diff --git a/pkg/puller/puller.go b/pkg/puller/puller.go
index af0e7de7524..2992ef0a8c3 100644
--- a/pkg/puller/puller.go
+++ b/pkg/puller/puller.go
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func New(
 		blockLister: blockLister,
 		rate:        rate.New(DefaultHistRateWindow),
 		cancel:      func() { /* Noop, since the context is initialized in the Start(). */ },
-		limiter:     ratelimit.NewLimiter(ratelimit.Every(time.Second), int(swarm.MaxBins)), // allows for 1 sync per second, max bins bursts
+		limiter:     ratelimit.NewLimiter(ratelimit.Every(time.Second/2), int(swarm.MaxBins)), // allows for 2 syncs per second, max bins bursts
 	}
 
 	return p
@@ -305,8 +305,15 @@ func (p *Puller) syncWorker(ctx context.Context, peer swarm.Address, bin uint8,
 
 	for {
 
-		// rate limit within neighborhood
-		if bin >= p.radius.StorageRadius() {
+		s, _, _, err := p.nextPeerInterval(peer, bin)
+		if err != nil {
+			p.metrics.SyncWorkerErrCounter.Inc()
+			p.logger.Error(err, "syncWorker nextPeerInterval failed, quitting")
+			return
+		}
+
+		// rate limit historical syncing
+		if s <= cur {
 			_ = p.limiter.Wait(ctx)
 		}
 
@@ -319,13 +326,6 @@ func (p *Puller) syncWorker(ctx context.Context, peer swarm.Address, bin uint8,
 
 		p.metrics.SyncWorkerIterCounter.Inc()
 
-		s, _, _, err := p.nextPeerInterval(peer, bin)
-		if err != nil {
-			p.metrics.SyncWorkerErrCounter.Inc()
-			p.logger.Error(err, "syncWorker nextPeerInterval failed, quitting")
-			return
-		}
-
 		syncStart := time.Now()
 		top, count, err := p.syncer.Sync(ctx, peer, bin, s)