diff --git a/iroh-docs/src/actor.rs b/iroh-docs/src/actor.rs
index a48e8f55b38..04ff497d5f3 100644
--- a/iroh-docs/src/actor.rs
+++ b/iroh-docs/src/actor.rs
@@ -477,8 +477,9 @@ impl SyncHandle {
     pub async fn shutdown(&self) -> Result<Store> {
         let (reply, rx) = oneshot::channel();
         let action = Action::Shutdown { reply: Some(reply) };
-        self.send(action).await.ok();
-        Ok(rx.await?)
+        self.send(action).await?;
+        let store = rx.await?;
+        Ok(store)
     }
 
     pub async fn list_authors(&self, reply: flume::Sender<Result<AuthorId>>) -> Result<()> {
@@ -581,10 +582,12 @@ impl Actor {
             .enable_time()
             .build()?;
         let local_set = tokio::task::LocalSet::new();
-        local_set.block_on(&rt, async move { self.run_async().await })
+        local_set.block_on(&rt, async move { self.run_async().await });
+        Ok(())
     }
-    async fn run_async(mut self) -> Result<()> {
-        loop {
+
+    async fn run_async(mut self) {
+        let reply = loop {
             let timeout = tokio::time::sleep(MAX_COMMIT_DELAY);
             tokio::pin!(timeout);
             let action = tokio::select! {
@@ -599,7 +602,7 @@ impl Actor {
                         Ok(action) => action,
                         Err(flume::RecvError::Disconnected) => {
                             debug!("action channel disconnected");
-                            break;
+                            break None;
                         }
 
                     }
@@ -608,14 +611,7 @@ impl Actor {
             trace!(%action, "tick");
             match action {
                 Action::Shutdown { reply } => {
-                    if let Err(cause) = self.store.flush() {
-                        warn!(?cause, "failed to flush store");
-                    }
-                    self.close_all();
-                    if let Some(reply) = reply {
-                        send_reply(reply, self.store).ok();
-                    }
-                    break;
+                    break reply;
                 }
                 action => {
                     if self.on_action(action).is_err() {
@@ -623,16 +619,23 @@ impl Actor {
                     }
                 }
             }
+        };
+
+        if let Err(cause) = self.store.flush() {
+            warn!(?cause, "failed to flush store");
         }
+        self.close_all();
         self.tasks.abort_all();
-        debug!("shutdown");
-        Ok(())
+        debug!("docs actor shutdown");
+        if let Some(reply) = reply {
+            reply.send(self.store).ok();
+        }
     }
 
     fn on_action(&mut self, action: Action) -> Result<(), SendReplyError> {
         match action {
             Action::Shutdown { .. } => {
-                unreachable!("Shutdown action should be handled in run()")
+                unreachable!("Shutdown is handled in run()")
             }
             Action::ImportAuthor { author, reply } => {
                 let id = author.id();
diff --git a/iroh-docs/src/engine.rs b/iroh-docs/src/engine.rs
index b5345b0beae..4b1c496e0d2 100644
--- a/iroh-docs/src/engine.rs
+++ b/iroh-docs/src/engine.rs
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ impl Engine {
             Err(err) => {
                 // If loading the default author failed, make sure to shutdown the sync actor before
                 // returning.
-                sync.shutdown().await?;
+                let _store = sync.shutdown().await.ok();
                 return Err(err);
             }
         };
@@ -207,7 +207,11 @@ impl Engine {
 
     /// Shutdown the engine.
     pub async fn shutdown(&self) -> Result<()> {
-        self.to_live_actor.send(ToLiveActor::Shutdown).await?;
+        let (reply, reply_rx) = oneshot::channel();
+        self.to_live_actor
+            .send(ToLiveActor::Shutdown { reply })
+            .await?;
+        reply_rx.await?;
         Ok(())
     }
 }
diff --git a/iroh-docs/src/engine/live.rs b/iroh-docs/src/engine/live.rs
index e7f77549b01..99404d4aba3 100644
--- a/iroh-docs/src/engine/live.rs
+++ b/iroh-docs/src/engine/live.rs
@@ -70,7 +70,9 @@ pub enum ToLiveActor {
         #[debug("onsehot::Sender")]
         reply: sync::oneshot::Sender<anyhow::Result<()>>,
     },
-    Shutdown,
+    Shutdown {
+        reply: sync::oneshot::Sender<()>,
+    },
     Subscribe {
         namespace: NamespaceId,
         #[debug("sender")]
@@ -211,7 +213,7 @@ impl<B: iroh_blobs::store::Store> LiveActor<B> {
     }
 
     /// Run the actor loop.
-    pub async fn run(&mut self, mut gossip_actor: GossipActor) -> Result<()> {
+    pub async fn run(mut self, mut gossip_actor: GossipActor) -> Result<()> {
         let me = self.endpoint.node_id().fmt_short();
         let gossip_handle = tokio::task::spawn(
             async move {
@@ -222,15 +224,22 @@ impl<B: iroh_blobs::store::Store> LiveActor<B> {
             .instrument(error_span!("sync", %me)),
         );
 
-        let res = self.run_inner().await;
+        let shutdown_reply = self.run_inner().await;
         if let Err(err) = self.shutdown().await {
             error!(?err, "Error during shutdown");
         }
         gossip_handle.await?;
-        res
+        drop(self);
+        match shutdown_reply {
+            Ok(reply) => {
+                reply.send(()).ok();
+                Ok(())
+            }
+            Err(err) => Err(err),
+        }
     }
 
-    async fn run_inner(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
+    async fn run_inner(&mut self) -> Result<oneshot::Sender<()>> {
         let mut i = 0;
         loop {
             i += 1;
@@ -240,8 +249,13 @@ impl<B: iroh_blobs::store::Store> LiveActor<B> {
                 msg = self.inbox.recv() => {
                     let msg = msg.context("to_actor closed")?;
                     trace!(?i, %msg, "tick: to_actor");
-                    if !self.on_actor_message(msg).await.context("on_actor_message")? {
-                        break;
+                    match msg {
+                        ToLiveActor::Shutdown { reply } => {
+                            break Ok(reply);
+                        }
+                        msg => {
+                            self.on_actor_message(msg).await.context("on_actor_message")?;
+                        }
                     }
                 }
                 event = self.replica_events_rx.recv_async() => {
@@ -270,14 +284,12 @@ impl<B: iroh_blobs::store::Store> LiveActor<B> {
                 }
             }
         }
-        debug!("close (shutdown)");
-        Ok(())
     }
 
     async fn on_actor_message(&mut self, msg: ToLiveActor) -> anyhow::Result<bool> {
         match msg {
-            ToLiveActor::Shutdown => {
-                return Ok(false);
+            ToLiveActor::Shutdown { .. } => {
+                unreachable!("handled in run");
             }
             ToLiveActor::IncomingSyncReport { from, report } => {
                 self.on_sync_report(from, report).await
@@ -365,7 +377,7 @@ impl<B: iroh_blobs::store::Store> LiveActor<B> {
             .await
             .ok();
         // shutdown sync thread
-        let _ = self.sync.shutdown().await;
+        let _store = self.sync.shutdown().await;
         Ok(())
     }
 
diff --git a/iroh/src/node.rs b/iroh/src/node.rs
index 85df39cc22e..1ad2457a062 100644
--- a/iroh/src/node.rs
+++ b/iroh/src/node.rs
@@ -655,7 +655,6 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[cfg(feature = "fs-store")]
-    #[ignore = "flaky"]
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_default_author_persist() -> Result<()> {
         use crate::util::path::IrohPaths;