diff --git a/crates/sui-core/src/authority_active.rs b/crates/sui-core/src/authority_active.rs
index 6cca383b370ca..24c43599e0e1d 100644
--- a/crates/sui-core/src/authority_active.rs
+++ b/crates/sui-core/src/authority_active.rs
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 use arc_swap::ArcSwap;
 use std::{
     collections::{BTreeMap, HashMap},
+    ops::Deref,
     sync::Arc,
     time::Duration,
 };
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ use crate::{
 use tokio::time::Instant;
 
 pub mod gossip;
-use gossip::gossip_process;
+use gossip::{gossip_process, node_sync_process};
 
 pub mod checkpoint_driver;
 use checkpoint_driver::checkpoint_process;
@@ -233,9 +234,26 @@ where
     pub async fn spawn_gossip_process(self, degree: usize) -> JoinHandle<()> {
         let active = Arc::new(self);
 
-        let gossip_locals = active;
+        // Number of tasks at most "degree" and no more than committee - 1
+        // (validators do not follow themselves for gossip)
+        let committee = active.state.committee.load().deref().clone();
+        let target_num_tasks = usize::min(committee.voting_rights.len() - 1, degree);
+
+        tokio::task::spawn(async move {
+            gossip_process(&active, target_num_tasks).await;
+        })
+    }
+
+    pub async fn spawn_node_sync_process(self) -> JoinHandle<()> {
+        let active = Arc::new(self);
+        let committee = active.state.committee.load().deref().clone();
+        // nodes follow all validators to ensure they can eventually determine
+        // finality of certs. We need to follow 2f+1 _honest_ validators to
+        // eventually find finality, therefore we must follow all validators.
+        let target_num_tasks = committee.voting_rights.len();
+
         tokio::task::spawn(async move {
-            gossip_process(&gossip_locals, degree).await;
+            node_sync_process(&active, target_num_tasks).await;
         })
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/sui-core/src/authority_active/gossip/mod.rs b/crates/sui-core/src/authority_active/gossip/mod.rs
index 38bc7230dc593..efe589c6dc0be 100644
--- a/crates/sui-core/src/authority_active/gossip/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/sui-core/src/authority_active/gossip/mod.rs
@@ -8,15 +8,17 @@ use crate::{
     safe_client::SafeClient,
 };
 use async_trait::async_trait;
-use futures::stream::FuturesOrdered;
-use futures::{stream::FuturesUnordered, StreamExt};
+use futures::{
+    stream::{FuturesOrdered, FuturesUnordered},
+    StreamExt,
+};
 use std::future::Future;
 use std::ops::Deref;
 use std::{collections::HashSet, sync::Arc, time::Duration};
 use sui_storage::follower_store::FollowerStore;
 use sui_types::committee::StakeUnit;
 use sui_types::{
-    base_types::AuthorityName,
+    base_types::{AuthorityName, ExecutionDigests},
     batch::{TxSequenceNumber, UpdateItem},
     error::{SuiError, SuiResult},
     messages::{
@@ -32,7 +34,7 @@ mod configurable_batch_action_client;
 #[cfg(test)]
 pub(crate) mod tests;
 
-struct PeerGossip<A> {
+struct Follower<A> {
     peer_name: AuthorityName,
     client: SafeClient<A>,
     state: Arc<AuthorityState>,
@@ -50,6 +52,24 @@ use super::ActiveAuthority;
 pub async fn gossip_process<A>(active_authority: &ActiveAuthority<A>, degree: usize)
 where
     A: AuthorityAPI + Send + Sync + 'static + Clone,
+{
+    follower_process(active_authority, degree, GossipDigestHandler::new()).await;
+}
+
+pub async fn node_sync_process<A>(active_authority: &ActiveAuthority<A>, degree: usize)
+where
+    A: AuthorityAPI + Send + Sync + 'static + Clone,
+{
+    // TODO: special case follower for node sync.
+    follower_process(active_authority, degree, GossipDigestHandler::new()).await;
+}
+
+async fn follower_process<A, Handler: DigestHandler<A> + Copy>(
+    active_authority: &ActiveAuthority<A>,
+    degree: usize,
+    handler: Handler,
+) where
+    A: AuthorityAPI + Send + Sync + 'static + Clone,
 {
     // Make a clone of the active authority and committee, and keep using it until epoch changes.
     let mut local_active = Arc::new(active_authority.clone());
@@ -109,11 +129,14 @@ where
             peer_names.insert(name);
             let local_active_ref_copy = local_active.clone();
             gossip_tasks.push(async move {
-                let peer_gossip = PeerGossip::new(name, &local_active_ref_copy);
+                let follower = Follower::new(name, &local_active_ref_copy);
                 // Add more duration if we make more than 1 to ensure overlap
                 debug!(peer = ?name, "Starting gossip from peer");
-                peer_gossip
-                    .start(Duration::from_secs(REFRESH_FOLLOWER_PERIOD_SECS + k * 15))
+                follower
+                    .start(
+                        Duration::from_secs(REFRESH_FOLLOWER_PERIOD_SECS + k * 15),
+                        handler,
+                    )
                     .await
             });
             k += 1;
@@ -208,11 +231,77 @@ where
     })
 }
 
