diff --git a/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker.nim b/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker.nim
index eb327b33f9..4259141694 100644
--- a/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker.nim
+++ b/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker.nim
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ proc napUnlessSomethingToFetch(
       buddy.ctrl.zombie = true
     return true
   else:
+    # Returning `false` => no need to check for shutdown
     return false
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/blocks_staged.nim b/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/blocks_staged.nim
index 209dcfd1e8..7c663fd768 100644
--- a/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/blocks_staged.nim
+++ b/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/blocks_staged.nim
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import
   ../worker_desc,
   ./blocks_staged/bodies,
   ./update/metrics,
-  "."/[blocks_unproc, db, helpers]
+  "."/[blocks_unproc, db, helpers, update]
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Private debugging & logging helpers
@@ -324,10 +324,7 @@ proc blocksStagedImport*(
       ctx.updateMetrics()
 
       # Allow pseudo/async thread switch.
-      try: await sleepAsync asyncThreadSwitchTimeSlot
-      except CancelledError: discard
-      if not ctx.daemon:
-        # Shutdown?
+      (await ctx.updateAsyncTasks()).isOkOr:
         maxImport = ctx.chain.latestNumber()
         break importLoop
 
@@ -349,9 +346,7 @@ proc blocksStagedImport*(
           break importLoop
 
         # Allow pseudo/async thread switch.
-        try: await sleepAsync asyncThreadSwitchTimeSlot
-        except CancelledError: discard
-        if not ctx.daemon:
+        (await ctx.updateAsyncTasks()).isOkOr:
           maxImport = ctx.chain.latestNumber()
           break importLoop
 
diff --git a/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/headers_staged.nim b/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/headers_staged.nim
index f5518fed86..84a9413725 100644
--- a/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/headers_staged.nim
+++ b/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/headers_staged.nim
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ proc headersStagedCollect*(
           isOpportunistic, ctrl=buddy.ctrl.state, hdrErrors=buddy.hdrErrors
         ctx.headersUnprocCommit(iv.len, iv)
         # At this stage allow a task switch so that some other peer might try
-        # to work on the currently returned interval.
+        # to continue work on the currently returned interval.
         try: await sleepAsync asyncThreadSwitchTimeSlot
         except CancelledError: discard
         return false
diff --git a/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/start_stop.nim b/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/start_stop.nim
index 43fd9b8a1c..38438399ac 100644
--- a/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/start_stop.nim
+++ b/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/start_stop.nim
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import
   ../worker_desc,
   ./blocks_staged/staged_queue,
   ./headers_staged/staged_queue,
+  ./update/metrics,
   "."/[blocks_unproc, db, headers_unproc, update]
 
 when enableTicker:
@@ -155,11 +156,14 @@ proc startBuddy*(buddy: BeaconBuddyRef): bool =
     ctx = buddy.ctx
     peer = buddy.peer
   if peer.supports(protocol.eth) and peer.state(protocol.eth).initialized:
-    ctx.pool.nBuddies.inc # for metrics
+    ctx.pool.nBuddies.inc
+    ctx.updateMetrics()
     return true
 
 proc stopBuddy*(buddy: BeaconBuddyRef) =
-  buddy.ctx.pool.nBuddies.dec # for metrics
+  let ctx = buddy.ctx
+  ctx.pool.nBuddies.dec
+  ctx.updateMetrics(force=(ctx.pool.nBuddies == 0))
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # End
diff --git a/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/update.nim b/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/update.nim
index 065da9148b..7dab39d423 100644
--- a/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/update.nim
+++ b/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/update.nim
@@ -344,6 +344,26 @@ proc updateFinalBlockHeader*(
     # Update, so it can be followed nicely
     ctx.updateMetrics()
 
+
+proc updateAsyncTasks*(
+    ctx: BeaconCtxRef;
+      ): Future[Opt[void]] {.async: (raises: []).} =
+  ## Allow task switch by issuing a short sleep request. The `due` argument
+  ## allows to maintain a minimum time gap when invoking this function.
+  let start = Moment.now()
+  if ctx.pool.nextAsyncNanoSleep < start:
+
+    try: await sleepAsync asyncThreadSwitchTimeSlot
+    except CancelledError: discard
+
+    if ctx.daemon:
+      ctx.pool.nextAsyncNanoSleep = Moment.now() + asyncThreadSwitchGap
+      return ok()
+    # Shutdown?
+    return err()
+
+  return ok()
+
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # End
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/update/metrics.nim b/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/update/metrics.nim
index 93d02dc9db..5adb860575 100644
--- a/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/update/metrics.nim
+++ b/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker/update/metrics.nim
@@ -77,10 +77,10 @@ template updateMetricsImpl(ctx: BeaconCtxRef) =
 
 # ---------------
 
-proc updateMetrics*(ctx: BeaconCtxRef) =
+proc updateMetrics*(ctx: BeaconCtxRef; force = false) =
   let now = Moment.now()
-  if ctx.pool.nextUpdate < now:
+  if ctx.pool.nextMetricsUpdate < now or force:
     ctx.updateMetricsImpl()
-    ctx.pool.nextUpdate = now + metricsUpdateInterval
+    ctx.pool.nextMetricsUpdate = now + metricsUpdateInterval
 
 # End
diff --git a/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker_config.nim b/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker_config.nim
index ba75723004..0165d0f5fd 100644
--- a/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker_config.nim
+++ b/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker_config.nim
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Nimbus
-# Copyright (c) 2021-2024 Status Research & Development GmbH
+# Copyright (c) 2021-2025 Status Research & Development GmbH
 # Licensed and distributed under either of
 #   * MIT license (license terms in the root directory or at
 #     https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT).
@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@ const
   asyncThreadSwitchTimeSlot* = chronos.nanoseconds(1)
     ## Nano-sleep to allows pseudo/async thread switch
 
+  asyncThreadSwitchGap* = chronos.milliseconds(300)
+    ## Controls nano-sleep tart switch density when using this in a loop (e.g.
+    ## for processing lists.) The constant requires a minimum time gap when
+    ## invoking a nano-sleep utility.
+
   # ----------------------
 
   nFetchHeadersRequest* = 1_024
diff --git a/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker_desc.nim b/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker_desc.nim
index ff191ec014..0fe3166bdd 100644
--- a/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker_desc.nim
+++ b/nimbus/sync/beacon/worker_desc.nim
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Nimbus
-# Copyright (c) 2021-2024 Status Research & Development GmbH
+# Copyright (c) 2021-2025 Status Research & Development GmbH
 # Licensed and distributed under either of
 #   * MIT license (license terms in the root directory or at
 #     https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT).
@@ -142,7 +142,8 @@ type
     syncState*: SyncState            ## Save/resume state descriptor
     hdrSync*: HeaderImportSync       ## Syncing by linked header chains
     blkSync*: BlocksImportSync       ## For importing/executing blocks
-    nextUpdate*: Moment              ## For updating metrics
+    nextMetricsUpdate*: Moment       ## For updating metrics
+    nextAsyncNanoSleep*: Moment      ## Use nano-sleeps for task switch
 
     # Blocks import/execution settings for importing with
     # `nBodiesBatch` blocks in each round (minimum value is