diff --git a/codex/node.nim b/codex/node.nim
index 70cb19fb..4c783086 100644
--- a/codex/node.nim
+++ b/codex/node.nim
@@ -213,6 +213,28 @@ proc fetchBatched*(
   let iter = Iter[int].new(0 ..< manifest.blocksCount)
   self.fetchBatched(manifest.treeCid, iter, batchSize, onBatch, fetchLocal)
 
+proc fetchDatasetAsync*(
+    self: CodexNodeRef, manifest: Manifest, fetchLocal = true
+): Future[void] {.async: (raises: []).} =
+  ## Asynchronously fetch a dataset in the background.
+  ## This task will be tracked and cleaned up on node shutdown.
+  ##
+  try:
+    if err =? (
+      await self.fetchBatched(
+        manifest = manifest, batchSize = DefaultFetchBatch, fetchLocal = fetchLocal
+      )
+    ).errorOption:
+      error "Unable to fetch blocks", err = err.msg
+  except CatchableError as exc:
+    error "Error fetching blocks", exc = exc.msg
+
+proc fetchDatasetAsyncTask*(self: CodexNodeRef, manifest: Manifest) =
+  ## Start fetching a dataset in the background.
+  ## The task will be tracked and cleaned up on node shutdown.
+  ##
+  self.trackedFutures.track(self.fetchDatasetAsync(manifest, fetchLocal = false))
+
 proc streamSingleBlock(self: CodexNodeRef, cid: Cid): Future[?!LPStream] {.async.} =
   ## Streams the contents of a single block.
   ##
@@ -256,16 +278,8 @@ proc streamEntireDataset(
 
     self.trackedFutures.track(erasureJob())
 
-  proc prefetch() {.async: (raises: []).} =
-    try:
-      if err =? (
-        await self.fetchBatched(manifest, DefaultFetchBatch, fetchLocal = false)
-      ).errorOption:
-        error "Unable to fetch blocks", err = err.msg
-    except CatchableError as exc:
-      error "Error fetching blocks", exc = exc.msg
-
-  self.trackedFutures.track(prefetch())
+  self.trackedFutures.track(self.fetchDatasetAsync(manifest, fetchLocal = false))
+    # prefetch task should not fetch from local store
 
   # Retrieve all blocks of the dataset sequentially from the local store or network
   trace "Creating store stream for manifest", manifestCid
diff --git a/codex/rest/api.nim b/codex/rest/api.nim
index 89dbe220..713e1c04 100644
--- a/codex/rest/api.nim
+++ b/codex/rest/api.nim
@@ -299,15 +299,8 @@ proc initDataApi(node: CodexNodeRef, repoStore: RepoStore, router: var RestRoute
       error "Failed to fetch manifest", err = err.msg
       return RestApiResponse.error(Http404, err.msg, headers = headers)
 
-    proc fetchDatasetAsync(): Future[void] {.async.} =
-      try:
-        if err =? (await node.fetchBatched(manifest)).errorOption:
-          error "Unable to fetch dataset", cid = cid.get(), err = err.msg
-      except CatchableError as exc:
-        error "CatchableError when fetching dataset", cid = cid.get(), exc = exc.msg
-        discard
-
-    asyncSpawn fetchDatasetAsync()
+    # Start fetching the dataset in the background
+    node.fetchDatasetAsyncTask(manifest)
 
     let json = %formatManifest(cid.get(), manifest)
     return RestApiResponse.response($json, contentType = "application/json")