diff --git a/dot/sync/configuration.go b/dot/sync/configuration.go
index 9746a42236..f8ec4bc0dc 100644
--- a/dot/sync/configuration.go
+++ b/dot/sync/configuration.go
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
+const defaultNoPeersRetryDelay = time.Second * 10
+
 type ServiceConfig func(svc *SyncService)
 
 func WithStrategies(currentStrategy, defaultStrategy Strategy) ServiceConfig {
@@ -21,8 +23,9 @@ func WithStrategies(currentStrategy, defaultStrategy Strategy) ServiceConfig {
 		wpCapacity *= 2 // add some buffer
 
 		svc.workerPool = NewWorkerPool(WorkerPoolConfig{
-			Capacity:   wpCapacity,
-			MaxRetries: UnlimitedRetries,
+			Capacity:          wpCapacity,
+			MaxRetries:        UnlimitedRetries,
+			NoPeersRetryDelay: defaultNoPeersRetryDelay,
 		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/dot/sync/service.go b/dot/sync/service.go
index 9a87a474fe..5305adca95 100644
--- a/dot/sync/service.go
+++ b/dot/sync/service.go
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import (
 const (
 	waitPeersDefaultTimeout = 10 * time.Second
 	minPeersDefault         = 1
-	maxTaskRetries          = 5
 )
 
 var (
@@ -175,7 +174,6 @@ func (s *SyncService) Stop() error {
 
 func (s *SyncService) HandleBlockAnnounceHandshake(from peer.ID, msg *network.BlockAnnounceHandshake) error {
 	logger.Infof("receiving a block announce handshake from %s", from.String())
-	logger.Infof("len(s.workerPool.Results())=%d", len(s.workerPool.Results())) // TODO: remove
 	if err := s.workerPool.AddPeer(from); err != nil {
 		logger.Warnf("failed to add peer to worker pool: %s", err)
 		return err
diff --git a/dot/sync/worker_pool.go b/dot/sync/worker_pool.go
index d3f87e6903..23ab8bad85 100644
--- a/dot/sync/worker_pool.go
+++ b/dot/sync/worker_pool.go
@@ -8,12 +8,9 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"io"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/dot/network"
-
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/core/peer"
 )
 
@@ -87,8 +84,9 @@ type WorkerPool interface {
 }
 
 type WorkerPoolConfig struct {
-	Capacity   int
-	MaxRetries int
+	Capacity          int
+	MaxRetries        int
+	NoPeersRetryDelay time.Duration
 }
 
 // NewWorkerPool creates a new worker pool with the given configuration.
@@ -101,6 +99,7 @@ func NewWorkerPool(cfg WorkerPoolConfig) WorkerPool {
 
 	return &workerPool{
 		maxRetries:   cfg.MaxRetries,
+		retryDelay:   cfg.NoPeersRetryDelay,
 		ignoredPeers: make(map[peer.ID]struct{}),
 		statuses:     make(map[BatchID]BatchStatus),
 		resChan:      make(chan TaskResult, cfg.Capacity),
@@ -114,6 +113,7 @@ type workerPool struct {
 	wg  sync.WaitGroup
 
 	maxRetries   int
+	retryDelay   time.Duration
 	peers        list.List
 	ignoredPeers map[peer.ID]struct{}
 	statuses     map[BatchID]BatchStatus
@@ -213,6 +213,7 @@ func (w *workerPool) NumPeers() int {
 // Shutdown stops the worker pool and waits for all tasks to complete.
 func (w *workerPool) Shutdown() {
 	w.cancel()
+	close(w.resChan)
 	w.wg.Wait()
 }
 
