diff --git a/chainregistry.go b/chainregistry.go
index efde6fba..27f763c1 100644
--- a/chainregistry.go
+++ b/chainregistry.go
@@ -305,6 +305,8 @@ func newChainControlFromConfig(cfg *config, chanDB *channeldb.DB,
 			}
 		}
 
+		// Establish the connection to bitcoind and create the clients
+		// required for our relevant subsystems.
 		bitcoindConn, err := chain.NewBitcoindConn(
 			activeNetParams.Params, bitcoindHost,
 			bitcoindMode.RPCUser, bitcoindMode.RPCPass,
@@ -315,14 +317,13 @@ func newChainControlFromConfig(cfg *config, chanDB *channeldb.DB,
 			return nil, nil, err
 		}
 
+		if err := bitcoindConn.Start(); err != nil {
+			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to connect to "+
+				"bitcoind: %v", err)
+		}
+
 		cc.chainNotifier = bitcoindnotify.New(bitcoindConn)
-
-		// Next, we'll create an instance of the bitcoind chain view to
-		// be used within the routing layer.
 		cc.chainView = chainview.NewBitcoindFilteredChainView(bitcoindConn)
-
-		// Create a special rpc+ZMQ client for bitcoind which will be
-		// used by the wallet for notifications, calls, etc.
 		walletConfig.ChainSource = bitcoindConn.NewBitcoindClient(birthday)
 
 		// If we're not in regtest mode, then we'll attempt to use a
diff --git a/docs/INSTALL.md b/docs/INSTALL.md
index 1a8e9135..bbe9b61a 100644
--- a/docs/INSTALL.md
+++ b/docs/INSTALL.md
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ with `bitcoind` as your backend (as with `bitcoind`, you can create an
 `lnd.conf` to save these options, more info on that is described further below):
 
 ```
-lnd --bitcoin.active --bitcoin.testnet --debuglevel=debug --bitcoin.node=bitcoind --bitcoind.rpcuser=REPLACEME --bitcoind.rpcpass=REPLACEME --bitcoind.zmqpubrawblock=tcp://127.0.0.1:28332 --bitcoind.zmqpubrawblock=tcp://127.0.0.1:28333 --externalip=X.X.X.X
+lnd --bitcoin.active --bitcoin.testnet --debuglevel=debug --bitcoin.node=bitcoind --bitcoind.rpcuser=REPLACEME --bitcoind.rpcpass=REPLACEME --bitcoind.zmqpubrawblock=tcp://127.0.0.1:28332 --bitcoind.zmqpubrawtx=tcp://127.0.0.1:28333 --externalip=X.X.X.X
 ```
 
 *NOTE:*
diff --git a/sample-lnd.conf b/sample-lnd.conf
index 70a755ca..b26b1658 100644
--- a/sample-lnd.conf
+++ b/sample-lnd.conf
@@ -208,8 +208,8 @@ bitcoin.node=btcd
 ; ZMQ socket which sends rawblock and rawtx notifications from bitcoind. By
 ; default, lnd will attempt to automatically obtain this information, so this
 ; likely won't need to be set (other than for a remote bitcoind instance).
-; bitcoind.zmqblockhost=tcp://127.0.0.1:28332
-; bitcoind.zmqtxhost=tcp://127.0.0.1:28333
+; bitcoind.zmqpubrawblock=tcp://127.0.0.1:28332
+; bitcoind.zmqpubrawtx=tcp://127.0.0.1:28333
 
 
 [neutrino]
@@ -286,8 +286,8 @@ litecoin.node=ltcd
 ; ZMQ socket which sends rawblock and rawtx notifications from litecoind. By
 ; default, lnd will attempt to automatically obtain this information, so this
 ; likely won't need to be set (other than for a remote litecoind instance).
-; litecoind.zmqblockhost=tcp://127.0.0.1:28332
-; litecoind.zmqtxhost=tcp://127.0.0.1:28333
+; litecoind.zmqpubrawblock=tcp://127.0.0.1:28332
+; litecoind.zmqpubrawtx=tcp://127.0.0.1:28333
 
 
 [autopilot]