diff --git a/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/main.go b/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/main.go
index 2c1dd65a0..03e2cc2c4 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/main.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/main.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ var (
 	allhosts   string
 	hosts      []string
 	filesize   int
-	syncDelay  int
+	syncDelay  bool
 	inputSeed  int
 	httpPort   int
 	wsPort     int
@@ -87,10 +87,9 @@ func main() {
 			Usage:       "file size for generated random file in KB",
 			Destination: &filesize,
 		},
-		cli.IntFlag{
+		cli.BoolFlag{
 			Name:        "sync-delay",
-			Value:       5,
-			Usage:       "duration of delay in seconds to wait for content to be synced",
+			Usage:       "wait for content to be synced",
 			Destination: &syncDelay,
 		},
 		cli.IntFlag{
diff --git a/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/sliding_window.go b/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/sliding_window.go
index ab082c543..6ca3d3947 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/sliding_window.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/sliding_window.go
@@ -81,9 +81,13 @@ outer:
 			return err
 		}
 
-		log.Info("uploaded successfully", "hash", hash, "digest", fmt.Sprintf("%x", fhash), "sleeping", syncDelay)
+		log.Info("uploaded successfully", "hash", hash, "digest", fmt.Sprintf("%x", fhash), "wait for sync", syncDelay)
 		hashes = append(hashes, uploadResult{hash: hash, digest: fhash})
-		time.Sleep(time.Duration(syncDelay) * time.Second)
+
+		if syncDelay {
+			waitToSync()
+		}
+
 		uploadedBytes += filesize * 1000
 		q := make(chan struct{}, 1)
 		d := make(chan struct{})
diff --git a/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/upload_and_sync.go b/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/upload_and_sync.go
index d6eb87ace..7338e3473 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/upload_and_sync.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/upload_and_sync.go
@@ -197,7 +197,8 @@ func getBzzAddrFromHost(client *rpc.Client) (string, error) {
 	// we make an ugly assumption about the output format of the hive.String() method
 	// ideally we should replace this with an API call that returns the bzz addr for a given host,
 	// but this also works for now (provided we don't change the hive.String() method, which we haven't in some time
-	return strings.Split(strings.Split(hive, "\n")[3], " ")[10], nil
+	ss := strings.Split(strings.Split(hive, "\n")[3], " ")
+	return ss[len(ss)-1], nil
 }
 
 // checkChunksVsMostProxHosts is checking:
@@ -284,13 +285,16 @@ func uploadAndSync(c *cli.Context, randomBytes []byte) error {
 
 	log.Info("uploaded successfully", "hash", hash, "took", t2, "digest", fmt.Sprintf("%x", fhash))
 
-	waitToSync()
+	// wait to sync and log chunks before fetch attempt, only if syncDelay is set to true
+	if syncDelay {
+		waitToSync()
 
-	log.Debug("chunks before fetch attempt", "hash", hash)
+		log.Debug("chunks before fetch attempt", "hash", hash)
 
-	err = trackChunks(randomBytes, false)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Error(err.Error())
+		err = trackChunks(randomBytes, false)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Error(err.Error())
+		}
 	}
 
 	if onlyUpload {
diff --git a/swarm/network/stream/messages.go b/swarm/network/stream/messages.go
index 821cdaa9a..b43fdeee2 100644
--- a/swarm/network/stream/messages.go
+++ b/swarm/network/stream/messages.go
@@ -223,6 +223,9 @@ func (p *Peer) handleOfferedHashesMsg(ctx context.Context, req *OfferedHashesMsg
 		return fmt.Errorf("error initiaising bitvector of length %v: %v", lenHashes/HashSize, err)
 	}
 
+	var wantDelaySet bool
+	var wantDelay time.Time
+
 	ctr := 0
 	errC := make(chan error)
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, syncBatchTimeout)
@@ -234,6 +237,13 @@ func (p *Peer) handleOfferedHashesMsg(ctx context.Context, req *OfferedHashesMsg
 		if wait := c.NeedData(ctx, hash); wait != nil {
 			ctr++
 			want.Set(i/HashSize, true)
+
+			// measure how long it takes before we mark chunks for retrieval, and actually send the request
+			if !wantDelaySet {
+				wantDelaySet = true
+				wantDelay = time.Now()
+			}
+
 			// create request and wait until the chunk data arrives and is stored
 			go func(w func(context.Context) error) {
 				select {
@@ -304,6 +314,12 @@ func (p *Peer) handleOfferedHashesMsg(ctx context.Context, req *OfferedHashesMsg
 			return
 		}
 		log.Trace("sending want batch", "peer", p.ID(), "stream", msg.Stream, "from", msg.From, "to", msg.To)
+
+		// record want delay
+		if wantDelaySet {
+			metrics.GetOrRegisterResettingTimer("handleoffered.wantdelay", nil).UpdateSince(wantDelay)
+		}
+
 		err := p.SendPriority(ctx, msg, c.priority)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Warn("SendPriority error", "err", err)
diff --git a/swarm/network/stream/peer.go b/swarm/network/stream/peer.go
index 17ce0d798..28fd06e4d 100644
--- a/swarm/network/stream/peer.go
+++ b/swarm/network/stream/peer.go
@@ -415,9 +415,14 @@ func (p *Peer) removeClientParams(s Stream) error {
 }
 
 func (p *Peer) close() {
+	p.serverMu.Lock()
+	defer p.serverMu.Unlock()
+
 	for _, s := range p.servers {
 		s.Close()
 	}
+
+	p.servers = nil
 }
 
 // runUpdateSyncing is a long running function that creates the initial