diff --git a/autopilot/autopilot.go b/autopilot/autopilot.go
index 7822dc356..1aa9ecade 100644
--- a/autopilot/autopilot.go
+++ b/autopilot/autopilot.go
@@ -201,6 +201,13 @@ func (ap *Autopilot) Run() error {
 	var forceScan bool
 	var launchAccountRefillsOnce sync.Once
 	for {
+		// check for shutdown right before starting a new iteration
+		select {
+		case <-ap.shutdownCtx.Done():
+			return nil
+		default:
+		}
+
 		ap.logger.Info("autopilot iteration starting")
 		tickerFired := make(chan struct{})
 		ap.workers.withWorker(func(w Worker) {
@@ -219,7 +226,7 @@ func (ap *Autopilot) Run() error {
 					close(tickerFired)
 					return
 				}
-				ap.logger.Error("autopilot stopped before consensus was synced")
+				ap.logger.Info("autopilot stopped before consensus was synced")
 				return
 			} else if blocked {
 				if scanning, _ := ap.s.Status(); !scanning {
@@ -233,7 +240,7 @@ func (ap *Autopilot) Run() error {
 					close(tickerFired)
 					return
 				}
-				ap.logger.Error("autopilot stopped before it was able to confirm it was configured in the bus")
+				ap.logger.Info("autopilot stopped before it was able to confirm it was configured in the bus")
 				return
 			}
 
diff --git a/internal/node/node.go b/internal/node/node.go
index e76b89467..ddcdf03af 100644
--- a/internal/node/node.go
+++ b/internal/node/node.go
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ func NewBus(cfg BusConfig, dir string, seed types.PrivateKey, logger *zap.Logger
 	cm := chain.NewManager(store, state)
 
 	// create wallet
-	w, err := NewSingleAddressWallet(seed, cm, sqlStore, sqlStore, logger.Named("wallet").Sugar(), cwallet.WithReservationDuration(cfg.UsedUTXOExpiry))
+	w, err := NewSingleAddressWallet(seed, cm.TipState().BlockInterval(), cm, sqlStore, sqlStore, logger.Named("wallet").Sugar(), cwallet.WithReservationDuration(cfg.UsedUTXOExpiry))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/node/wallet.go b/internal/node/wallet.go
index 804d28734..0443aabd9 100644
--- a/internal/node/wallet.go
+++ b/internal/node/wallet.go
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ import (
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
 
+// TODO: feels quite hacky
+
 type metricRecorder interface {
 	RecordWalletMetric(ctx context.Context, metrics ...api.WalletMetric) error
 }
@@ -18,58 +20,49 @@ type metricRecorder interface {
 type singleAddressWallet struct {
 	*wallet.SingleAddressWallet
 
-	cm     *chain.Manager
-	mr     metricRecorder
-	logger *zap.SugaredLogger
+	blockInterval time.Duration
+	cm            *chain.Manager
+	mr            metricRecorder
+	logger        *zap.SugaredLogger
 }
 
-func NewSingleAddressWallet(seed types.PrivateKey, cm *chain.Manager, store wallet.SingleAddressStore, mr metricRecorder, l *zap.SugaredLogger, opts ...wallet.Option) (*singleAddressWallet, error) {
+func NewSingleAddressWallet(seed types.PrivateKey, blockInterval time.Duration, cm *chain.Manager, store wallet.SingleAddressStore, mr metricRecorder, l *zap.SugaredLogger, opts ...wallet.Option) (*singleAddressWallet, error) {
 	w, err := wallet.NewSingleAddressWallet(seed, cm, store, opts...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return &singleAddressWallet{w, cm, mr, l}, nil
+	return &singleAddressWallet{w, blockInterval, cm, mr, l}, nil
 }
 
 func (w *singleAddressWallet) ProcessChainApplyUpdate(cau *chain.ApplyUpdate, mayCommit bool) error {
 	// escape early if we're not synced
-	if !w.isSynced() {
+	if time.Since(cau.Block.Timestamp) >= 2*w.blockInterval {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	// fetch balance
-	balance, err := w.Balance()
-	if err != nil {
-		w.logger.Errorf("failed to fetch wallet balance, err: %v", err)
-		return nil
-	}
+	// record metric in a goroutine
+	go func() {
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Minute)
+		w.recordMetric(ctx)
+		cancel()
+	}()
 
