diff --git a/backfiller/backfiller/main.py b/backfiller/backfiller/main.py
index 0fe27f6..dadbef5 100644
--- a/backfiller/backfiller/main.py
+++ b/backfiller/backfiller/main.py
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 """Download segments from other nodes to catch stuff this node missed."""
-# TODO logging, better exception handling
+# TODO more logging, better exception handling
 
 import datetime
 import errno
+import logging
 import os
 import random
 import time
@@ -69,7 +70,8 @@ def get_remote_segment(base_dir, node, stream, variant, hour, missing_segment,
 	Fetches stream/variant/hour/missing_segment from node and puts it in base_dir/stream/variant/hour/missing_segment. If the segment already exists locally, this does not attempt to fetch it."""
 
 	path = os.path.join(base_dir, stream, variant, hour, missing_segment)
-	# check to see if file already exists to avoid unnecessarily copying it
+	# check to see if file was created since we listed the local segments to
+	# avoid unnecessarily copying
 	if os.path.exists(path):
 		return
 	
@@ -111,8 +113,8 @@ def backfill(base_dir, stream, variants, hours=None, nodes=None, start=None,
 	for node in nodes:
 		try:
 			backfill_node(base_dir, node, stream, variants, hours, start, stop, order=order)
-		except Exception as e:
-			print node, e
+		except Exception:
+			logging.exception("Error while backfilling node {}".format(node))
 
 
 def is_iterable(x):
@@ -131,16 +133,23 @@ def backfill_node(base_dir, node, stream, variants, hours=None, start=None,
 	Backfill from node/stream/variants to base_dir/stream/variants.
 
 	Keyword arguments:
-	hours -- If None (default), backfill all available hours. If iterable, backfill only hours in iterable. Otherwise backfill the last N hours, starting with the lastest.
-	start -- Only backfill hours starting after or equal to this datetime object. If None (default), backfill all hours.
-	stop -- Only backfill hours starting before or equal to this datetime object. If None (default), backfill all hours.
-	order -- If 'random', randomise the order of hours. If 'forward', sort the hours in acceding order. If 'reverse', sort the hours in descending order. Otherwise, do not change the order of hours (default).
-	recent_cutoff -- Skip backfilling segments younger than this number of seconds to prioritise letting the downloader grab these segments."""
+	hours -- If None (default), backfill all available hours. If iterable,
+		backfill only hours in iterable. Otherwise backfill the last N hours,
+		starting with the lastest.
+	start -- Only backfill hours starting after or equal to this datetime
+		object. If None (default), backfill all hours.
+	stop -- Only backfill hours starting before or equal to this datetime
+		object. If None (default), backfill all hours.
+	order -- If 'random', randomise the order of hours. If 'forward', sort the
+		hours in ascending order. If 'reverse', sort the hours in descending
+		order. Otherwise, do not change the order of hours (default).
+	recent_cutoff -- Skip backfilling segments younger than this number of
+		seconds to prioritise letting the downloader grab these segments."""
 
 	if hours is None:
 		hours = list_remote_hours(node, stream, variant)
 	elif is_iterable(hours):
-		None
+		pass # hours already in desired format
 	else:
 		n_hours = hours
 		if n_hours < 1:
@@ -157,7 +166,7 @@ def backfill_node(base_dir, node, stream, variants, hours=None, start=None,
 	# multiple hours (say on start up) so that you don't try to backfill the
 	# same hour at the same time 
 	if order == 'random':
-		hours = random.shuffle(hours)
+		random.shuffle(hours)
 	elif order == 'forward':
 		sort(hours)
 	elif order == 'reverse':
@@ -173,18 +182,16 @@ def backfill_node(base_dir, node, stream, variants, hours=None, start=None,
 
 			for missing_segment in missing_segments:
 
-				#ignore temporary files
-				if 'temp' in missing_segment:
-					continue
+				path = os.path.join(stream, variant, hour, missing_segment)
 
-				#only get '*.ts' files to try to only get segments
-				if missing_segment[-3:] != '.ts':
+				# test to see if file is a segment and get the segments start time
+				try:
+					segment = common.parse_segment_path(path)
+				except ValueError:
 					continue
-
+						
 				#to avoid getting in the downloader's way ignore segments less than recent_cutoff old
-				time_str = '{}:{}'.format(hour, missing_segment.split('-')[0])
-				segment_time = datetime.datetime.strptime(time_str, HOUR_FMT + ':%M:%S.%f')
-				if datetime.datetime.utcnow() - segment_time < datetime.timedelta(seconds=recent_cutoff):
+				if datetime.datetime.utcnow() - segment['start'] < datetime.timedelta(seconds=recent_cutoff):
 					continue
 
 				get_remote_segment(base_dir, node, stream, variant, hour, missing_segment)