diff --git a/iroh-docs/src/actor.rs b/iroh-docs/src/actor.rs
index bbe91181cb..cba2c2bec8 100644
--- a/iroh-docs/src/actor.rs
+++ b/iroh-docs/src/actor.rs
@@ -10,9 +10,10 @@ use std::{
 
 use anyhow::{anyhow, Context, Result};
 use bytes::Bytes;
+use futures_util::FutureExt;
 use iroh_base::hash::Hash;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
-use tokio::sync::oneshot;
+use tokio::{sync::oneshot, task::JoinSet};
 use tracing::{debug, error, error_span, trace, warn};
 
 use crate::{
@@ -253,6 +254,7 @@ impl SyncHandle {
             states: Default::default(),
             action_rx,
             content_status_callback,
+            tasks: Default::default(),
         };
         let join_handle = std::thread::Builder::new()
             .name("sync-actor".to_string())
@@ -275,8 +277,12 @@ impl SyncHandle {
     pub async fn open(&self, namespace: NamespaceId, opts: OpenOpts) -> Result<()> {
         let (reply, rx) = oneshot::channel();
         let action = ReplicaAction::Open { reply, opts };
+        tracing::debug!("SyncHandle::open IN");
         self.send_replica(namespace, action).await?;
-        rx.await?
+        tracing::debug!("SyncHandle::open MID");
+        let res = rx.await?;
+        tracing::debug!("SyncHandle::open OUT");
+        res
     }
 
     pub async fn close(&self, namespace: NamespaceId) -> Result<bool> {
@@ -570,22 +576,37 @@ struct Actor {
     states: OpenReplicas,
     action_rx: flume::Receiver<Action>,
     content_status_callback: Option<ContentStatusCallback>,
+    tasks: JoinSet<()>,
 }
 
 impl Actor {
-    fn run(mut self) -> Result<()> {
+    fn run(self) -> Result<()> {
+        let rt = tokio::runtime::Builder::new_current_thread()
+            .enable_time()
+            .build()?;
+        let local_set = tokio::task::LocalSet::new();
+        local_set.block_on(&rt, async move { self.run_async().await })
+    }
+    async fn run_async(mut self) -> Result<()> {
         loop {
-            let action = match self.action_rx.recv_timeout(MAX_COMMIT_DELAY) {
-                Ok(action) => action,
-                Err(flume::RecvTimeoutError::Timeout) => {
+            let timeout = tokio::time::sleep(MAX_COMMIT_DELAY);
+            tokio::pin!(timeout);
+            let action = tokio::select! {
+                _ = &mut timeout => {
                     if let Err(cause) = self.store.flush() {
                         error!(?cause, "failed to flush store");
                     }
                     continue;
                 }
-                Err(flume::RecvTimeoutError::Disconnected) => {
-                    debug!("action channel disconnected");
-                    break;
+                action = self.action_rx.recv_async() => {
+                    match action {
+                        Ok(action) => action,
+                        Err(flume::RecvError::Disconnected) => {
+                            debug!("action channel disconnected");
+                            break;
+                        }
+
+                    }
                 }
             };
             trace!(%action, "tick");
@@ -607,6 +628,7 @@ impl Actor {
                 }
             }
         }
+        self.tasks.abort_all();
         debug!("shutdown");
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -642,7 +664,12 @@ impl Actor {
                     .list_authors()
                     .map(|a| a.map(|a| a.map(|a| a.id()))),
             ),
-            Action::ListReplicas { reply } => iter_to_channel(reply, self.store.list_namespaces()),
+            Action::ListReplicas { reply } => {
+                let iter = self.store.list_namespaces();
+                self.tasks
+                    .spawn_local(iter_to_channel_async(reply, iter).map(|_| ()));
+                Ok(())
+            }
             Action::ContentHashes { reply } => {
                 send_reply_with(reply, self, |this| this.store.content_hashes())
             }
@@ -657,7 +684,9 @@ impl Actor {
     ) -> Result<(), SendReplyError> {
         match action {
             ReplicaAction::Open { reply, opts } => {
+                tracing::trace!("open in");
                 let res = self.open(namespace, opts);
+                tracing::trace!("open out");
                 send_reply(reply, res)
             }
             ReplicaAction::Close { reply } => {
@@ -936,6 +965,24 @@ fn iter_to_channel<T: Send + 'static>(
     Ok(())
 }
 
+async fn iter_to_channel_async<T: Send + 'static>(
+    channel: flume::Sender<Result<T>>,
+    iter: Result<impl Iterator<Item = Result<T>>>,
+) -> Result<(), SendReplyError> {
+    match iter {
+        Err(err) => channel
+            .send_async(Err(err))
+            .await
+            .map_err(send_reply_error)?,
+        Ok(iter) => {
+            for item in iter {
+                channel.send_async(item).await.map_err(send_reply_error)?;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 fn get_author(store: &mut Store, id: &AuthorId) -> Result<Author> {
     store.get_author(id)?.context("author not found")
 }
diff --git a/iroh-docs/src/store/fs.rs b/iroh-docs/src/store/fs.rs
index ab1171b756..a81b38a779 100644
--- a/iroh-docs/src/store/fs.rs
+++ b/iroh-docs/src/store/fs.rs
@@ -224,7 +224,6 @@ impl Store {
 }
 
 type AuthorsIter = std::vec::IntoIter<Result<Author>>;
-type NamespaceIter = std::vec::IntoIter<Result<(NamespaceId, CapabilityKind)>>;
 type PeersIter = std::vec::IntoIter<PeerIdBytes>;
 
 impl Store {
@@ -297,18 +296,26 @@ impl Store {
     }
 
     /// List all replica namespaces in this store.
-    pub fn list_namespaces(&mut self) -> Result<NamespaceIter> {
-        // TODO: avoid collect
-        let tables = self.tables()?;
-        let namespaces: Vec<_> = tables
-            .namespaces
-            .iter()?
-            .map(|res| {
-                let capability = parse_capability(res?.1.value())?;
-                Ok((capability.id(), capability.kind()))
-            })
-            .collect();
-        Ok(namespaces.into_iter())
+    pub fn list_namespaces(
+        &mut self,
+    ) -> Result<impl Iterator<Item = Result<(NamespaceId, CapabilityKind)>>> {
+        let snapshot = self.snapshot()?;
+        let iter = snapshot.namespaces.range::<&'static [u8; 32]>(..)?;
+        let iter = iter.map(|res| {
+            let capability = parse_capability(res?.1.value())?;
+            Ok((capability.id(), capability.kind()))
+        });
+        Ok(iter)
+        // let tables = self.tables()?;
+        // let namespaces: Vec<_> = tables
+        //     .namespaces
+        //     .iter()?
+        //     .map(|res| {
+        //         let capability = parse_capability(res?.1.value())?;
+        //         Ok((capability.id(), capability.kind()))
+        //     })
+        //     .collect();
+        // Ok(namespaces.into_iter())
     }
 
     /// Get an author key from the store.
diff --git a/iroh/src/node/rpc/docs.rs b/iroh/src/node/rpc/docs.rs
index a0433a803e..2b64bf0b3c 100644
--- a/iroh/src/node/rpc/docs.rs
+++ b/iroh/src/node/rpc/docs.rs
@@ -126,7 +126,9 @@ impl DocsEngine {
     }
 
     pub async fn doc_open(&self, req: DocOpenRequest) -> RpcResult<DocOpenResponse> {
+        tracing::debug!("doc_open IN");
         self.sync.open(req.doc_id, Default::default()).await?;
+        tracing::debug!("doc_open OUT");
         Ok(DocOpenResponse {})
     }