diff --git a/cli/sync.go b/cli/sync.go
index ea066cbda19..c3f25eb1d56 100644
--- a/cli/sync.go
+++ b/cli/sync.go
@@ -84,6 +84,12 @@ var syncStatusCmd = &cli.Command{
 var syncWaitCmd = &cli.Command{
 	Name:  "wait",
 	Usage: "Wait for sync to be complete",
+	Flags: []cli.Flag{
+		&cli.BoolFlag{
+			Name:  "watch",
+			Usage: "don't exit after node is synced",
+		},
+	},
 	Action: func(cctx *cli.Context) error {
 		napi, closer, err := GetFullNodeAPI(cctx)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -92,7 +98,7 @@ var syncWaitCmd = &cli.Command{
 		defer closer()
 		ctx := ReqContext(cctx)
 
-		return SyncWait(ctx, napi)
+		return SyncWait(ctx, napi, cctx.Bool("watch"))
 	},
 }
 
@@ -234,7 +240,7 @@ var syncCheckpointCmd = &cli.Command{
 	},
 }
 
-func SyncWait(ctx context.Context, napi api.FullNode) error {
+func SyncWait(ctx context.Context, napi api.FullNode, watch bool) error {
 	tick := time.Second / 4
 
 	lastLines := 0
@@ -311,7 +317,7 @@ func SyncWait(ctx context.Context, napi api.FullNode) error {
 
 		_ = target // todo: maybe print? (creates a bunch of line wrapping issues with most tipsets)
 
-		if time.Now().Unix()-int64(head.MinTimestamp()) < int64(build.BlockDelaySecs) {
+		if !watch && time.Now().Unix()-int64(head.MinTimestamp()) < int64(build.BlockDelaySecs) {
 			fmt.Println("\nDone!")
 			return nil
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/lotus-storage-miner/init.go b/cmd/lotus-storage-miner/init.go
index ccea707afe6..326a39e5e0f 100644
--- a/cmd/lotus-storage-miner/init.go
+++ b/cmd/lotus-storage-miner/init.go
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ var initCmd = &cli.Command{
 		log.Info("Checking full node sync status")
 
 		if !cctx.Bool("genesis-miner") && !cctx.Bool("nosync") {
-			if err := lcli.SyncWait(ctx, api); err != nil {
+			if err := lcli.SyncWait(ctx, api, false); err != nil {
 				return xerrors.Errorf("sync wait: %w", err)
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/lotus-storage-miner/init_restore.go b/cmd/lotus-storage-miner/init_restore.go
index bdbb99fe0a3..83a9ad87c53 100644
--- a/cmd/lotus-storage-miner/init_restore.go
+++ b/cmd/lotus-storage-miner/init_restore.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ var initRestoreCmd = &cli.Command{
 		}
 
 		if !cctx.Bool("nosync") {
-			if err := lcli.SyncWait(ctx, api); err != nil {
+			if err := lcli.SyncWait(ctx, api, false); err != nil {
 				return xerrors.Errorf("sync wait: %w", err)
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/lotus-storage-miner/run.go b/cmd/lotus-storage-miner/run.go
index 98a9cfaba9a..c043bd9039e 100644
--- a/cmd/lotus-storage-miner/run.go
+++ b/cmd/lotus-storage-miner/run.go
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ var runCmd = &cli.Command{
 		log.Info("Checking full node sync status")
 
 		if !cctx.Bool("nosync") {
-			if err := lcli.SyncWait(ctx, nodeApi); err != nil {
+			if err := lcli.SyncWait(ctx, nodeApi, false); err != nil {
 				return xerrors.Errorf("sync wait: %w", err)
 			}
 		}