diff --git a/indexer/indexer.go b/indexer/indexer.go
index 616d450e..bc622739 100644
--- a/indexer/indexer.go
+++ b/indexer/indexer.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package indexer
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"log"
 	"time"
 
 	"api.audius.co/config"
@@ -52,6 +51,7 @@ func NewIndexer(config config.Config) *CoreIndexer {
 
 func (ci *CoreIndexer) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 	sdk := sdk.NewAudiusdSDK(ci.Config.AudiusdURL)
+	go logging.SyncOnTicks(ctx, ci.logger, time.Second*10)
 
 	var height int64
 	err := ci.pool.QueryRow(context.Background(), `select last_checkpoint from indexing_checkpoints where tablename = $1`, CoreIndexerCheckpointName).Scan(&height)
@@ -76,14 +76,15 @@ func (ci *CoreIndexer) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			ci.logger.Info("Shutting down core indexer")
-			return nil
+			return ctx.Err()
 		default:
 		}
 		block, err := sdk.Core.GetBlock(context.Background(), connect.NewRequest(&corev1.GetBlockRequest{
 			Height: height,
 		}))
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+			ci.logger.Error("failed to get block", zap.Error(err))
+			return err
 		}
 
 		if block.Msg.Block.Height < 0 {
@@ -93,7 +94,8 @@ func (ci *CoreIndexer) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 		err = ci.handleBlock(block.Msg.Block)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+			ci.logger.Error("failed to handle block", zap.Error(err))
+			return err
 		}
 
 		height++
@@ -156,4 +158,5 @@ func (ci *CoreIndexer) handleManageEntity(dbTx dbv1.DBTX, logger *zap.Logger, em
 
 func (ci *CoreIndexer) Close() {
 	ci.pool.Close()
+	ci.logger.Sync()
 }