diff --git a/discovery/syncer.go b/discovery/syncer.go
index 1f120b3f8..ce970eeef 100644
--- a/discovery/syncer.go
+++ b/discovery/syncer.go
@@ -492,15 +492,19 @@ func (g *GossipSyncer) Stop() {
 
 // handleSyncingChans handles the state syncingChans for the GossipSyncer. When
 // in this state, we will send a QueryChannelRange msg to our peer and advance
-// the syncer's state to waitingQueryRangeReply.
-func (g *GossipSyncer) handleSyncingChans(ctx context.Context) {
+// the syncer's state to waitingQueryRangeReply. Returns an error if a fatal
+// error occurs that should cause the goroutine to exit.
+func (g *GossipSyncer) handleSyncingChans(ctx context.Context) error {
 	// Prepare the query msg.
 	queryRangeMsg, err := g.genChanRangeQuery(
 		ctx, g.genHistoricalChanRangeQuery,
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorf("Unable to gen chan range query: %v", err)
-		return
+
+		// Any error here is likely fatal (context cancelled, db error,
+		// etc.), so return it to exit the goroutine cleanly.
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// Acquire a lock so the following state transition is atomic.
@@ -517,12 +521,18 @@ func (g *GossipSyncer) handleSyncingChans(ctx context.Context) {
 	err = g.sendToPeer(ctx, queryRangeMsg)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorf("Unable to send chan range query: %v", err)
-		return
+
+		// Any send error (peer exiting, connection closed, rate
+		// limiter signaling exit, etc.) is fatal, so return it to
+		// exit the goroutine cleanly.
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// With the message sent successfully, we'll transition into the next
 	// state where we wait for their reply.
 	g.setSyncState(waitingQueryRangeReply)
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 // channelGraphSyncer is the main goroutine responsible for ensuring that we
@@ -545,7 +555,14 @@ func (g *GossipSyncer) channelGraphSyncer(ctx context.Context) {
 		// understand, as we'll as responding to any other queries by
 		// them.
 		case syncingChans:
-			g.handleSyncingChans(ctx)
+			err := g.handleSyncingChans(ctx)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Debugf("GossipSyncer(%x): exiting due to "+
+					"error in syncingChans: %v",
+					g.cfg.peerPub[:], err)
+
+				return
+			}
 
 		// In this state, we've sent out our initial channel range
 		// query and are waiting for the final response from the remote
@@ -593,7 +610,14 @@ func (g *GossipSyncer) channelGraphSyncer(ctx context.Context) {
 			// First, we'll attempt to continue our channel
 			// synchronization by continuing to send off another
 			// query chunk.
-			done := g.synchronizeChanIDs(ctx)
+			done, err := g.synchronizeChanIDs(ctx)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Debugf("GossipSyncer(%x): exiting due to "+
+					"error in queryNewChannels: %v",
+					g.cfg.peerPub[:], err)
+
+				return
+			}
 
 			// If this wasn't our last query, then we'll need to
 			// transition to our waiting state.
@@ -819,8 +843,10 @@ func (g *GossipSyncer) sendGossipTimestampRange(ctx context.Context,
 // range. This method will be called continually until the entire range has
 // been queried for with a response received. We'll chunk our requests as
 // required to ensure they fit into a single message. We may re-renter this
-// state in the case that chunking is required.
-func (g *GossipSyncer) synchronizeChanIDs(ctx context.Context) bool {
+// state in the case that chunking is required. Returns true if synchronization
+// is complete, and an error if a fatal error occurs that should cause the
+// goroutine to exit.
+func (g *GossipSyncer) synchronizeChanIDs(ctx context.Context) (bool, error) {
 	// If we're in this state yet there are no more new channels to query
 	// for, then we'll transition to our final synced state and return true
 	// to signal that we're fully synchronized.
@@ -828,7 +854,7 @@ func (g *GossipSyncer) synchronizeChanIDs(ctx context.Context) bool {
 		log.Infof("GossipSyncer(%x): no more chans to query",
 			g.cfg.peerPub[:])
 
-		return true
+		return true, nil
 	}
 
 	// Otherwise, we'll issue our next chunked query to receive replies
@@ -864,9 +890,14 @@ func (g *GossipSyncer) synchronizeChanIDs(ctx context.Context) bool {
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorf("Unable to sync chan IDs: %v", err)
+
+		// Any send error (peer exiting, connection closed, rate
+		// limiter signaling exit, etc.) is fatal, so return it to
+		// exit the goroutine cleanly.
+		return false, err
 	}
 
-	return false
+	return false, nil
 }
 
 // isLegacyReplyChannelRange determines where a ReplyChannelRange message is
diff --git a/discovery/syncer_test.go b/discovery/syncer_test.go
index 4420f4aa4..d9b5c199e 100644
--- a/discovery/syncer_test.go
+++ b/discovery/syncer_test.go
@@ -1518,7 +1518,8 @@ func TestGossipSyncerSynchronizeChanIDs(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for i := 0; i < chunkSize*2; i += 2 {
 		// With our set up complete, we'll request a sync of chan ID's.
-		done := syncer.synchronizeChanIDs(t.Context())
+		done, err := syncer.synchronizeChanIDs(t.Context())
+		require.NoError(t, err)
 
 		// At this point, we shouldn't yet be done as only 2 items
 		// should have been queried for.
@@ -1565,7 +1566,8 @@ func TestGossipSyncerSynchronizeChanIDs(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// If we issue another query, the syncer should tell us that it's done.
-	done := syncer.synchronizeChanIDs(t.Context())
+	done, err := syncer.synchronizeChanIDs(t.Context())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 	if done {
 		t.Fatalf("syncer should be finished!")
 	}