diff --git a/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/trade/Trade.java b/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/trade/Trade.java
index 40121bd203..3aef966b18 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/trade/Trade.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/trade/Trade.java
@@ -2631,7 +2631,14 @@ public abstract class Trade extends XmrWalletBase implements Tradable, Model {
     private void syncWalletIfBehind() {
         synchronized (walletLock) {
             if (isWalletBehind()) {
-                syncWithProgress();
+
+                // TODO: local tests have timing failures unless sync called directly
+                if (xmrConnectionService.getTargetHeight() - walletHeight.get() < XmrWalletBase.DIRECT_SYNC_WITHIN_BLOCKS) {
+                    xmrWalletService.syncWallet(wallet);
+                } else {
+                    syncWithProgress();
+                }
+                walletHeight.set(wallet.getHeight());
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/xmr/wallet/XmrWalletBase.java b/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/xmr/wallet/XmrWalletBase.java
index cca9daa05d..820af8bb3d 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/xmr/wallet/XmrWalletBase.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/xmr/wallet/XmrWalletBase.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ public class XmrWalletBase {
 
     // constants
     public static final int SYNC_PROGRESS_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = 60;
+    public static final int DIRECT_SYNC_WITHIN_BLOCKS = 100;
 
     // inherited
     protected MoneroWallet wallet;
@@ -59,12 +60,17 @@ public class XmrWalletBase {
     }
 
     public void syncWithProgress() {
+        syncWithProgress(false);
+    }
+
+    public void syncWithProgress(boolean repeatSyncToLatestHeight) {
         synchronized (walletLock) {
 
             // set initial state
             isSyncingWithProgress = true;
             syncProgressError = null;
             updateSyncProgress(walletHeight.get());
+            long targetHeightAtStart = xmrConnectionService.getTargetHeight();
 
             // test connection changing on startup before wallet synced
             if (testReconnectOnStartup) {
@@ -106,7 +112,7 @@ public class XmrWalletBase {
                     return;
                 }
                 updateSyncProgress(height);
-                if (height >= xmrConnectionService.getTargetHeight()) {
+                if (height >= (repeatSyncToLatestHeight ? xmrConnectionService.getTargetHeight() : targetHeightAtStart)) {
                     setWalletSyncedWithProgress();
                     syncProgressLatch.countDown();
                 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/xmr/wallet/XmrWalletService.java b/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/xmr/wallet/XmrWalletService.java
index 2fb9ddcd3b..aba437f76a 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/xmr/wallet/XmrWalletService.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/xmr/wallet/XmrWalletService.java
@@ -1358,7 +1358,7 @@ public class XmrWalletService extends XmrWalletBase {
                         long time = System.currentTimeMillis();
                         MoneroRpcConnection sourceConnection = xmrConnectionService.getConnection();
                         try {
-                            syncWithProgress(); // blocking
+                            syncWithProgress(true); // repeat sync to latest target height
                         } catch (Exception e) {
                             log.warn("Error syncing wallet with progress on startup: " + e.getMessage());
                             forceCloseMainWallet();
@@ -1768,7 +1768,13 @@ public class XmrWalletService extends XmrWalletBase {
             // sync wallet if behind daemon
             if (walletHeight.get() < xmrConnectionService.getTargetHeight()) {
                 synchronized (walletLock) { // avoid long sync from blocking other operations
-                    syncWithProgress();
+
+                    // TODO: local tests have timing failures unless sync called directly
+                    if (xmrConnectionService.getTargetHeight() - walletHeight.get() < XmrWalletBase.DIRECT_SYNC_WITHIN_BLOCKS) {
+                        syncMainWallet();
+                    } else {
+                        syncWithProgress();
+                    }
                 }
             }