diff --git a/crates/network/src/stream.rs b/crates/network/src/stream.rs
index 782dcf40e..a90e5fadd 100644
--- a/crates/network/src/stream.rs
+++ b/crates/network/src/stream.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use core::pin::Pin;
 use core::task::{Context, Poll};
 
 use eyre::{bail, Result as EyreResult};
-use futures_util::{Sink as FuturesSink, SinkExt, Stream as FuturesStream};
+use futures_util::{Sink as FuturesSink, SinkExt, Stream as FuturesStream, StreamExt};
 use libp2p::{PeerId, Stream as P2pStream, StreamProtocol};
 use tokio::io::BufStream;
 use tokio_util::codec::Framed;
@@ -43,9 +43,8 @@ impl Stream {
 impl FuturesStream for Stream {
     type Item = Result<Message<'static>, CodecError>;
 
-    fn poll_next(self: Pin<&mut Self>, cx: &mut Context<'_>) -> Poll<Option<Self::Item>> {
-        let inner = Pin::new(&mut self.get_mut().inner);
-        inner.poll_next(cx)
+    fn poll_next(mut self: Pin<&mut Self>, cx: &mut Context<'_>) -> Poll<Option<Self::Item>> {
+        self.inner.poll_next_unpin(cx)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/node/src/sync.rs b/crates/node/src/sync.rs
index 401166d36..938922547 100644
--- a/crates/node/src/sync.rs
+++ b/crates/node/src/sync.rs
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ struct Sequencer {
 }
 
 impl Sequencer {
+    fn current(&self) -> usize {
+        self.current
+    }
+
     fn test(&mut self, idx: usize) -> eyre::Result<()> {
         if self.current != idx {
             bail!(
@@ -107,18 +111,24 @@ impl Node {
     }
 
     pub(crate) async fn handle_opened_stream(&self, mut stream: Box<Stream>) {
-        if let Err(err) = self.internal_handle_opened_stream(&mut stream).await {
-            error!(%err, "Failed to handle stream message");
-
-            if let Err(err) = send(&mut stream, &StreamMessage::OpaqueError).await {
-                error!(%err, "Failed to send error message");
+        loop {
+            match self.internal_handle_opened_stream(&mut stream).await {
+                Ok(None) => break,
+                Ok(Some(())) => {}
+                Err(err) => {
+                    error!(%err, "Failed to handle stream message");
+
+                    if let Err(err) = send(&mut stream, &StreamMessage::OpaqueError).await {
+                        error!(%err, "Failed to send error message");
+                    }
+                }
             }
         }
     }
 
-    async fn internal_handle_opened_stream(&self, mut stream: &mut Stream) -> EyreResult<()> {
-        let Some(message) = recv(&mut stream, self.sync_config.timeout).await? else {
-            bail!("stream closed unexpectedly")
+    async fn internal_handle_opened_stream(&self, stream: &mut Stream) -> EyreResult<Option<()>> {
+        let Some(message) = recv(stream, self.sync_config.timeout).await? else {
+            return Ok(None);
         };
 
         let (context_id, their_identity, payload) = match message {
@@ -158,7 +168,7 @@ impl Node {
 
         match payload {
             InitPayload::BlobShare { blob_id } => {
-                self.handle_blob_share_request(context, their_identity, blob_id, &mut stream)
+                self.handle_blob_share_request(context, their_identity, blob_id, stream)
                     .await?
             }
             InitPayload::StateSync {
@@ -186,13 +196,13 @@ impl Node {
                     their_identity,
                     root_hash,
                     application_id,
-                    &mut stream,
+                    stream,
                 )
                 .await?
             }
         };
 
-        Ok(())
+        Ok(Some(()))
     }
 
     pub async fn perform_interval_sync(&self) {
@@ -206,11 +216,11 @@ impl Node {
                     break;
                 }
 
-                debug!(%context_id, "Unable to perform interval sync for context, trying another");
+                debug!(%context_id, "Unable to perform interval sync for context, trying another..");
             }
         };
 
-        if timeout(self.sync_config.interval * 2, task).await.is_err() {
+        if timeout(self.sync_config.interval, task).await.is_err() {
             error!("Timeout while performing interval sync");
         }
     }
diff --git a/crates/node/src/sync/blobs.rs b/crates/node/src/sync/blobs.rs
index b2db61fe3..0611e9f2f 100644
--- a/crates/node/src/sync/blobs.rs
+++ b/crates/node/src/sync/blobs.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use futures_util::TryStreamExt;
 use rand::seq::IteratorRandom;
 use rand::thread_rng;
 use tokio::sync::mpsc;
-use tracing::debug;
+use tracing::{debug, warn};
 
 use super::{recv, send, Sequencer};
 use crate::types::{InitPayload, MessagePayload, StreamMessage};
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ impl Node {
         .await?;
 
         let Some(ack) = recv(stream, self.sync_config.timeout).await? else {
-            bail!("no response to blob share request");
+            bail!("connection closed while awaiting blob share handshake");
         };
 
         let _their_identity = match ack {
@@ -88,6 +88,10 @@ impl Node {
 
                 sequencer.test(sequence_id)?;
 
+                if chunk.is_empty() {
+                    break;
+                }
+
                 tx.send(Ok(chunk)).await?;
             }
 
@@ -124,7 +128,9 @@ impl Node {
         );
 
         let Some(mut blob) = self.ctx_manager.get_blob(blob_id)? else {
-            bail!("blob not found: {}", blob_id);
+            warn!(%blob_id, "blob not found");
+
+            return Ok(());
         };
 
         let identities = self.ctx_manager.get_context_owned_identities(context.id)?;
@@ -158,6 +164,15 @@ impl Node {
             .await?;
         }
 
+        send(
+            stream,
+            &StreamMessage::Message {
+                sequence_id: sequencer.next(),
+                payload: MessagePayload::BlobShare { chunk: b"".into() },
+            },
+        )
+        .await?;
+
         Ok(())
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/node/src/sync/state.rs b/crates/node/src/sync/state.rs
index 8d24d0d9b..b51d14842 100644
--- a/crates/node/src/sync/state.rs
+++ b/crates/node/src/sync/state.rs
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ impl Node {
         .await?;
 
         let Some(ack) = recv(stream, self.sync_config.timeout).await? else {
-            bail!("no response to state sync request");
+            bail!("connection closed while awaiting state sync handshake");
         };
 
         let (root_hash, their_identity) = match ack {
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ impl Node {
             &StreamMessage::Message {
                 sequence_id: sqx_out.next(),
                 payload: MessagePayload::StateSync {
-                    artifact: Cow::from(&[]),
+                    artifact: b"".into(),
                 },
             },
         )
@@ -174,6 +174,10 @@ impl Node {
 
             sqx_in.test(sequence_id)?;
 
+            if artifact.is_empty() && sqx_out.current() != 0 {
+                break;
+            }
+
             let outcome = self
                 .execute(
                     context,
@@ -190,10 +194,6 @@ impl Node {
                 "State sync outcome",
             );
 
-            if outcome.artifact.is_empty() {
-                break;
-            }
-
             send(
                 stream,
                 &StreamMessage::Message {