diff --git a/examples/v1/example.nim b/examples/v1/example.nim
index 1ce0b8daa..b3f78e918 100644
--- a/examples/v1/example.nim
+++ b/examples/v1/example.nim
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import
   confutils, chronicles, chronos, stew/byteutils,
-  eth/[keys, p2p, async_utils],
+  eth/[keys, p2p],
   ../../waku/protocol/v1/waku_protocol,
   ../../waku/node/v1/waku_helpers,
   ./config_example
@@ -47,12 +47,18 @@ if config.staticnodes.len > 0:
 # connect to bootnodes, and/or start discovery.
 # This will block until first connection is made, which in this case can only
 # happen if we directly connect to nodes (step above) or if an incoming
-# connection occurs, which is why we use `traceAsyncErrors` instead of `await`.
+# connection occurs, which is why we use a callback to exit on errors instead of
+# using `await`.
 # TODO: This looks a bit awkward and the API should perhaps be altered here.
-traceAsyncErrors node.connectToNetwork(@[],
+let connectedFut = node.connectToNetwork(@[],
   true, # Enable listening
   false # Disable discovery (only discovery v4 is currently supported)
   )
+connectedFut.callback = proc(data: pointer) {.gcsafe.} =
+  {.gcsafe.}:
+    if connectedFut.failed:
+      fatal "connectToNetwork failed", msg = connectedFut.readError.msg
+      quit(1)
 
 # Using a hardcoded symmetric key for encryption of the payload for the sake of
 # simplicity.
diff --git a/waku/node/v1/wakunode.nim b/waku/node/v1/wakunode.nim
index 20af59e1d..b584ac9b1 100644
--- a/waku/node/v1/wakunode.nim
+++ b/waku/node/v1/wakunode.nim
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import
   std/strutils,
   confutils, chronos, json_rpc/rpcserver, metrics, metrics/chronicles_support,
-  eth/[keys, p2p, async_utils], eth/common/utils,
+  eth/[keys, p2p], eth/common/utils,
   eth/p2p/[discovery, enode, peer_pool, bootnodes, whispernodes],
   eth/p2p/rlpx_protocols/whisper_protocol,
   ../../protocol/v1/[waku_protocol, waku_bridge],
@@ -46,8 +46,13 @@ proc run(config: WakuNodeConf, rng: ref BrHmacDrbgContext) =
                   elif config.fleet == test : setBootNodes(StatusBootNodesTest)
                   else: @[]
 
-  traceAsyncErrors node.connectToNetwork(bootnodes, not config.noListen,
+  let connectedFut = node.connectToNetwork(bootnodes, not config.noListen,
     config.discovery)
+  connectedFut.callback = proc(data: pointer) {.gcsafe.} =
+    {.gcsafe.}:
+      if connectedFut.failed:
+        fatal "connectToNetwork failed", msg = connectedFut.readError.msg
+        quit(1)
 
   if not config.bootnodeOnly:
     # Optionally direct connect with a set of nodes