diff --git a/waku/discovery/waku_kademlia.nim b/waku/discovery/waku_kademlia.nim
index 0774b2855..88076dbb2 100644
--- a/waku/discovery/waku_kademlia.nim
+++ b/waku/discovery/waku_kademlia.nim
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import
 import waku/waku_core, waku/node/peer_manager
 
 logScope:
-  topics = "waku kademlia discovery"
+  topics = "waku kademlia"
 
 const DefaultKademliaDiscoveryInterval* = chronos.seconds(10)
 
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ proc toRemotePeerInfo(record: ExtendedPeerRecord): Option[RemotePeerInfo] =
 proc runDiscoveryLoop(
     self: WakuKademlia, interval: Duration
 ) {.async: (raises: [CancelledError]).} =
-  info "kademlia discovery loop started", interval = interval
+  debug "kademlia discovery loop started", interval = interval
 
   while true:
     await sleepAsync(interval)
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ proc new*(
     providedServices: var seq[ServiceInfo],
 ): T =
   if bootstrapNodes.len == 0:
-    info "creating kademlia discovery as seed node (no bootstrap nodes)"
+    debug "creating kademlia discovery as seed node (no bootstrap nodes)"
 
   let kademlia = KademliaDiscovery.new(
     switch,
@@ -141,13 +141,11 @@ proc new*(
     services = providedServices,
   )
 
-  info "kademlia service discovery created", bootstrapNodes = bootstrapNodes.len
-
   return WakuKademlia(protocol: kademlia, peerManager: peerManager)
 
 proc start*(
     self: WakuKademlia, interval: Duration = DefaultKademliaDiscoveryInterval
-) {.async: (raises: [CancelledError]).} =
+) {.async.} =
   if self.protocol.started:
     warn "Starting waku kad twice"
     return
@@ -160,7 +158,7 @@ proc start*(
 
   info "Waku Kademlia Started"
 
-proc stop*(self: WakuKademlia) {.async: (raises: []).} =
+proc stop*(self: WakuKademlia) {.async.} =
   if not self.protocol.started:
     return
 
diff --git a/waku/factory/node_factory.nim b/waku/factory/node_factory.nim
index 7b67853ff..95a1e240b 100644
--- a/waku/factory/node_factory.nim
+++ b/waku/factory/node_factory.nim
@@ -476,12 +476,6 @@ proc startNode*(
   if conf.relay:
     node.peerManager.start()
 
-  if not node.wakuKademlia.isNil():
-    let catchRes = catch:
-      await node.wakuKademlia.start()
-    if catchRes.isErr():
-      return err("failed to start kademlia discovery: " & catchRes.error.msg)
-
   return ok()
 
 proc setupNode*(
diff --git a/waku/node/waku_node.nim b/waku/node/waku_node.nim
index f99ac8b8f..ef01f3b23 100644
--- a/waku/node/waku_node.nim
+++ b/waku/node/waku_node.nim
@@ -604,6 +604,9 @@ proc start*(node: WakuNode) {.async.} =
   if not node.wakuStoreTransfer.isNil():
     node.wakuStoreTransfer.start()
 
+  if not node.wakuKademlia.isNil():
+    await node.wakuKademlia.start()
+
   ## The switch uses this mapper to update peer info addrs
   ## with announced addrs after start
   let addressMapper = proc(
@@ -664,15 +667,15 @@ proc stop*(node: WakuNode) {.async.} =
       not node.wakuPeerExchangeClient.pxLoopHandle.isNil():
     await node.wakuPeerExchangeClient.pxLoopHandle.cancelAndWait()
 
-  if not node.wakuKademlia.isNil():
-    await node.wakuKademlia.stop()
-
   if not node.wakuRendezvous.isNil():
     await node.wakuRendezvous.stopWait()
 
   if not node.wakuRendezvousClient.isNil():
     await node.wakuRendezvousClient.stopWait()
 
+  if not node.wakuKademlia.isNil():
+    await node.wakuKademlia.stop()
+
   node.started = false
 
 proc isReady*(node: WakuNode): Future[bool] {.async: (raises: [Exception]).} =
diff --git a/waku/waku_mix/protocol.nim b/waku/waku_mix/protocol.nim
index df6dbc48b..8ee25073f 100644
--- a/waku/waku_mix/protocol.nim
+++ b/waku/waku_mix/protocol.nim
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ proc poolSize*(self: WakuMix): int =
 proc mixPoolMaintenance(
     self: WakuMix, interval: Duration
 ) {.async: (raises: [CancelledError]).} =
-  ## Periodic maintenance of the mix pool
+  debug "mix pool maintenance loop started", interval = interval
 
   while true:
     await sleepAsync(interval)
@@ -61,12 +61,12 @@ proc mixPoolMaintenance(
       debug "kademlia not available for mix peer discovery"
       continue
 
-    debug "mix node pool below threshold, performing targeted lookup",
+    trace "mix node pool below threshold, performing targeted lookup",
       currentPoolSize = self.currentMixPoolSize, threshold = self.targetMixPoolSize
 
     let mixPeers = await self.wakuKademlia.lookup(MixProtocolID)
 
-    debug "mix peer discovery completed", discoveredPeers = mixPeers.len
+    trace "mix peer discovery completed", discoveredPeers = mixPeers.len
 
 proc new*(
     T: typedesc[WakuMix],
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ proc new*(
 ): Result[T, string] =
   let mixPubKey = public(mixPrivKey)
 
-  info "mixPubKey", mixPubKey = mixPubKey
+  debug "Mix Public Key", mixPubKey = mixPubKey
 
   let nodeMultiAddr = MultiAddress.init(nodeAddr).valueOr:
     return err("failed to parse mix node address: " & $nodeAddr & ", error: " & error)