diff --git a/apps/wakunode2/wakunode2.nim b/apps/wakunode2/wakunode2.nim
index 5e6cbb700..f357638ae 100644
--- a/apps/wakunode2/wakunode2.nim
+++ b/apps/wakunode2/wakunode2.nim
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ when isMainModule:
       error "Waku configuration failed", error = error
       quit(QuitFailure)
 
-    var waku = Waku.new(conf).valueOr:
+    var waku = (waitfor Waku.new(conf)).valueOr:
       error "Waku initialization failed", error = error
       quit(QuitFailure)
 
diff --git a/examples/filter_subscriber.nim b/examples/filter_subscriber.nim
index 5554966d4..af40d21c3 100644
--- a/examples/filter_subscriber.nim
+++ b/examples/filter_subscriber.nim
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ proc setupAndSubscribe(rng: ref HmacDrbgContext) {.async.} =
   let node = builder.build().tryGet()
 
   node.mountMetadata(clusterId).expect("failed to mount waku metadata protocol")
-  waitFor node.mountFilterClient()
+  await node.mountFilterClient()
 
   await node.start()
 
diff --git a/examples/wakustealthcommitments/node_spec.nim b/examples/wakustealthcommitments/node_spec.nim
index c3468ccde..b96ecbbeb 100644
--- a/examples/wakustealthcommitments/node_spec.nim
+++ b/examples/wakustealthcommitments/node_spec.nim
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ proc setup*(): Waku =
     conf.rlnRelay = twnNetworkConf.rlnRelay
 
   debug "Starting node"
-  var waku = Waku.new(conf).valueOr:
+  var waku = (waitfor Waku.new(conf)).valueOr:
     error "Waku initialization failed", error = error
     quit(QuitFailure)
 
diff --git a/library/waku_thread_requests/requests/node_lifecycle_request.nim b/library/waku_thread_requests/requests/node_lifecycle_request.nim
index 21765838e..234736ab8 100644
--- a/library/waku_thread_requests/requests/node_lifecycle_request.nim
+++ b/library/waku_thread_requests/requests/node_lifecycle_request.nim
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ proc createWaku(
 
   wakuConf.restServerConf = none(RestServerConf) ## don't want REST in libwaku
 
-  let wakuRes = Waku.new(wakuConf, appCallbacks).valueOr:
+  let wakuRes = (await Waku.new(wakuConf, appCallbacks)).valueOr:
     error "waku initialization failed", error = error
     return err("Failed setting up Waku: " & $error)
 
@@ -91,11 +91,16 @@ proc process*(
   defer:
     destroyShared(self)
 
+  # return execution to the async loop before proceeding
+  await sleepAsync(0.milliseconds)
+
   case self.operation
   of CREATE_NODE:
+    echo "------------ calling createWaku"
     waku[] = (await createWaku(self.configJson, self.appCallbacks)).valueOr:
       error "CREATE_NODE failed", error = error
       return err($error)
+    echo "------------ after createWaku"
   of START_NODE:
     (await waku.startWaku()).isOkOr:
       error "START_NODE failed", error = error
diff --git a/waku/factory/internal_config.nim b/waku/factory/internal_config.nim
index 9fc3602a0..60b319e0d 100644
--- a/waku/factory/internal_config.nim
+++ b/waku/factory/internal_config.nim
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ proc networkConfiguration*(
     dnsAddrsNameServers: seq[IpAddress],
     portsShift: uint16,
     clientId: string,
-): NetConfigResult =
+): Future[NetConfigResult] {.async.} =
   ## `udpPort` is only supplied to satisfy underlying APIs but is not
   ## actually a supported transport for libp2p traffic.
   let natRes = setupNat(
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ proc networkConfiguration*(
   # Resolve and use DNS domain IP
   if conf.dns4DomainName.isSome() and extIp.isNone():
     try:
-      let dnsRes = waitFor dnsResolve(conf.dns4DomainName.get(), dnsAddrsNameServers)
+      let dnsRes = await dnsResolve(conf.dns4DomainName.get(), dnsAddrsNameServers)
 
       if dnsRes.isErr():
         return err($dnsRes.error) # Pass error down the stack
diff --git a/waku/factory/node_factory.nim b/waku/factory/node_factory.nim
index 5e038ee0d..d62cae428 100644
--- a/waku/factory/node_factory.nim
+++ b/waku/factory/node_factory.nim
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ proc setupProtocols(
   if conf.storeServiceConf.isSome():
     let storeServiceConf = conf.storeServiceConf.get()
     if storeServiceConf.supportV2:
-      let archiveDriverRes = waitFor legacy_driver.ArchiveDriver.new(
+      let archiveDriverRes = await legacy_driver.ArchiveDriver.new(
         storeServiceConf.dbUrl, storeServiceConf.dbVacuum, storeServiceConf.dbMigration,
         storeServiceConf.maxNumDbConnections, onFatalErrorAction,
       )
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ proc setupProtocols(
       else:
         storeServiceConf.dbMigration
 