-impl<A> PeerGossip<A>
+#[async_trait]
+trait DigestHandler<A> {
+    async fn handle_digest(&self, follower: &Follower<A>, digest: ExecutionDigests) -> SuiResult;
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Copy)]
+struct GossipDigestHandler {}
+
+impl GossipDigestHandler {
+    fn new() -> Self {
+        Self {}
+    }
+
+    async fn process_response<A>(
+        follower: &Follower<A>,
+        response: TransactionInfoResponse,
+    ) -> Result<(), SuiError>
+    where
+        A: AuthorityAPI + Send + Sync + 'static + Clone,
+    {
+        if let Some(certificate) = response.certified_transaction {
+            // Process the certificate from one authority to ourselves
+            follower
+                .aggregator
+                .sync_authority_source_to_destination(
+                    ConfirmationTransaction { certificate },
+                    follower.peer_name,
+                    LocalConfirmationTransactionHandler {
+                        state: follower.state.clone(),
+                    },
+                )
+                .await?;
+            follower.state.metrics.gossip_sync_count.inc();
+            Ok(())
+        } else {
+            // The authority did not return the certificate, despite returning info
+            // But it should know the certificate!
+            Err(SuiError::ByzantineAuthoritySuspicion {
+                authority: follower.peer_name,
+            })
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[async_trait]
+impl<A> DigestHandler<A> for GossipDigestHandler
 where
     A: AuthorityAPI + Send + Sync + 'static + Clone,
 {
-    pub fn new(peer_name: AuthorityName, active_authority: &ActiveAuthority<A>) -> PeerGossip<A> {
+    async fn handle_digest(&self, follower: &Follower<A>, digest: ExecutionDigests) -> SuiResult {
+        if !follower
+            .state
+            .database
+            .effects_exists(&digest.transaction)?
+        {
+            // Download the certificate
+            let response = follower
+                .client
+                .handle_transaction_info_request(TransactionInfoRequest::from(digest.transaction))
+                .await?;
+            Self::process_response(follower, response).await?;
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+impl<A> Follower<A>
+where
+    A: AuthorityAPI + Send + Sync + 'static + Clone,
+{
+    pub fn new(peer_name: AuthorityName, active_authority: &ActiveAuthority<A>) -> Self {
         // TODO: for validator gossip, we should always use None as the start_seq, but we should
         // consult the start_seq we retrieved from the db to make sure that the peer is giving
         // us new txes.
@@ -239,13 +328,21 @@ where
         }
     }
 
-    pub async fn start(mut self, duration: Duration) -> (AuthorityName, Result<(), SuiError>) {
+    pub async fn start<Handler: DigestHandler<A>>(
+        self,
+        duration: Duration,
+        handler: Handler,
+    ) -> (AuthorityName, Result<(), SuiError>) {
         let peer_name = self.peer_name;
-        let result = self.peer_gossip_for_duration(duration).await;
+        let result = self.follow_peer_for_duration(duration, handler).await;
         (peer_name, result)
     }
 
-    async fn peer_gossip_for_duration(&mut self, duration: Duration) -> Result<(), SuiError> {
+    async fn follow_peer_for_duration<'a, Handler: DigestHandler<A>>(
+        &self,
+        duration: Duration,
+        handler: Handler,
+    ) -> SuiResult {
         // Global timeout, we do not exceed this time in this task.
         let mut timeout = Box::pin(tokio::time::sleep(duration));
         let mut queue = FuturesOrdered::new();
@@ -307,38 +404,10 @@ where
                     }
                 },
                 digest = &mut queue.next() , if !queue.is_empty() => {
-                    let digest = digest.unwrap();
-                    if !self.state.database.effects_exists(&digest.transaction)? {
-                        // Download the certificate
-                        let response = self.client.handle_transaction_info_request(TransactionInfoRequest::from(digest.transaction)).await?;
-                        self.process_response(response).await?;
-                    }
+                    handler.handle_digest(self, digest.unwrap()).await?;
                 }
             };
         }
         Ok(())
     }
-
-    async fn process_response(&self, response: TransactionInfoResponse) -> Result<(), SuiError> {
-        if let Some(certificate) = response.certified_transaction {
-            // Process the certificate from one authority to ourselves
-            self.aggregator
-                .sync_authority_source_to_destination(
-                    ConfirmationTransaction { certificate },
-                    self.peer_name,
-                    LocalConfirmationTransactionHandler {
-                        state: self.state.clone(),
-                    },
-                )
-                .await?;
-            self.state.metrics.gossip_sync_count.inc();
-            Ok(())
-        } else {
-            // The authority did not return the certificate, despite returning info
-            // But it should know the certificate!
-            Err(SuiError::ByzantineAuthoritySuspicion {
-                authority: self.peer_name,
-            })
-        }
-    }
 }