diff --git a/packages/rs-platform-wallet-ffi/src/spv.rs b/packages/rs-platform-wallet-ffi/src/spv.rs
index 55ece2d51b..47a603548b 100644
--- a/packages/rs-platform-wallet-ffi/src/spv.rs
+++ b/packages/rs-platform-wallet-ffi/src/spv.rs
@@ -358,10 +358,19 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn platform_wallet_manager_spv_start(
             config.devnet = Some(devnet);
         }
 
-        let _guard = runtime().enter();
-        manager.spv_arc().spawn_in_background(config);
+        let start_result = runtime().block_on(manager.spv().start(config));
+
+        if start_result.is_ok() {
+            let _guard = runtime().enter();
+            manager.spv_arc().spawn_run_loop();
+        }
+
+        start_result
     });
-    unwrap_option_or_return!(option);
+
+    let start_result = unwrap_option_or_return!(option);
+    unwrap_result_or_return!(start_result);
+
     PlatformWalletFFIResult::ok()
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/rs-platform-wallet/src/error.rs b/packages/rs-platform-wallet/src/error.rs
index 598b1b4283..9db2dc076f 100644
--- a/packages/rs-platform-wallet/src/error.rs
+++ b/packages/rs-platform-wallet/src/error.rs
@@ -149,9 +149,6 @@ pub enum PlatformWalletError {
     #[error("No wallets configured — add a wallet before starting SPV")]
     NoWalletsConfigured,
 
-    #[error("SPV client is not running")]
-    SpvNotRunning,
-
     #[error("SPV error: {0}")]
     SpvError(String),
 
diff --git a/packages/rs-platform-wallet/src/manager/accessors.rs b/packages/rs-platform-wallet/src/manager/accessors.rs
index 578079f998..168289b533 100644
--- a/packages/rs-platform-wallet/src/manager/accessors.rs
+++ b/packages/rs-platform-wallet/src/manager/accessors.rs
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ impl<P: PlatformWalletPersistence + 'static> PlatformWalletManager<P> {
     }
 
     /// Clone the `Arc<SpvRuntime>` so callers (e.g. FFI) can invoke
-    /// [`SpvRuntime::spawn_in_background`] which takes `&Arc<Self>`.
+    /// [`SpvRuntime::spawn_run_loop`] which takes `&Arc<Self>`.
     pub fn spv_arc(&self) -> Arc<SpvRuntime> {
         Arc::clone(&self.spv_manager)
     }
diff --git a/packages/rs-platform-wallet/src/spv/runtime.rs b/packages/rs-platform-wallet/src/spv/runtime.rs
index 215f3022bb..b59784b7c3 100644
--- a/packages/rs-platform-wallet/src/spv/runtime.rs
+++ b/packages/rs-platform-wallet/src/spv/runtime.rs
@@ -97,9 +97,9 @@ impl SpvRuntime {
         tx: &Transaction,
     ) -> Result<(), PlatformWalletError> {
         let client_guard = self.client.read().await;
-        let client = client_guard
-            .as_ref()
-            .ok_or(PlatformWalletError::SpvNotRunning)?;
+        let client = client_guard.as_ref().ok_or(PlatformWalletError::SpvError(
+            "SPV Client not started".to_string(),
+        ))?;
 
         client
             .broadcast_transaction(tx)
@@ -117,9 +117,9 @@ impl SpvRuntime {
         height: u32,
     ) -> Result<[u8; 48], PlatformWalletError> {
         let client_guard = self.client.read().await;
-        let client = client_guard
-            .as_ref()
-            .ok_or(PlatformWalletError::SpvNotRunning)?;
+        let client = client_guard.as_ref().ok_or(PlatformWalletError::SpvError(
+            "SPV Client not started".to_string(),
+        ))?;
 
         let llmq_type = LLMQType::from(quorum_type as u8);
         let qh = QuorumHash::from_byte_array(quorum_hash).reverse();
@@ -132,16 +132,16 @@ impl SpvRuntime {
         Ok(*quorum.quorum_entry.quorum_public_key.as_ref())
     }
 
-    /// Run the SPV sync loop until calling [`stop`]. This blocks the current thread.
-    pub async fn run(&self, config: ClientConfig) -> Result<(), PlatformWalletError> {
-        tracing::info!("SpvRuntime::run() starting client...");
-        self.start(config).await?;
-        tracing::info!("SpvRuntime::run() client started, entering sync loop");
-
+    /// Drive the sync loop of an already-[`start`]ed client until [`stop`]
+    /// is called.
+    /// [`spawn_run_loop`](Self::spawn_run_loop).
+    async fn run(&self) -> Result<(), PlatformWalletError> {
         let client_guard = self.client.read().await;
         let client = client_guard
             .as_ref()
-            .ok_or(PlatformWalletError::SpvNotRunning)?
+            .ok_or(PlatformWalletError::SpvError(
+                "SPV Client not started".to_string(),
+            ))?
             .clone();
         drop(client_guard);
 
@@ -189,10 +189,11 @@ impl SpvRuntime {
         stop_result
     }
 
-    /// Spawn `run()` on the current tokio runtime and return immediately.
+    /// Spawn the sync loop of an already-[`start`]ed client on the current
+    /// tokio runtime and return immediately.
     ///
     /// Call [`stop`] to stop it
-    pub fn spawn_in_background(self: &Arc<Self>, config: ClientConfig) {
+    pub fn spawn_run_loop(self: &Arc<Self>) {
         {
             let existing = self.task.lock().expect("spv task mutex poisoned");
             if existing.is_some() {
@@ -206,8 +207,8 @@ impl SpvRuntime {
         let this = Arc::clone(self);
 
         let handle = tokio::spawn(async move {
-            if let Err(e) = this.run(config).await {
-                tracing::warn!("SpvRuntime background run exited with error: {}", e);
+            if let Err(e) = this.run().await {
+                tracing::warn!("SpvRuntime background run loop exited with error: {}", e);
             }
         });
 
@@ -252,9 +253,10 @@ impl SpvRuntime {
     /// The SPV client must be running to perform this operation.
     pub async fn clear_storage(&self) -> Result<(), PlatformWalletError> {
         let client_guard = self.client.read().await;
-        let client = client_guard
-            .as_ref()
-            .ok_or(PlatformWalletError::SpvNotRunning)?;
+        let client = client_guard.as_ref().ok_or(PlatformWalletError::SpvError(
+            "SPV Client not started".to_string(),
+        ))?;
+
         client
             .clear_storage()
             .await
@@ -266,9 +268,10 @@ impl SpvRuntime {
     /// The network cannot be changed on a running client.
     pub async fn update_config(&self, config: ClientConfig) -> Result<(), PlatformWalletError> {
         let client_guard = self.client.read().await;
-        let client = client_guard
-            .as_ref()
-            .ok_or(PlatformWalletError::SpvNotRunning)?;
+        let client = client_guard.as_ref().ok_or(PlatformWalletError::SpvError(
+            "SPV Client not started".to_string(),
+        ))?;
+
         client
             .update_config(config)
             .await