diff --git a/bus/bus.go b/bus/bus.go
index 56ccfbc41..c65f49e92 100644
--- a/bus/bus.go
+++ b/bus/bus.go
@@ -9,13 +9,16 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"time"
 
 	"go.sia.tech/core/consensus"
+	"go.sia.tech/core/gateway"
 	rhpv2 "go.sia.tech/core/rhp/v2"
 	"go.sia.tech/core/types"
 	"go.sia.tech/coreutils/chain"
+	"go.sia.tech/coreutils/syncer"
 	"go.sia.tech/coreutils/wallet"
 	"go.sia.tech/jape"
 	"go.sia.tech/renterd/alerts"
@@ -82,6 +85,15 @@ type (
 		TriggerUpdate()
 	}
 
+	Syncer interface {
+		io.Closer
+		Addr() string
+		BroadcastHeader(h gateway.BlockHeader)
+		BroadcastTransactionSet([]types.Transaction)
+		Connect(ctx context.Context, addr string) (*syncer.Peer, error)
+		Peers() []*syncer.Peer
+	}
+
 	Wallet interface {
 		Address() types.Address
 		Balance() (wallet.Balance, error)
diff --git a/bus/node.go b/bus/node.go
index 2fbaf9c96..a46eb111d 100644
--- a/bus/node.go
+++ b/bus/node.go
@@ -4,15 +4,18 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"time"
 
 	"go.sia.tech/core/consensus"
+	"go.sia.tech/core/gateway"
 	"go.sia.tech/core/types"
 	"go.sia.tech/coreutils"
 	"go.sia.tech/coreutils/chain"
+	"go.sia.tech/coreutils/syncer"
 	"go.sia.tech/coreutils/wallet"
 	"go.sia.tech/renterd/alerts"
 	"go.sia.tech/renterd/config"
@@ -186,11 +189,79 @@ func NewNode(cfg NodeConfig, dir string, seed types.PrivateKey, logger *zap.Logg
 		return nil, nil, nil, err
 	}
 
-	// create syncer
-	s, err := NewSyncer(cfg, cm, sqlStore, logger)
+	// bootstrap the peer store
+	if cfg.Bootstrap {
+		if cfg.Network == nil {
+			return nil, nil, nil, errors.New("cannot bootstrap without a network")
+		}
+		var peers []string
+		switch cfg.Network.Name {
+		case "mainnet":
+			peers = syncer.MainnetBootstrapPeers
+		case "zen":
+			peers = syncer.ZenBootstrapPeers
+		case "anagami":
+			peers = syncer.AnagamiBootstrapPeers
+		default:
+			return nil, nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("no available bootstrap peers for unknown network '%s'", cfg.Network.Name)
+		}
+		for _, addr := range peers {
+			if err := sqlStore.AddPeer(addr); err != nil {
+				return nil, nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: failed to add bootstrap peer '%s'", err, addr)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// create syncer, peers will reject us if our hostname is empty or
+	// unspecified, so use loopback
+	l, err := net.Listen("tcp", cfg.GatewayAddr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, nil, err
 	}
+	syncerAddr := l.Addr().String()
+	host, port, _ := net.SplitHostPort(syncerAddr)
+	if ip := net.ParseIP(host); ip == nil || ip.IsUnspecified() {
+		syncerAddr = net.JoinHostPort("127.0.0.1", port)
+	}
+
+	// create header
+	header := gateway.Header{
+		GenesisID:  cfg.Genesis.ID(),
+		UniqueID:   gateway.GenerateUniqueID(),
+		NetAddress: syncerAddr,
+	}
+
+	// create syncer options
+	opts := []syncer.Option{
+		syncer.WithLogger(logger.Named("syncer")),
+		syncer.WithSendBlocksTimeout(time.Minute),
+	}
+	if cfg.SyncerPeerDiscoveryInterval > 0 {
+		opts = append(opts, syncer.WithPeerDiscoveryInterval(cfg.SyncerPeerDiscoveryInterval))
+	}
+	if cfg.SyncerSyncInterval > 0 {
+		opts = append(opts, syncer.WithSyncInterval(cfg.SyncerSyncInterval))
+	}
+
+	// create the syncer
+	s := syncer.New(l, cm, sqlStore, header, opts...)
+
+	// start syncer
+	errChan := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() {
+		errChan <- s.Run(context.Background())
+		close(errChan)
+	}()
+
+	// create a helper function to wait for syncer to wind down on shutdown
+	syncerShutdown := func(ctx context.Context) error {
+		select {
+		case err := <-errChan:
+			return err
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return context.Cause(ctx)
+		}
+	}
 