@@ -230,6 +231,7 @@ func (w *workerPool) executeBatch(tasks []Task, bID BatchID) {
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-w.ctx.Done():
+			close(batchResults)
 			return
 
 		case tr := <-batchResults:
@@ -248,13 +250,13 @@ func (w *workerPool) executeBatch(tasks []Task, bID BatchID) {
 
 func (w *workerPool) executeTask(task Task, ch chan TaskResult) {
 	if errors.Is(w.ctx.Err(), context.Canceled) {
-		logger.Tracef("[CANCELED] task=%s, shutting down", task.String())
+		logger.Infof("[CANCELED] task=%s, shutting down", task.String()) // TODO: change to debug lvl
 		return
 	}
 
 	who, err := w.reservePeer()
 	if errors.Is(err, ErrNoPeers) {
-		logger.Tracef("no peers available for task=%s", task.String())
+		logger.Infof("no peers available for task=%s", task.String()) // TODO: change to trace lvl
 		ch <- TaskResult{Task: task, Error: ErrNoPeers}
 		return
 	}
@@ -263,9 +265,9 @@ func (w *workerPool) executeTask(task Task, ch chan TaskResult) {
 
 	result, err := task.Do(who)
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.Tracef("[FAILED] task=%s peer=%s, err=%s", task.String(), who, err.Error())
+		logger.Debugf("[FAILED] task=%s peer=%s, err=%s", task.String(), who, err.Error())
 	} else {
-		logger.Tracef("[FINISHED] task=%s peer=%s", task.String(), who)
+		logger.Debugf("[FINISHED] task=%s peer=%s", task.String(), who)
 	}
 
 	w.mtx.Lock()
@@ -322,7 +324,7 @@ func (w *workerPool) handleSuccessfulTask(tr TaskResult, batchID BatchID) {
 
 	tr.Completed = true
 	w.statuses[batchID].Success[tID] = tr
-	logger.Infof("handleSuccessfulTask(): len(w.resChan)=%d", len(w.resChan)) // TODO: remove
+	logger.Infof("handleSuccessfulTask(): len(w.resChan)=%d", len(w.resChan)) // TODO: change to trace lvl
 	w.resChan <- tr
 }
 
@@ -330,25 +332,32 @@ func (w *workerPool) handleFailedTask(tr TaskResult, batchID BatchID, batchResul
 	w.mtx.Lock()
 	defer w.mtx.Unlock()
 
+	if errors.Is(w.ctx.Err(), context.Canceled) {
+		logger.Infof("handleFailedTask(): worker pool canceled, not handling failed task") // TODO: remove
+		return
+	}
+
+	logger.Infof("handling failed task err: %v task: %s", tr.Error, tr.Task.ID()) // TODO: remove
+	delayRetry := false
 	tID := tr.Task.ID()
 
-	if oldTr, ok := w.statuses[batchID].Failed[tID]; ok {
-		// It is only considered a retry if the task was actually executed.
-		if !errors.Is(oldTr.Error, ErrNoPeers) {
-			if errors.Is(oldTr.Error, io.EOF) || errors.Is(oldTr.Error, network.ErrStreamReset) {
-				w.removePeer(oldTr.Who)
-				logger.Debugf("removed peer %s from the worker pool", oldTr.Who)
-			}
+	// It is only considered a retry if the task was actually executed.
+	if errors.Is(tr.Error, ErrNoPeers) {
+		delayRetry = true
+	} else {
+		w.removePeer(tr.Who)
+		logger.Infof("removed peer %s from the worker pool", tr.Who) // TODO: remove
 
+		if oldTr, ok := w.statuses[batchID].Failed[tID]; ok {
 			tr.Retries = oldTr.Retries + 1
-			tr.Completed = w.maxRetries != UnlimitedRetries && tr.Retries >= w.maxRetries
 		}
 	}
 
+	tr.Completed = w.maxRetries != UnlimitedRetries && tr.Retries >= w.maxRetries
 	w.statuses[batchID].Failed[tID] = tr
 
