test.go b/services/leanhelixterm/leanhelix_term_participating_test.go
index a1888b9..8969e37 100644
--- a/services/leanhelixterm/leanhelix_term_participating_test.go
+++ b/services/leanhelixterm/leanhelix_term_participating_test.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ func TestParticipating(t *testing.T) {
 	memberId2 := primitives.MemberId("Member 2")
 	memberId3 := primitives.MemberId("Member 3")
 	committeeMembers := []primitives.MemberId{myMemberId, memberId1, memberId2, memberId3}
-	actual := isParticipatingInCommittee(myMemberId, committeeMembers)
+	actual := isParticipatingInTerm(myMemberId, committeeMembers)
 	require.True(t, actual)
 }
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func TestParticipatingLastInList(t *testing.T) {
 	memberId2 := primitives.MemberId("Member 2")
 	memberId3 := primitives.MemberId("Member 3")
 	committeeMembers := []primitives.MemberId{memberId1, memberId2, memberId3, myMemberId}
-	actual := isParticipatingInCommittee(myMemberId, committeeMembers)
+	actual := isParticipatingInTerm(myMemberId, committeeMembers)
 	require.True(t, actual)
 }
 
@@ -38,6 +38,6 @@ func TestNotParticipating(t *testing.T) {
 	memberId2 := primitives.MemberId("Member 2")
 	memberId3 := primitives.MemberId("Member 3")
 	committeeMembers := []primitives.MemberId{memberId1, memberId2, memberId3}
-	actual := isParticipatingInCommittee(myMemberId, committeeMembers)
+	actual := isParticipatingInTerm(myMemberId, committeeMembers)
 	require.False(t, actual)
 }