diff --git a/peer.go b/peer.go
index c1afa0ed1..a45263265 100644
--- a/peer.go
+++ b/peer.go
@@ -320,6 +320,43 @@ func (p *peer) Start() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// initGossipSync initializes either a gossip syncer or an initial routing
+// dump, depending on the negotiated synchronization method.
+func (p *peer) initGossipSync() {
+	switch {
+
+	// If the remote peer knows of the new gossip queries feature, then
+	// we'll create a new gossipSyncer in the AuthenticatedGossiper for it.
+	case p.remoteLocalFeatures.HasFeature(lnwire.GossipQueriesOptional):
+		srvrLog.Infof("Negotiated chan series queries with %x",
+			p.pubKeyBytes[:])
+
+		// We'll only request channel updates from the remote peer if
+		// its enabled in the config, or we're already getting updates
+		// from enough peers.
+		//
+		// TODO(roasbeef): craft s.t. we only get updates from a few
+		// peers
+		recvUpdates := !cfg.NoChanUpdates
+
+		// Register the this peer's for gossip syncer with the gossiper.
+		// This is blocks synchronously to ensure the gossip syncer is
+		// registered with the gossiper before attempting to read
+		// messages from the remote peer.
+		p.server.authGossiper.InitSyncState(p, recvUpdates)
+
+	// If the remote peer has the initial sync feature bit set, then we'll
+	// being the synchronization protocol to exchange authenticated channel
+	// graph edges/vertexes, but only if they don't know of the new gossip
+	// queries.
+	case p.remoteLocalFeatures.HasFeature(lnwire.InitialRoutingSync):
+		srvrLog.Infof("Requesting full table sync with %x",
+			p.pubKeyBytes[:])
+
+		go p.server.authGossiper.SynchronizeNode(p)
+	}
+}
+
 // QuitSignal is a method that should return a channel which will be sent upon
 // or closed once the backing peer exits. This allows callers using the
 // interface to cancel any processing in the event the backing implementation
@@ -877,6 +914,14 @@ func (p *peer) readHandler() {
 		p.Disconnect(err)
 	})
 
+	// Initialize our negotiated gossip sync method before reading
+	// messages off the wire. When using gossip queries, this ensures
+	// a gossip syncer is active by the time query messages arrive.
+	//
+	// TODO(conner): have peer store gossip syncer directly and bypass
+	// gossiper?
+	p.initGossipSync()
+
 	discStream := newDiscMsgStream(p)
 	discStream.Start()
 	defer discStream.Stop()