diff --git a/net/download/service/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/net/download/service/feed/FeedUpdateWorker.java b/net/download/service/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/net/download/service/feed/FeedUpdateWorker.java
index fb0cb7e40..a62ded3a3 100644
--- a/net/download/service/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/net/download/service/feed/FeedUpdateWorker.java
+++ b/net/download/service/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/net/download/service/feed/FeedUpdateWorker.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import de.danoeh.antennapod.net.download.service.feed.remote.Downloader;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.net.download.service.feed.remote.FeedParserTask;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.net.download.serviceinterface.AutoDownloadManager;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.net.download.serviceinterface.DownloadRequestCreator;
+import de.danoeh.antennapod.net.sync.serviceinterface.SynchronizationQueue;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.storage.database.DBReader;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.storage.database.FeedDatabaseWriter;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.storage.database.DBWriter;
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ public class FeedUpdateWorker extends Worker {
         NonSubscribedFeedsCleaner.deleteOldNonSubscribedFeeds(getApplicationContext());
         AutoDownloadManager.getInstance().autodownloadUndownloadedItems(getApplicationContext());
         notificationManager.cancel(R.id.notification_updating_feeds);
+        SynchronizationQueue.getInstance().syncImmediately();
         return Result.success();
     }
 
diff --git a/net/sync/service/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/net/sync/service/SyncService.java b/net/sync/service/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/net/sync/service/SyncService.java
index 6076f4b5a..fd8ed94a4 100644
--- a/net/sync/service/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/net/sync/service/SyncService.java
+++ b/net/sync/service/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/net/sync/service/SyncService.java
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import androidx.core.content.ContextCompat;
 import androidx.core.util.Pair;
 import androidx.work.Worker;
 import androidx.work.WorkerParameters;
-import de.danoeh.antennapod.event.FeedUpdateRunningEvent;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.event.MessageEvent;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.event.SyncServiceEvent;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.model.feed.Feed;
@@ -70,12 +69,21 @@ public class SyncService extends Worker {
             return Result.success();
         }
 
-        SynchronizationSettings.updateLastSynchronizationAttempt();
+        if (currentlyActive) {
+            return Result.success();
+        }
         currentlyActive = true;
+        SynchronizationSettings.updateLastSynchronizationAttempt();
         try {
             activeSyncProvider.login();
             syncSubscriptions(activeSyncProvider);
-            waitForDownloadServiceCompleted();
+            if (someFeedWasNotRefreshedYet()) {
+                // Note that this service might get called several times before the FeedUpdate completes
+                Log.d(TAG, "Found new subscriptions. Need to refresh them before syncing episode actions");
+                EventBus.getDefault().postSticky(new SyncServiceEvent(R.string.sync_status_wait_for_downloads));
+                FeedUpdateManager.getInstance().runOnce(getApplicationContext());
+                return Result.success();
+            }
             syncEpisodeActions(activeSyncProvider);
             activeSyncProvider.logout();
             clearErrorNotifications();
@@ -102,6 +110,15 @@ public class SyncService extends Worker {
         }
     }
 
+    private boolean someFeedWasNotRefreshedYet() {
+        for (Feed feed : DBReader.getFeedList()) {
+            if (feed.getLastRefreshAttempt() == 0) {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
     /* package-private */ static boolean isCurrentlyActive() {
         return currentlyActive;
     }
@@ -125,8 +142,7 @@ public class SyncService extends Worker {
             if (!UrlChecker.containsUrl(localSubscriptions, downloadUrl) && !queuedRemovedFeeds.contains(downloadUrl)) {
                 Feed feed = new Feed(downloadUrl, null, "Unknown podcast");
                 feed.setItems(Collections.emptyList());
-                Feed newFeed = FeedDatabaseWriter.updateFeed(getApplicationContext(), feed, false);
-                FeedUpdateManager.getInstance().runOnce(getApplicationContext(), newFeed);
+                FeedDatabaseWriter.updateFeed(getApplicationContext(), feed, false);
             }
         }
 
@@ -140,11 +156,15 @@ public class SyncService extends Worker {
         if (lastSync == 0) {
             Log.d(TAG, "First sync. Adding all local subscriptions.");
             queuedAddedFeeds = localSubscriptions;
-            queuedAddedFeeds.removeAll(subscriptionChanges.getAdded());
-            queuedRemovedFeeds.removeAll(subscriptionChanges.getRemoved());
         }
 
-        if (!queuedAddedFeeds.isEmpty() || !queuedRemovedFeeds.isEmpty()) {
+        queuedAddedFeeds.removeAll(subscriptionChanges.getAdded());
+        queuedRemovedFeeds.removeAll(subscriptionChanges.getRemoved());
+
+        if (queuedAddedFeeds.isEmpty() && queuedRemovedFeeds.isEmpty()) {
+            Log.d(TAG, "No feeds to add or remove from server");
+            synchronizationQueueStorage.clearFeedQueues();
+        } else {
             Log.d(TAG, "Added: " + StringUtils.join(queuedAddedFeeds, ", "));
             Log.d(TAG, "Removed: " + StringUtils.join(queuedRemovedFeeds, ", "));
 
@@ -161,22 +181,6 @@ public class SyncService extends Worker {
         SynchronizationSettings.setLastSubscriptionSynchronizationAttemptTimestamp(newTimeStamp);
     }
 
-    private void waitForDownloadServiceCompleted() {
-        EventBus.getDefault().postSticky(new SyncServiceEvent(R.string.sync_status_wait_for_downloads));
-        try {
-            while (true) {
-                //noinspection BusyWait
-                Thread.sleep(1000);
-                FeedUpdateRunningEvent event = EventBus.getDefault().getStickyEvent(FeedUpdateRunningEvent.class);
-                if (event == null || !event.isFeedUpdateRunning) {
-                    return;
-                }
-            }
-        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
-            e.printStackTrace();
-        }
-    }
-
     private void syncEpisodeActions(ISyncService syncServiceImpl) throws SyncServiceException {
         final long lastSync = SynchronizationSettings.getLastEpisodeActionSynchronizationTimestamp();
         EventBus.getDefault().postSticky(new SyncServiceEvent(R.string.sync_status_episodes_download));
diff --git a/ui/i18n/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/ui/i18n/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index bfdd5ae99..fe03c8ed5 100644
--- a/ui/i18n/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/ui/i18n/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -571,7 +571,7 @@
     <string name="sync_status_episodes_download">Downloading episode changes…</string>
     <string name="sync_status_upload_played">Uploading played status…</string>
     <string name="sync_status_subscriptions">Synchronizing subscriptions…</string>
-    <string name="sync_status_wait_for_downloads">Waiting for downloads to complete…</string>
+    <string name="sync_status_wait_for_downloads">Waiting for subscriptions refresh…</string>
     <string name="sync_status_success">Synchronization successful</string>
     <string name="sync_status_error">Synchronization failed</string>