diff --git a/.github/workflows/client-test.yml b/.github/workflows/client-test.yml
index f91a95d..2e08c61 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/client-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/client-test.yml
@@ -71,14 +71,21 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         source tests/ci.sh && ci_configure_softhsm
 
-    - name: '☁️  Connect to IoT cloud (CPython / Basic Auth)'
+    - name: '☁️  Connect to IoT cloud (CPython / Basic Auth / Async)'
       env:
         DEVICE_ID: ${{ secrets.DEVICE_ID1 }}
         SECRET_KEY: ${{ secrets.SECRET_KEY }}
       run: |
         python tests/ci.py --basic-auth
 
-    - name: '☁️  Connect to IoT cloud (CPython / Key/Cert Auth)'
+    - name: '☁️  Connect to IoT cloud (CPython / Basic Auth / Sync)'
+      env:
+        DEVICE_ID: ${{ secrets.DEVICE_ID1 }}
+        SECRET_KEY: ${{ secrets.SECRET_KEY }}
+      run: |
+        python tests/ci.py --basic-auth --sync
+
+    - name: '☁️  Connect to IoT cloud (CPython / Key-Cert Auth / Async)'
       env:
         DEVICE_ID: ${{ secrets.DEVICE_ID2 }}
         SECRET_KEY: ${{ secrets.SECRET_KEY }}
@@ -86,7 +93,7 @@ jobs:
         python tests/ci.py --file-auth
 
 
-    - name: '☁️  Connect to IoT cloud (CPython / Crypto Auth)'
+    - name: '☁️  Connect to IoT cloud (CPython / Crypto Auth / Async)'
       env:
         DEVICE_ID: ${{ secrets.DEVICE_ID2 }}
         SECRET_KEY: ${{ secrets.SECRET_KEY }}
@@ -94,7 +101,7 @@ jobs:
         export SOFTHSM2_CONF="${HOME}/softhsm/tokens/softhsm2.conf"
         python tests/ci.py --crypto-device
 
-    - name: '☁️  Connect to IoT cloud (MicroPython / Basic Auth)'
+    - name: '☁️  Connect to IoT cloud (MicroPython / Basic Auth / Async)'
       env:
         DEVICE_ID: ${{ secrets.DEVICE_ID1 }}
         SECRET_KEY: ${{ secrets.SECRET_KEY }}
@@ -102,3 +109,12 @@ jobs:
         export PATH="${HOME}/cache/bin:${PATH}"
         micropython -c "import sys; print(sys.path)"
         micropython tests/ci.py --basic-auth
+
+    - name: '☁️  Connect to IoT cloud (MicroPython / Basic Auth / Sync)'
+      env:
+        DEVICE_ID: ${{ secrets.DEVICE_ID1 }}
+        SECRET_KEY: ${{ secrets.SECRET_KEY }}
+      run: |
+        export PATH="${HOME}/cache/bin:${PATH}"
+        micropython -c "import sys; print(sys.path)"
+        micropython tests/ci.py --basic-auth --sync
diff --git a/src/arduino_iot_cloud/ucloud.py b/src/arduino_iot_cloud/ucloud.py
index 2208a57..36e5e3b 100644
--- a/src/arduino_iot_cloud/ucloud.py
+++ b/src/arduino_iot_cloud/ucloud.py
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ def __init__(self, name, **kwargs):
         self._updated = False
         self.on_write_scheduled = False
         self.timestamp = timestamp()
-        self.last_run = timestamp_ms()
+        self.last_poll = timestamp_ms()
         self.runnable = any((self.on_run, self.on_read, self.on_write))
         callback = kwargs.pop("callback", self.senml_callback)
         for key in kwargs:  # kwargs should be empty by now, unless a wrong attr was used.
@@ -193,7 +193,6 @@ def __init__(
         self.thing_id = None
         self.keepalive = keepalive
         self.last_ping = timestamp()
-        self.last_run = timestamp()
         self.senmlpack = SenmlPack("", self.senml_generic_callback)
         self.ntp_server = ntp_server
         self.ntp_timeout = ntp_timeout
@@ -322,8 +321,20 @@ def mqtt_callback(self, topic, message):
         self.senmlpack.from_cbor(message)
         self.senmlpack.clear()
 
-    def ts_expired(self, record, ts):
-        return (ts - record.last_run) > int(record.interval * 1000)
+    def ts_expired(self, ts, last_ts_ms, interval_s):
+        return last_ts_ms == 0 or (ts - last_ts_ms) > int(interval_s * 1000)
+
+    def poll_records(self):
+        ts = timestamp_ms()
+        try:
+            for record in self.records.values():
+                if record.runnable and self.ts_expired(ts, record.last_poll, record.interval):
+                    record.run_sync(self)
+                    record.last_poll = ts
+        except Exception as e:
+            self.records.pop(record.name)
+            if log_level_enabled(logging.ERROR):
+                logging.error(f"task: {record.name} raised exception: {str(e)}.")
 
