diff --git a/src/Model.test.ts b/src/Model.test.ts
index b9acdc7a..ca5e2f96 100644
--- a/src/Model.test.ts
+++ b/src/Model.test.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ vi.mock('./stream/StreamFactory', () => {
     subscribe(): void {}
     unsubscribe(): void {}
     async dispose() {}
-    async reset() {}
+    async sync() {}
   }
 
   const streams: { [key: string]: IStream } = {};
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ describe('Model', () => {
     await statePromise(model, 'preparing');
     completeSync();
 
-    await ready;
     await statePromise(model, 'ready');
     await expect(ready).resolves.toEqual({ current: 'ready', previous: 'preparing', reason: undefined });
 
@@ -297,11 +296,11 @@ describe('Model', () => {
     model.$register({
       $sync: sync,
     });
-    expect(() =>
+    await expect(
       model.$register({
         $sync: sync,
       }),
-    ).toThrow('$register was already called');
+    ).rejects.toThrow('$register was already called');
   });
 
   it<ModelTestContext>('fails to register after initialization', async ({ channelName, ably, logger, streams }) => {
@@ -323,7 +322,7 @@ describe('Model', () => {
 
     model.setState('ready');
 
-    expect(() => model.$register({ $sync: sync })).toThrow(
+    await expect(model.$register({ $sync: sync })).rejects.toThrow(
       `$register can only be called when the model is in the initialized state`,
     );
   });
diff --git a/src/Model.ts b/src/Model.ts
index 79fca61d..46b97ff0 100644
--- a/src/Model.ts
+++ b/src/Model.ts
@@ -128,11 +128,9 @@ export default class Model<T> extends EventEmitter<Record<ModelState, ModelState
    * The sync function that allows the model to be manually resynced
    * @returns A promise that resolves when the model has successfully re-synchronised its state and is ready to start emitting updates.
    */
-  public get $sync() {
-    return () => {
-      this.init();
-      return new Promise((resolve) => this.whenState('ready', this.state, resolve));
-    };
+  public async $sync() {
+    await this.init();
+    return new Promise((resolve) => this.whenState('ready', this.state, resolve));
   }
 
   /**
@@ -183,7 +181,7 @@ export default class Model<T> extends EventEmitter<Record<ModelState, ModelState
    * @param {Registration<T>} registration - The set of methods to register.
    * @returns A promise that resolves when the model has completed the registrtion and is ready to start emitting updates.
    */
-  public $register(registration: Registration<T>) {
+  public async $register(registration: Registration<T>) {
     if (this.wasRegistered) {
       throw new Error('$register was already called');
     }
@@ -199,8 +197,9 @@ export default class Model<T> extends EventEmitter<Record<ModelState, ModelState
       this.merge = registration.$merge;
     }
 
-    this.init();
-    return new Promise((resolve) => this.whenState('ready', this.state, resolve));
+    const result = new Promise((resolve) => this.whenState('ready', this.state, resolve));
+    await this.init();
+    return result;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -296,7 +295,7 @@ export default class Model<T> extends EventEmitter<Record<ModelState, ModelState
     this.setState('preparing', reason);
 
     this.removeStream();
-    this.addStream();
+    await this.addStream();
 
     const data = await this.syncFunc();
     this.setOptimisticData(data);
@@ -305,16 +304,15 @@ export default class Model<T> extends EventEmitter<Record<ModelState, ModelState
   }
 
   private removeStream() {
-    this.stream.reset();
     const callback = this.streamSubscriptionsMap.get(this.stream);
     if (callback) {
       this.stream.unsubscribe(callback);
     }
-    this.stream.reset();
-    this.streamSubscriptionsMap = new WeakMap();
+    this.stream.dispose();
+    this.streamSubscriptionsMap.delete(this.stream);
   }
 
-  private addStream() {
+  private async addStream() {
     const callback: StandardCallback<AblyTypes.Message> = async (err: Error | null, event?: AblyTypes.Message) => {
       try {
         if (err) {
@@ -330,9 +328,10 @@ export default class Model<T> extends EventEmitter<Record<ModelState, ModelState
         }
         await this.onStreamEvent({ ...event!, confirmed: true, rejected, ...(uuid && { uuid }) });
       } catch (err) {
-        this.init(toError(err));
+        await this.init(toError(err));
       }
     };
+    await this.stream.sync('0s', '0');
     this.stream.subscribe(callback);
     this.streamSubscriptionsMap.set(this.stream, callback);
   }