 	if tr.Completed {
-		logger.Infof("handleFailedTask(): len(w.resChan)=%d", len(w.resChan)) // TODO: remove
+		logger.Infof("handleFailedTask(): len(w.resChan)=%d", len(w.resChan)) // TODO: change to trace lvl
 		w.resChan <- tr
 		return
 	}
@@ -357,6 +366,16 @@ func (w *workerPool) handleFailedTask(tr TaskResult, batchID BatchID, batchResul
 	w.wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
 		defer w.wg.Done()
+		if delayRetry {
+			logger.Infof("delaying retry of task %s", tr.Task.String()) // TODO: remove
+			timer := time.NewTimer(w.retryDelay)
+			select {
+			case <-timer.C:
+			case <-w.ctx.Done():
+				logger.Infof("in gorouting, worker pool canceled, not retrying task") // TODO: remove
+				return
+			}
+		}
 		w.executeTask(tr.Task, batchResults)
 	}()
 }
diff --git a/dot/sync/worker_pool_test.go b/dot/sync/worker_pool_test.go
index dac3f13b99..6b2634f7d8 100644
--- a/dot/sync/worker_pool_test.go
+++ b/dot/sync/worker_pool_test.go
@@ -55,6 +55,18 @@ func makeTasksAndPeers(num, idOffset int) ([]Task, []peer.ID) {
 	return tasks, peers
 }
 
+func makePool(maxRetries ...int) WorkerPool {
+	mr := 0
+	if len(maxRetries) > 0 {
+		mr = maxRetries[0]
+	}
+
+	return NewWorkerPool(WorkerPoolConfig{
+		MaxRetries:        mr,
+		NoPeersRetryDelay: time.Millisecond * 10,
+	})
+}
+
 func waitForCompletion(wp WorkerPool, numTasks int) {
 	resultsReceived := 0
 
@@ -73,7 +85,7 @@ func TestWorkerPoolHappyPath(t *testing.T) {
 
 	var setup = func() (WorkerPool, []Task) {
 		tasks, peers := makeTasksAndPeers(numTasks, 0)
-		wp := NewWorkerPool(WorkerPoolConfig{})
+		wp := makePool()
 
 		for _, who := range peers {
 			err := wp.AddPeer(who)
@@ -120,7 +132,7 @@ func TestWorkerPoolPeerHandling(t *testing.T) {
 
 	t.Run("accepts_batch_without_any_peers", func(t *testing.T) {
 		tasks, _ := makeTasksAndPeers(numTasks, 0)
-		wp := NewWorkerPool(WorkerPoolConfig{})
+		wp := makePool()
 
 		wp.SubmitBatch(tasks)
 
@@ -129,7 +141,7 @@ func TestWorkerPoolPeerHandling(t *testing.T) {
 
 	t.Run("completes_batch_with_fewer_peers_than_tasks", func(t *testing.T) {
 		tasks, peers := makeTasksAndPeers(numTasks, 0)
-		wp := NewWorkerPool(WorkerPoolConfig{})
+		wp := makePool()
 		assert.NoError(t, wp.AddPeer(peers[0]))
 		assert.NoError(t, wp.AddPeer(peers[1]))
 
@@ -145,7 +157,7 @@ func TestWorkerPoolPeerHandling(t *testing.T) {
 
 	t.Run("refuses_to_re_add_ignored_peer", func(t *testing.T) {
 		_, peers := makeTasksAndPeers(numTasks, 0)
-		wp := NewWorkerPool(WorkerPoolConfig{})
+		wp := makePool()
 
 		for _, who := range peers {
 			err := wp.AddPeer(who)
@@ -178,7 +190,7 @@ func TestWorkerPoolTaskFailures(t *testing.T) {
 		failTwice.err = taskErr
 		failTwice.succeedAfter = 2
 
-		wp = NewWorkerPool(WorkerPoolConfig{MaxRetries: maxRetries})
+		wp = makePool(maxRetries)
 		for _, who := range peers {
 			err := wp.AddPeer(who)
 			assert.NoError(t, err)
@@ -232,7 +244,7 @@ func TestWorkerPoolMultipleBatches(t *testing.T) {
 		b2Tasks, b2Peers := makeTasksAndPeers(b2NumTasks, b1NumTasks)
 		peers := append(b1Peers, b2Peers...)
 
-		wp := NewWorkerPool(WorkerPoolConfig{})
+		wp := makePool()
 		for _, who := range peers {
 			err := wp.AddPeer(who)
 			assert.NoError(t, err)