     def poll_connect(self, aiot=None):
         logging.info("Connecting to Arduino IoT cloud...")
@@ -332,7 +343,7 @@ def poll_connect(self, aiot=None):
         except Exception as e:
             if log_level_enabled(logging.WARNING):
                 logging.warning(f"Connection failed {e}, retrying...")
-            return False
+            return
 
         if self.thing_id is None:
             self.mqtt.subscribe(self.device_topic, qos=1)
@@ -341,10 +352,10 @@ def poll_connect(self, aiot=None):
 
         if self.async_mode:
             if self.thing_id is None:
-                self.register("discovery", on_run=self.poll_discovery, interval=0.100)
+                self.register("discovery", on_run=self.poll_discovery, interval=0.200)
             self.register("mqtt_task", on_run=self.poll_mqtt, interval=0.100)
             raise DoneException()
-        return True
+        self.connected = True
 
     def poll_discovery(self, aiot=None):
         self.mqtt.check_msg()
@@ -429,17 +440,26 @@ async def run(self, interval, backoff):
     def start(self, interval=1.0, backoff=1.2):
         if self.async_mode:
             asyncio.run(self.run(interval, backoff))
-        else:
-            # Synchronous mode.
-            while not self.poll_connect():
-                time.sleep(interval)
-                interval = min(interval * backoff, 5.0)
+            return
 
-            while self.thing_id is None:
+        last_conn_ms = 0
+        last_disc_ms = 0
+
+        while True:
+            ts = timestamp_ms()
+            if not self.connected and self.ts_expired(ts, last_conn_ms, interval):
+                self.poll_connect()
+                if last_conn_ms != 0:
+                    interval = min(interval * backoff, 5.0)
+                last_conn_ms = ts
+
+            if self.connected and self.thing_id is None and self.ts_expired(ts, last_disc_ms, 0.250):
                 self.poll_discovery()
-                time.sleep(0.100)
+                last_disc_ms = ts
 
-            self.connected = True
+            if self.connected and self.thing_id is not None:
+                break
+            self.poll_records()
 
     def update(self):
         if self.async_mode:
@@ -448,20 +468,10 @@ def update(self):
         if not self.connected:
             try:
                 self.start()
-                self.connected = True
             except Exception as e:
                 raise e
 
-        try:
-            ts = timestamp_ms()
-            for record in self.records.values():
-                if record.runnable and self.ts_expired(record, ts):
-                    record.run_sync(self)
-                    record.last_run = ts
-        except Exception as e:
-            self.records.pop(record.name)
-            if log_level_enabled(logging.ERROR):
-                logging.error(f"task: {record.name} raised exception: {str(e)}.")
+        self.poll_records()
 
         try:
             self.poll_mqtt()
@@ -469,4 +479,3 @@ def update(self):
             self.connected = False
             if log_level_enabled(logging.WARNING):
                 logging.warning(f"Connection lost {e}")
-            raise e
diff --git a/tests/ci.py b/tests/ci.py
index 41353e3..f639c49 100644
--- a/tests/ci.py
+++ b/tests/ci.py
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@
 # https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
 import logging
 import os
+import time
 import sys
 import asyncio
 from arduino_iot_cloud import ArduinoCloudClient
+from arduino_iot_cloud import Task
 import argparse
 
 
@@ -20,6 +22,16 @@ def on_value_changed(client, value):
     sys.exit(0)
 
 
+def wdt_task(client, ts=[None]):
+    if ts[0] is None:
+        ts[0] = time.time()
+    if time.time() - ts[0] > 5:
+        loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
+        loop.set_exception_handler(exception_handler)
+        logging.error("Timeout waiting for variable")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     # Parse command line args.
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="arduino_iot_cloud.py")
@@ -35,6 +47,9 @@ def on_value_changed(client, value):
     parser.add_argument(
         "-f", "--file-auth", action="store_true", help="Use key/cert files"
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-s", "--sync", action="store_true",  help="Run in synchronous mode"
+    )
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
     # Configure the logger.
@@ -56,6 +71,7 @@ def on_value_changed(client, value):
             device_id=os.getenv("DEVICE_ID"),
             username=os.getenv("DEVICE_ID"),
             password=os.getenv("SECRET_KEY"),
+            sync_mode=args.sync,
         )
     elif args.file_auth:
         import ssl
@@ -67,6 +83,7 @@ def on_value_changed(client, value):
                 "ca_certs": "ca-root.pem",
                 "cert_reqs": ssl.CERT_REQUIRED,
             },
+            sync_mode=args.sync,
         )
     elif args.crypto_device:
         import ssl
@@ -82,16 +99,17 @@ def on_value_changed(client, value):
                 "engine_path": "/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/engines-3/libpkcs11.so",
                 "module_path": "/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/softhsm/libsofthsm2.so",
             },
+            sync_mode=args.sync,
         )
     else:
         parser.print_help()
         sys.exit(1)
 
     # Register cloud objects.
-    # Note: The following objects must be created first in the dashboard and linked to the device.
-    # This cloud object is initialized with its last known value from the cloud. When this object is updated
-    # from the dashboard, the on_switch_changed function is called with the client object and the new value.
+    # When this object gets initialized from the cloud the test is complete.
     client.register("answer", value=None, on_write=on_value_changed)
+    # This task will exist with failure after a timeout.
+    client.register(Task("wdt_task", on_run=wdt_task, interval=1.0))
 
     # Start the Arduino IoT cloud client.
     client.start()