diff --git a/ts/background.preload.ts b/ts/background.preload.ts
index 938e2fa794..c863922bd5 100644
--- a/ts/background.preload.ts
+++ b/ts/background.preload.ts
@@ -1183,7 +1183,11 @@ export async function startApp(): Promise<void> {
       );
     } finally {
       setupAppState();
-      drop(start());
+      drop(
+        start().catch(error => {
+          log.error('start: threw an unexpected error', error);
+        })
+      );
       initializeNetworkObserver(
         window.reduxActions.network,
         () => window.getSocketStatus().authenticated.status
@@ -1456,7 +1460,14 @@ export async function startApp(): Promise<void> {
     }
     log.info('Expiration start timestamp cleanup: complete');
 
-    await runAllSyncTasks();
+    try {
+      await runAllSyncTasks();
+    } catch (error) {
+      log.error(
+        'runAllSyncTasks: threw an unexpected error during startup, continuing without processing remaining syncTasks',
+        error
+      );
+    }
 
     cancelInitializationMessage();