-    let archiveDriverRes = waitFor driver.ArchiveDriver.new(
+    let archiveDriverRes = await driver.ArchiveDriver.new(
       storeServiceConf.dbUrl, storeServiceConf.dbVacuum, migrate,
       storeServiceConf.maxNumDbConnections, onFatalErrorAction,
     )
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ proc setupProtocols(
     )
 
     try:
-      waitFor node.mountRlnRelay(rlnConf)
+      await node.mountRlnRelay(rlnConf)
     except CatchableError:
       return err("failed to mount waku RLN relay protocol: " & getCurrentExceptionMsg())
 
@@ -476,11 +476,13 @@ proc startNode*(
 
 proc setupNode*(
     wakuConf: WakuConf, rng: ref HmacDrbgContext = crypto.newRng(), relay: Relay
-): Result[WakuNode, string] =
-  let netConfig = networkConfiguration(
-    wakuConf.clusterId, wakuConf.endpointConf, wakuConf.discv5Conf,
-    wakuConf.webSocketConf, wakuConf.wakuFlags, wakuConf.dnsAddrsNameServers,
-    wakuConf.portsShift, clientId,
+): Future[Result[WakuNode, string]] {.async.} =
+  let netConfig = (
+    await networkConfiguration(
+      wakuConf.clusterId, wakuConf.endpointConf, wakuConf.discv5Conf,
+      wakuConf.webSocketConf, wakuConf.wakuFlags, wakuConf.dnsAddrsNameServers,
+      wakuConf.portsShift, clientId,
+    )
   ).valueOr:
     error "failed to create internal config", error = error
     return err("failed to create internal config: " & error)
@@ -511,7 +513,7 @@ proc setupNode*(
   debug "Mounting protocols"
 
   try:
-    (waitFor node.setupProtocols(wakuConf)).isOkOr:
+    (await node.setupProtocols(wakuConf)).isOkOr:
       error "Mounting protocols failed", error = error
       return err("Mounting protocols failed: " & error)
   except CatchableError:
diff --git a/waku/factory/waku.nim b/waku/factory/waku.nim
index 137e3531c..27c9437ff 100644
--- a/waku/factory/waku.nim
+++ b/waku/factory/waku.nim
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ proc setupAppCallbacks(
 
 proc new*(
     T: type Waku, wakuConf: WakuConf, appCallbacks: AppCallbacks = nil
-): Result[Waku, string] =
+): Future[Result[Waku, string]] {.async.} =
   let rng = crypto.newRng()
 
   logging.setupLog(wakuConf.logLevel, wakuConf.logFormat)
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ proc new*(
 
   var relay = newCircuitRelay(wakuConf.circuitRelayClient)
 
-  let node = setupNode(wakuConf, rng, relay).valueOr:
+  let node = (await setupNode(wakuConf, rng, relay)).valueOr:
     error "Failed setting up node", error = $error
     return err("Failed setting up node: " & $error)
 
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ proc getPorts(
 
   return ok((tcpPort: tcpPort, websocketPort: websocketPort))
 
-proc getRunningNetConfig(waku: ptr Waku): Result[NetConfig, string] =
+proc getRunningNetConfig(waku: ptr Waku): Future[Result[NetConfig, string]] {.async.} =
   var conf = waku[].conf
   let (tcpPort, websocketPort) = getPorts(waku[].node.switch.peerInfo.listenAddrs).valueOr:
     return err("Could not retrieve ports: " & error)
@@ -260,16 +260,18 @@ proc getRunningNetConfig(waku: ptr Waku): Result[NetConfig, string] =
     conf.webSocketConf.get().port = websocketPort.get()
 
   # Rebuild NetConfig with bound port values
-  let netConf = networkConfiguration(
-    conf.clusterId, conf.endpointConf, conf.discv5Conf, conf.webSocketConf,
-    conf.wakuFlags, conf.dnsAddrsNameServers, conf.portsShift, clientId,
+  let netConf = (
+    await networkConfiguration(
+      conf.clusterId, conf.endpointConf, conf.discv5Conf, conf.webSocketConf,
+      conf.wakuFlags, conf.dnsAddrsNameServers, conf.portsShift, clientId,
+    )
   ).valueOr:
     return err("Could not update NetConfig: " & error)
 
   return ok(netConf)
 