-	// apply sane timeout
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Minute)
-	defer cancel()
+	return nil
+}
 
-	// record wallet metric
-	err = w.mr.RecordWalletMetric(ctx, api.WalletMetric{
+func (w *singleAddressWallet) ProcessChainRevertUpdate(cru *chain.RevertUpdate) error { return nil }
+
+func (w *singleAddressWallet) recordMetric(ctx context.Context) {
+	if balance, err := w.Balance(); err != nil {
+		w.logger.Errorf("failed to fetch wallet balance, err: %v", err)
+		return
+	} else if err := w.mr.RecordWalletMetric(ctx, api.WalletMetric{
 		Timestamp:   api.TimeNow(),
 		Confirmed:   balance.Confirmed,
 		Unconfirmed: balance.Unconfirmed,
 		Spendable:   balance.Spendable,
-	})
-	if err != nil {
+	}); err != nil {
 		w.logger.Errorf("failed to record wallet metric, err: %v", err)
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
-func (w *singleAddressWallet) ProcessChainRevertUpdate(cru *chain.RevertUpdate) error { return nil }
-
-func (w *singleAddressWallet) isSynced() bool {
-	var synced bool
-	if block, ok := w.cm.Block(w.cm.Tip().ID); ok && time.Since(block.Timestamp) < 2*w.cm.TipState().BlockInterval() {
-		synced = true
 	}
-	return synced
 }
diff --git a/internal/testing/cluster_test.go b/internal/testing/cluster_test.go
index c2d8a4edc..ce0a6d717 100644
--- a/internal/testing/cluster_test.go
+++ b/internal/testing/cluster_test.go
@@ -2239,46 +2239,51 @@ func TestWalletSendUnconfirmed(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestWalletFormUnconfirmed(t *testing.T) {
-	// New cluster with autopilot disabled
+	// create cluster without autopilot
 	cfg := clusterOptsDefault
 	cfg.skipSettingAutopilot = true
 	cluster := newTestCluster(t, cfg)
 	defer cluster.Shutdown()
+
+	// convenience variables
 	b := cluster.Bus
 	tt := cluster.tt
 
-	// Add a host.
+	// add a host (non-blocking)
 	cluster.AddHosts(1)
 
-	// Send the full balance back to the wallet to make sure it's all
-	// unconfirmed.
+	// send all money to ourselves, making sure it's unconfirmed
+	feeReserve := types.Siacoins(1).Div64(100)
 	wr, err := b.Wallet(context.Background())
 	tt.OK(err)
 	tt.OK(b.SendSiacoins(context.Background(), []types.SiacoinOutput{
 		{
 			Address: wr.Address,
-			Value:   wr.Confirmed.Sub(types.Siacoins(1).Div64(100)), // leave some for the fee
+			Value:   wr.Confirmed.Sub(feeReserve), // leave some for the fee
 		},
 	}, false))
 
-	// There should be hardly any money in the wallet.
+	// check wallet only has the reserve in the confirmed balance
 	wr, err = b.Wallet(context.Background())
 	tt.OK(err)
-	if wr.Confirmed.Sub(wr.Unconfirmed).Cmp(types.Siacoins(1).Div64(100)) > 0 {
+	if wr.Confirmed.Sub(wr.Unconfirmed).Cmp(feeReserve) > 0 {
 		t.Fatal("wallet should have hardly any confirmed balance")
 	}
+	t.Logf("%+v", wr)
+	t.Log("Confirmed", wr.Confirmed)
+	t.Log("Unconfirmed", wr.Unconfirmed)
 
-	// There shouldn't be any contracts at this point.
+	// there shouldn't be any contracts yet
 	contracts, err := b.Contracts(context.Background(), api.ContractsOpts{})
 	tt.OK(err)
 	if len(contracts) != 0 {
 		t.Fatal("expected 0 contracts", len(contracts))
 	}
 
-	// Enable autopilot by setting it.
+	// enable the autopilot by configuring it
 	cluster.UpdateAutopilotConfig(context.Background(), testAutopilotConfig)
 
-	// Wait for a contract to form.
+	// wait for a contract to form
 	contractsFormed := cluster.WaitForContracts()
 	if len(contractsFormed) != 1 {
 		t.Fatal("expected 1 contract", len(contracts))