diff --git a/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/blob_downloader.ex b/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/blob_downloader.ex
index 3b761c0ec..f68a4a864 100644
--- a/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/blob_downloader.ex
+++ b/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/blob_downloader.ex
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.BlobDownloader do
   def request_blobs_by_range(slot, count, on_blobs, retries) do
     Logger.debug("Requesting blobs", slot: slot)
 
-    # FIXME: handle no-peers asynchronously! this is hanging Libp2pPort when there are no peers
     peer_id = get_some_peer()
 
     # NOTE: BeaconBlocksByRangeRequest == BlobSidecarsByRangeRequest
@@ -62,12 +61,8 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.BlobDownloader do
         P2P.Peerbook.penalize_peer(peer_id)
 
         if retries > 0 do
-          Logger.info(
-            "Retrying request for #{count} blobs, reason: #{inspect(reason)} in 2 second",
-            slot: slot
-          )
+          Logger.info("Retrying request for #{count} blobs: #{inspect(reason)}", slot: slot)
 
-          Process.sleep(2000)
           request_blobs_by_range(slot, count, on_blobs, retries - 1)
           {:ok, store}
         else
@@ -128,8 +123,8 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.BlobDownloader do
   defp get_some_peer() do
     case P2P.Peerbook.get_some_peer() do
       nil ->
-        Process.sleep(100)
-        get_some_peer()
+        # TODO: handle no-peers asynchronously
+        raise "No peers available to request blobs from."
 
       peer_id ->
         peer_id
diff --git a/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/block_downloader.ex b/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/block_downloader.ex
index 6910d4a77..92ef93510 100644
--- a/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/block_downloader.ex
+++ b/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/block_downloader.ex
@@ -66,7 +66,6 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.BlockDownloader do
   def request_blocks_by_range(slot, count, on_blocks, retries) do
     Logger.debug("Requesting block", slot: slot)
 
-    # FIXME: handle no-peers asynchronously! this is hanging Libp2pPort when there are no peers
     peer_id = get_some_peer()
 
     request =
@@ -174,11 +173,10 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.BlockDownloader do
           :telemetry.execute([:network, :request], %{blocks: 0}, Map.put(tags, :result, "retry"))
           pretty_roots = Enum.map_join(roots, ", ", &Base.encode16/1)
 
-          Logger.debug(
-            "Retrying request (reason: #{inspect(reason)}) for blocks with roots #{pretty_roots}, in 2 second"
+          Logger.info(
+            "Retrying request for blocks with roots #{pretty_roots}: #{inspect(reason)}"
           )
 
-          Process.sleep(2000)
           request_blocks_by_root(roots, on_blocks, retries - 1)
           {:ok, store}
         else
@@ -191,8 +189,8 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.BlockDownloader do
   defp get_some_peer() do
     case P2P.Peerbook.get_some_peer() do
       nil ->
-        Process.sleep(100)
-        get_some_peer()
+        # TODO: handle no-peers asynchronously
+        raise "No peers available to request blocks from."
 
       peer_id ->
         peer_id
diff --git a/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/peerbook.ex b/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/peerbook.ex
index d0dd89bcb..a3e755129 100644
--- a/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/peerbook.ex
+++ b/lib/lambda_ethereum_consensus/p2p/peerbook.ex
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.Peerbook do
   require Logger
   alias LambdaEthereumConsensus.Libp2pPort
   alias LambdaEthereumConsensus.Store.KvSchema
+  alias LambdaEthereumConsensus.Utils
 
   @initial_score 100
-  @penalize 20
+  @penalize 35
   @target_peers 128
   @max_prune_size 8
   @prune_percentage 0.05
@@ -58,9 +59,7 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.Peerbook do
   end
 
   def penalize_peer(peer_id) do
-    Logger.debug(
-      "Penalizing peer: #{inspect(LambdaEthereumConsensus.Utils.format_shorten_binary(peer_id))}"
-    )
+    Logger.debug("[Peerbook] Penalizing peer: #{inspect(Utils.format_shorten_binary(peer_id))}")
 
     peer_score = fetch_peerbook!() |> Map.get(peer_id)
 
@@ -69,9 +68,7 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.Peerbook do
         :ok
 
       score when score - @penalize <= 0 ->
-        Logger.info(
-          "Removing peer: #{inspect(LambdaEthereumConsensus.Utils.format_shorten_binary(peer_id))}"
-        )
+        Logger.debug("[Peerbook] Removing peer: #{inspect(Utils.format_shorten_binary(peer_id))}")
 
         fetch_peerbook!()
         |> Map.delete(peer_id)
@@ -88,7 +85,7 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.P2P.Peerbook do
     peerbook = fetch_peerbook!()
 
     Logger.debug(
-      "New peer connected: #{inspect(LambdaEthereumConsensus.Utils.format_shorten_binary(peer_id))}"
+      "[Peerbook] New peer connected: #{inspect(Utils.format_shorten_binary(peer_id))}"
     )
 
     if not Map.has_key?(peerbook, peer_id) do
diff --git a/lib/libp2p_port.ex b/lib/libp2p_port.ex
index 52f51f8ed..48f5a7758 100644
--- a/lib/libp2p_port.ex
+++ b/lib/libp2p_port.ex
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.Libp2pPort do
 
   use GenServer
 
-  @tick_time 1000
-
   alias LambdaEthereumConsensus.Beacon.PendingBlocks
   alias LambdaEthereumConsensus.Beacon.SyncBlocks
   alias LambdaEthereumConsensus.ForkChoice
@@ -84,7 +82,8 @@ defmodule LambdaEthereumConsensus.Libp2pPort do
           discovery_addresses: [String.t()]
         }
 
-  @sync_delay_millis 10_000
+  @tick_time 1000
+  @sync_delay_millis 15_000
 
   ######################
   ### API