diff --git a/lib/core-index-stream.js b/lib/core-index-stream.js
index 97b1771..0991a1c 100644
--- a/lib/core-index-stream.js
+++ b/lib/core-index-stream.js
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ class CoreIndexStream extends Readable {
     this.#state = 'indexing'
     this.emit('indexing')
     this.#bitfield = await Bitfield.open(this.#storage)
-    await this.#core.update()
+    await this.#core.update({ wait: true })
     this.#core.on('append', this[kHandleAppend])
     this.#core.on('download', this[kHandleDownload])
   }
diff --git a/test/multi-core-indexer.test.js b/test/multi-core-indexer.test.js
index 687b8b7..3597145 100644
--- a/test/multi-core-indexer.test.js
+++ b/test/multi-core-indexer.test.js
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ test('Appends from a replicated core are indexed', async (t) => {
   for (const [i, core] of localCores.entries()) {
     const remote = (remoteCores[i] = await create(core.key))
     replicate(core, remoteCores[i], t)
-    await remote.update()
+    await remote.update({ wait: true })
     await remote.download({ start: 0, end: remote.length }).downloaded()
   }
   /** @type {Entry[]} */
diff --git a/test/unit-tests/core-index-stream.test.js b/test/unit-tests/core-index-stream.test.js
index 495ed44..9e3e3ce 100644
--- a/test/unit-tests/core-index-stream.test.js
+++ b/test/unit-tests/core-index-stream.test.js
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ test('Appends from a replicated core are indexed', async (t) => {
   const b = await create(a.key)
 
   replicate(a, b, t)
-  await b.update()
+  await b.update({ wait: true })
   const range1 = b.download({ start: 0, end: b.length })
   await range1.downloaded()
 
diff --git a/test/unit-tests/multi-core-index-stream.test.js b/test/unit-tests/multi-core-index-stream.test.js
index 0e0d5cd..e2dab0b 100644
--- a/test/unit-tests/multi-core-index-stream.test.js
+++ b/test/unit-tests/multi-core-index-stream.test.js
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ test('Appends from a replicated core are indexed', async (t) => {
   for (const [i, core] of localCores.entries()) {
     const remote = (remoteCores[i] = await create(core.key))
     replicate(core, remoteCores[i], t)
-    await remote.update()
+    await remote.update({ wait: true })
     const range = remote.download({ start: 0, end: remote.length })
     await range.downloaded()
     indexStreams.push(new CoreIndexStream(core, ram()))