diff --git a/besu/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/cli/BesuCommand.java b/besu/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/cli/BesuCommand.java
index 1a842acc58..e2c657dd18 100644
--- a/besu/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/cli/BesuCommand.java
+++ b/besu/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/cli/BesuCommand.java
@@ -1278,6 +1278,7 @@ public class BesuCommand implements DefaultCommandValues, Runnable {
     besuPluginContext.addService(
         SynchronizationService.class,
         new SynchronizationServiceImpl(
+            besuController.getSynchronizer(),
             besuController.getProtocolContext(),
             besuController.getProtocolSchedule(),
             besuController.getSyncState(),
diff --git a/besu/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/services/SynchronizationServiceImpl.java b/besu/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/services/SynchronizationServiceImpl.java
index 2e15e2ab82..cd4f494dc6 100644
--- a/besu/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/services/SynchronizationServiceImpl.java
+++ b/besu/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/services/SynchronizationServiceImpl.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.ProtocolContext;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.chain.MutableBlockchain;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.core.Block;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.core.BlockImporter;
+import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.core.Synchronizer;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.eth.sync.state.SyncState;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.mainnet.HeaderValidationMode;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.mainnet.ProtocolSchedule;
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ public class SynchronizationServiceImpl implements SynchronizationService {
 
   private final ProtocolContext protocolContext;
   private final ProtocolSchedule protocolSchedule;
+  private final Synchronizer synchronizer;
 
   private final SyncState syncState;
   private final Optional<DiffBasedWorldStateProvider> worldStateArchive;
@@ -52,16 +54,19 @@ public class SynchronizationServiceImpl implements SynchronizationService {
   /**
    * Constructor for SynchronizationServiceImpl.
    *
+   * @param synchronizer synchronizer
    * @param protocolContext protocol context
    * @param protocolSchedule protocol schedule
    * @param syncState sync state
    * @param worldStateArchive world state archive
    */
   public SynchronizationServiceImpl(
+      final Synchronizer synchronizer,
       final ProtocolContext protocolContext,
       final ProtocolSchedule protocolSchedule,
       final SyncState syncState,
       final WorldStateArchive worldStateArchive) {
+    this.synchronizer = synchronizer;
     this.protocolContext = protocolContext;
     this.protocolSchedule = protocolSchedule;
     this.syncState = syncState;
@@ -157,4 +162,14 @@ public class SynchronizationServiceImpl implements SynchronizationService {
           }
         });
   }
+
+  @Override
+  public void stop() {
+    synchronizer.stop();
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void start() {
+    synchronizer.start();
+  }
 }
diff --git a/plugin-api/build.gradle b/plugin-api/build.gradle
index 6f83363dd4..d504767138 100644
--- a/plugin-api/build.gradle
+++ b/plugin-api/build.gradle
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ Calculated : ${currentHash}
 tasks.register('checkAPIChanges', FileStateChecker) {
   description = "Checks that the API for the Plugin-API project does not change without deliberate thought"
   files = sourceSets.main.allJava.files
-  knownHash = 'KuKoCZT1A+gOlJlry5GQMCRKVWWAlO3lGAqt9MDv0r4='
+  knownHash = 'PKvPlngg7BfdZ4Jinh0IUsyFOLvNaQU72VD4BHia/WM='
 }
 check.dependsOn('checkAPIChanges')
 
diff --git a/plugin-api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/plugin/services/sync/SynchronizationService.java b/plugin-api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/plugin/services/sync/SynchronizationService.java
index ad9682429d..1b1ea8bdfe 100644
--- a/plugin-api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/plugin/services/sync/SynchronizationService.java
+++ b/plugin-api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/plugin/services/sync/SynchronizationService.java
@@ -59,4 +59,10 @@ public interface SynchronizationService extends BesuService {
 
   /** Disables the worldstate trie for update. */
   void disableWorldStateTrie();
+
+  /** Stops the synchronizer. */
+  void stop();
+
+  /** Starts the synchronizer. */
+  void start();
 }