 	// create bus
 	announcementMaxAgeHours := time.Duration(cfg.AnnouncementMaxAgeHours) * time.Hour
@@ -206,6 +277,7 @@ func NewNode(cfg NodeConfig, dir string, seed types.PrivateKey, logger *zap.Logg
 			b.Shutdown(ctx),
 			sqlStore.Close(),
 			bdb.Close(),
+			syncerShutdown(ctx),
 		)
 	}
 	return b.Handler(), shutdownFn, cm, nil
diff --git a/bus/syncer.go b/bus/syncer.go
deleted file mode 100644
index c1f941cce..000000000
--- a/bus/syncer.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,102 +0,0 @@
-package bus
-
-import (
-	"context"
-	"errors"
-	"fmt"
-	"io"
-	"net"
-	"time"
-
-	"go.sia.tech/core/gateway"
-	"go.sia.tech/core/types"
-	"go.sia.tech/coreutils/syncer"
-	"go.uber.org/zap"
-)
-
-type Syncer interface {
-	io.Closer
-	Addr() string
-	BroadcastHeader(h gateway.BlockHeader)
-	BroadcastTransactionSet([]types.Transaction)
-	Connect(ctx context.Context, addr string) (*syncer.Peer, error)
-	Peers() []*syncer.Peer
-}
-
-// NewSyncer creates a syncer using the given configuration. The syncer that is
-// returned is already running, closing it will close the underlying listener
-// causing the syncer to stop.
-func NewSyncer(cfg NodeConfig, cm syncer.ChainManager, ps syncer.PeerStore, logger *zap.Logger) (Syncer, error) {
-	// validate config
-	if cfg.Bootstrap && cfg.Network == nil {
-		return nil, errors.New("cannot bootstrap without a network")
-	}
-
-	// bootstrap the syncer
-	if cfg.Bootstrap {
-		peers, err := peers(cfg.Network.Name)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		for _, addr := range peers {
-			if err := ps.AddPeer(addr); err != nil {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: failed to add bootstrap peer '%s'", err, addr)
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	// create syncer
-	l, err := net.Listen("tcp", cfg.GatewayAddr)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	syncerAddr := l.Addr().String()
-
-	// peers will reject us if our hostname is empty or unspecified, so use loopback
-	host, port, _ := net.SplitHostPort(syncerAddr)
-	if ip := net.ParseIP(host); ip == nil || ip.IsUnspecified() {
-		syncerAddr = net.JoinHostPort("127.0.0.1", port)
-	}
-
-	// create header
-	header := gateway.Header{
-		GenesisID:  cfg.Genesis.ID(),
-		UniqueID:   gateway.GenerateUniqueID(),
-		NetAddress: syncerAddr,
-	}
-
-	// start the syncer
-	s := syncer.New(l, cm, ps, header, options(cfg, logger)...)
-	go s.Run(context.Background())
-
-	return s, nil
-}
-
-func options(cfg NodeConfig, logger *zap.Logger) (opts []syncer.Option) {
-	opts = append(opts,
-		syncer.WithLogger(logger.Named("syncer")),
-		syncer.WithSendBlocksTimeout(time.Minute),
-	)
-
-	if cfg.SyncerPeerDiscoveryInterval > 0 {
-		opts = append(opts, syncer.WithPeerDiscoveryInterval(cfg.SyncerPeerDiscoveryInterval))
-	}
-	if cfg.SyncerSyncInterval > 0 {
-		opts = append(opts, syncer.WithSyncInterval(cfg.SyncerSyncInterval))
-	}
-
-	return
-}
-
-func peers(network string) ([]string, error) {
-	switch network {
-	case "mainnet":
-		return syncer.MainnetBootstrapPeers, nil
-	case "zen":
-		return syncer.ZenBootstrapPeers, nil
-	case "anagami":
-		return syncer.AnagamiBootstrapPeers, nil
-	default:
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("no available bootstrap peers for unknown network '%s'", network)
-	}
-}