diff --git a/api/service/explorer/service.go b/api/service/explorer/service.go
index 62f3fc7f45..85755a9f5c 100644
--- a/api/service/explorer/service.go
+++ b/api/service/explorer/service.go
@@ -57,7 +57,12 @@ type Service struct {
 
 // New returns explorer service.
 func New(harmonyConfig *harmonyconfig.HarmonyConfig, selfPeer *p2p.Peer, bc *core.BlockChain, backend hmy.NodeAPI) *Service {
-	dbPath := defaultDBPath(selfPeer.IP, selfPeer.Port)
+	pathIP := selfPeer.IP
+	if harmonyConfig.General.UseTiKV {
+		pathIP = nodeconfig.DefaultPublicListenIP // using the same pathIP for the TIKV mode, so it remains constant across readers and writers, since this is used as prefix for the DB keys
+	}
+
+	dbPath := defaultDBPath(pathIP, selfPeer.Port)
 	storage, err := newStorage(harmonyConfig, bc, dbPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		utils.Logger().Fatal().Err(err).Msg("cannot open explorer DB")
diff --git a/cmd/harmony/main.go b/cmd/harmony/main.go
index d13c360d66..596fb37a0b 100644
--- a/cmd/harmony/main.go
+++ b/cmd/harmony/main.go
@@ -434,6 +434,8 @@ func setupNodeAndRun(hc harmonyconfig.HarmonyConfig) {
 		currentNode.StartGRPCSyncClient()
 	}
 
+	currentNode.NodeSyncing()
+
 	if err := currentNode.StartServices(); err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprint(os.Stderr, err.Error())
 		os.Exit(-1)
diff --git a/node/node_syncing.go b/node/node_syncing.go
index 3b4b5ac557..3d043e0a8c 100644
--- a/node/node_syncing.go
+++ b/node/node_syncing.go
@@ -342,17 +342,21 @@ func (node *Node) StartGRPCSyncClient() {
 			Msg("SupportBeaconSyncing")
 		go node.doBeaconSyncing()
 	}
+}
 
+// NodeSyncing makes sure to start all the processes needed to sync the node based on different configuration factors.
+func (node *Node) NodeSyncing() {
 	if node.HarmonyConfig.General.UseTiKV {
-		node.syncFromTiKVWriter()
+		node.syncFromTiKVWriter() // this is for both reader and backup writers
 
-		if node.HarmonyConfig.TiKV.Role == "Writer" {
-			node.supportSyncing()
-		} else {
+		if node.HarmonyConfig.TiKV.Role == "Reader" {
 			node.Consensus.UpdateConsensusInformation()
 		}
-	} else {
-		node.supportSyncing()
+		if node.HarmonyConfig.TiKV.Role == "Writer" {
+			node.supportSyncing() // the writer needs to be in sync with it's other peers
+		}
+	} else if !node.HarmonyConfig.General.IsOffline && node.HarmonyConfig.DNSSync.Client {
+		node.supportSyncing() // for non-writer-reader mode a.k.a tikv nodes
 	}
 }