-proc updateEnr(waku: ptr Waku): Result[void, string] =
-  let netConf: NetConfig = getRunningNetConfig(waku).valueOr:
+proc updateEnr(waku: ptr Waku): Future[Result[void, string]] {.async.} =
+  let netConf: NetConfig = (await getRunningNetConfig(waku)).valueOr:
     return err("error calling updateNetConfig: " & $error)
   let record = enrConfiguration(waku[].conf, netConf).valueOr:
     return err("ENR setup failed: " & error)
@@ -309,11 +311,11 @@ proc updateAddressInENR(waku: ptr Waku): Result[void, string] =
 
   return ok()
 
-proc updateWaku(waku: ptr Waku): Result[void, string] =
+proc updateWaku(waku: ptr Waku): Future[Result[void, string]] {.async.} =
   let conf = waku[].conf
   if conf.endpointConf.p2pTcpPort == Port(0) or
       (conf.websocketConf.isSome() and conf.websocketConf.get.port == Port(0)):
-    updateEnr(waku).isOkOr:
+    (await updateEnr(waku)).isOkOr:
       return err("error calling updateEnr: " & $error)
 
   ?updateAnnouncedAddrWithPrimaryIpAddr(waku[].node)
@@ -381,7 +383,7 @@ proc startWaku*(waku: ptr Waku): Future[Result[void, string]] {.async.} =
     return err("error while calling startNode: " & $error)
 
   ## Update waku data that is set dynamically on node start
-  updateWaku(waku).isOkOr:
+  (await updateWaku(waku)).isOkOr:
     return err("Error in updateApp: " & $error)
 
   ## Discv5
@@ -424,8 +426,12 @@ proc startWaku*(waku: ptr Waku): Future[Result[void, string]] {.async.} =
       return err ("Starting protocols support REST server failed: " & $error)
 
   if conf.metricsServerConf.isSome():
-    waku[].metricsServer = waku_metrics.startMetricsServerAndLogging(
-      conf.metricsServerConf.get(), conf.portsShift
+    waku[].metricsServer = (
+      await (
+        waku_metrics.startMetricsServerAndLogging(
+          conf.metricsServerConf.get(), conf.portsShift
+        )
+      )
     ).valueOr:
       return err("Starting monitoring and external interfaces failed: " & error)
 
diff --git a/waku/node/waku_metrics.nim b/waku/node/waku_metrics.nim
index ba61f6ef8..8d38624c1 100644
--- a/waku/node/waku_metrics.nim
+++ b/waku/node/waku_metrics.nim
@@ -59,14 +59,14 @@ proc startMetricsLog*() =
 
 proc startMetricsServer(
     serverIp: IpAddress, serverPort: Port
-): Result[MetricsHttpServerRef, string] =
+): Future[Result[MetricsHttpServerRef, string]] {.async.} =
   info "Starting metrics HTTP server", serverIp = $serverIp, serverPort = $serverPort
 
   let server = MetricsHttpServerRef.new($serverIp, serverPort).valueOr:
     return err("metrics HTTP server start failed: " & $error)
 
   try:
-    waitFor server.start()
+    await server.start()
   except CatchableError:
     return err("metrics HTTP server start failed: " & getCurrentExceptionMsg())
 
@@ -75,10 +75,12 @@ proc startMetricsServer(
 
 proc startMetricsServerAndLogging*(
     conf: MetricsServerConf, portsShift: uint16
-): Result[MetricsHttpServerRef, string] =
+): Future[Result[MetricsHttpServerRef, string]] {.async.} =
   var metricsServer: MetricsHttpServerRef
-  metricsServer = startMetricsServer(
-    conf.httpAddress, Port(conf.httpPort.uint16 + portsShift)
+  metricsServer = (
+    await (
+      startMetricsServer(conf.httpAddress, Port(conf.httpPort.uint16 + portsShift))
+    )
   ).valueOr:
     return err("Starting metrics server failed. Continuing in current state:" & $error)
 
diff --git a/waku/node/waku_node.nim b/waku/node/waku_node.nim
index ccd62664f..70e95bab1 100644
--- a/waku/node/waku_node.nim
+++ b/waku/node/waku_node.nim
@@ -1235,7 +1235,7 @@ proc mountRlnRelay*(
       CatchableError, "WakuRelay protocol is not mounted, cannot mount WakuRlnRelay"
     )
 
-  let rlnRelayRes = waitFor WakuRlnRelay.new(rlnConf, registrationHandler)
+  let rlnRelayRes = await WakuRlnRelay.new(rlnConf, registrationHandler)
   if rlnRelayRes.isErr():
     raise
       newException(CatchableError, "failed to mount WakuRlnRelay: " & rlnRelayRes.error)