diff --git a/core/storage/pager.rs b/core/storage/pager.rs
index be62963bf..2a10802bb 100644
--- a/core/storage/pager.rs
+++ b/core/storage/pager.rs
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ pub struct Pager {
 
     commit_info: RefCell<CommitInfo>,
     checkpoint_state: RefCell<CheckpointState>,
-    syncing: Rc<RefCell<bool>>,
+    syncing: Rc<Cell<bool>>,
     auto_vacuum_mode: RefCell<AutoVacuumMode>,
     /// 0 -> Database is empty,
     /// 1 -> Database is being initialized,
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ impl Pager {
             commit_info: RefCell::new(CommitInfo {
                 state: CommitState::Start,
             }),
-            syncing: Rc::new(RefCell::new(false)),
+            syncing: Rc::new(Cell::new(false)),
             checkpoint_state: RefCell::new(CheckpointState::Checkpoint),
             buffer_pool,
             auto_vacuum_mode: RefCell::new(AutoVacuumMode::None),
@@ -1233,6 +1233,7 @@ impl Pager {
                     io_yield_one!(c);
                 }
                 CommitState::AfterSyncWal => {
+                    turso_assert!(!wal.borrow().is_syncing(), "wal should have synced");
                     if wal_auto_checkpoint_disabled || !wal.borrow().should_checkpoint() {
                         self.commit_info.borrow_mut().state = CommitState::Start;
                         break PagerCommitResult::WalWritten;
@@ -1249,7 +1250,7 @@ impl Pager {
                     io_yield_one!(c);
                 }
                 CommitState::AfterSyncDbFile => {
-                    turso_assert!(!*self.syncing.borrow(), "should have finished syncing");
+                    turso_assert!(!self.syncing.get(), "should have finished syncing");
                     self.commit_info.borrow_mut().state = CommitState::Start;
                     break PagerCommitResult::Checkpointed(checkpoint_result);
                 }
@@ -1341,7 +1342,7 @@ impl Pager {
                     io_yield_one!(c);
                 }
                 CheckpointState::CheckpointDone { res } => {
-                    turso_assert!(!*self.syncing.borrow(), "syncing should be done");
+                    turso_assert!(!self.syncing.get(), "syncing should be done");
                     self.checkpoint_state.replace(CheckpointState::Checkpoint);
                     return Ok(IOResult::Done(res));
                 }
diff --git a/core/storage/sqlite3_ondisk.rs b/core/storage/sqlite3_ondisk.rs
index 733773836..d792da47d 100644
--- a/core/storage/sqlite3_ondisk.rs
+++ b/core/storage/sqlite3_ondisk.rs
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ use crate::storage::pager::Pager;
 use crate::storage::wal::{PendingFlush, READMARK_NOT_USED};
 use crate::types::{RawSlice, RefValue, SerialType, SerialTypeKind, TextRef, TextSubtype};
 use crate::{bail_corrupt_error, turso_assert, File, Result, WalFileShared};
-use std::cell::{RefCell, UnsafeCell};
+use std::cell::{Cell, UnsafeCell};
 use std::collections::{BTreeMap, HashMap};
 use std::mem::MaybeUninit;
 use std::pin::Pin;
@@ -1055,12 +1055,12 @@ pub fn write_pages_vectored(
 #[instrument(skip_all, level = Level::DEBUG)]
 pub fn begin_sync(
     db_file: Arc<dyn DatabaseStorage>,
-    syncing: Rc<RefCell<bool>>,
+    syncing: Rc<Cell<bool>>,
 ) -> Result<Completion> {
-    assert!(!*syncing.borrow());
-    *syncing.borrow_mut() = true;
+    assert!(!syncing.get());
+    syncing.set(true);
     let completion = Completion::new_sync(move |_| {
-        *syncing.borrow_mut() = false;
+        syncing.set(false);
     });
     #[allow(clippy::arc_with_non_send_sync)]
     db_file.sync(completion)
diff --git a/core/storage/wal.rs b/core/storage/wal.rs
index 2d480f0d6..ea532fb0d 100644
--- a/core/storage/wal.rs
+++ b/core/storage/wal.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use std::collections::{BTreeMap, HashMap, HashSet};
 use strum::EnumString;
 use tracing::{instrument, Level};
 
-use std::fmt::Formatter;
+use std::fmt::{Debug, Formatter};
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, AtomicU64, Ordering};
 use std::{cell::Cell, fmt, rc::Rc, sync::Arc};
 
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ impl TursoRwLock {
 }
 
 /// Write-ahead log (WAL).
-pub trait Wal {
+pub trait Wal: Debug {
     /// Begin a read transaction.
     fn begin_read_tx(&mut self) -> Result<(LimboResult, bool)>;
 
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@ pub trait Wal {
         mode: CheckpointMode,
     ) -> Result<IOResult<CheckpointResult>>;
     fn sync(&mut self) -> Result<Completion>;
+    fn is_syncing(&self) -> bool;
     fn get_max_frame_in_wal(&self) -> u64;
     fn get_max_frame(&self) -> u64;
     fn get_min_frame(&self) -> u64;
@@ -1122,11 +1123,16 @@ impl Wal for WalFile {
             syncing.set(false);
         });
         let shared = self.get_shared();
-        let c = shared.file.sync(completion)?;
         self.syncing.set(true);
+        let c = shared.file.sync(completion)?;
         Ok(c)
     }
 
+    // Currently used for assertion purposes
+    fn is_syncing(&self) -> bool {
+        self.syncing.get()
+    }
+
     fn get_max_frame_in_wal(&self) -> u64 {
         self.get_shared().max_frame.load(Ordering::Acquire)
     }