diff --git a/zebra-network/src/lib.rs b/zebra-network/src/lib.rs
index f658b8d6..b3a6cb2c 100644
--- a/zebra-network/src/lib.rs
+++ b/zebra-network/src/lib.rs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 #![deny(missing_docs)]
 // Tracing causes false positives on this lint:
 // https://github.com/tokio-rs/tracing/issues/553
-#![allow(clippy::cognitive_complexity)]
+#![allow(clippy::cognitive_complexity, clippy::try_err)]
 
 #[macro_use]
 extern crate pin_project;
diff --git a/zebra-network/src/peer_set/initialize.rs b/zebra-network/src/peer_set/initialize.rs
index 1327d50b..02f7577f 100644
--- a/zebra-network/src/peer_set/initialize.rs
+++ b/zebra-network/src/peer_set/initialize.rs
@@ -72,45 +72,38 @@ where
     let (peerset_tx, peerset_rx) = mpsc::channel::<PeerChange>(100);
     // Create an mpsc channel for peerset demand signaling.
     let (mut demand_tx, demand_rx) = mpsc::channel::<()>(100);
+    let (handle_tx, handle_rx) = tokio::sync::oneshot::channel();
 
     // Connect the rx end to a PeerSet, wrapping new peers in load instruments.
-    let peer_set = Buffer::new(
-        PeerSet::new(
-            PeakEwmaDiscover::new(
-                ServiceStream::new(
-                    // ServiceStream interprets an error as stream termination,
-                    // so discard any errored connections...
-                    peerset_rx.filter(|result| future::ready(result.is_ok())),
-                ),
-                config.ewma_default_rtt,
-                config.ewma_decay_time,
-                NoInstrument,
+    let peer_set = PeerSet::new(
+        PeakEwmaDiscover::new(
+            ServiceStream::new(
+                // ServiceStream interprets an error as stream termination,
+                // so discard any errored connections...
+                peerset_rx.filter(|result| future::ready(result.is_ok())),
             ),
-            demand_tx.clone(),
+            config.ewma_default_rtt,
+            config.ewma_decay_time,
+            NoInstrument,
         ),
-        config.peerset_request_buffer_size,
+        demand_tx.clone(),
+        handle_rx,
     );
+    let peer_set = Buffer::new(peer_set, config.peerset_request_buffer_size);
 
     // Connect the tx end to the 3 peer sources:
 
     // 1. Initial peers, specified in the config.
-    tokio::spawn(add_initial_peers(
+    let add_guard = tokio::spawn(add_initial_peers(
         config.initial_peers(),
         connector.clone(),
         peerset_tx.clone(),
     ));
 
     // 2. Incoming peer connections, via a listener.
-    tokio::spawn(
-        listen(config.listen_addr, listener, peerset_tx.clone()).map(|result| {
-            if let Err(e) = result {
-                error!(%e);
-            }
-        }),
-    );
+    let listen_guard = tokio::spawn(listen(config.listen_addr, listener, peerset_tx.clone()));
 
     // 3. Outgoing peers we connect to in response to load.
-
     let mut candidates = CandidateSet::new(address_book.clone(), peer_set.clone());
 
     // We need to await candidates.update() here, because Zcashd only sends one
@@ -125,21 +118,18 @@ where
         let _ = demand_tx.try_send(());
     }
 
-    tokio::spawn(
-        crawl_and_dial(
-            config.new_peer_interval,
-            demand_tx,
-            demand_rx,
-            candidates,
-            connector,
-            peerset_tx,
-        )
-        .map(|result| {
-            if let Err(e) = result {
-                error!(%e);
-            }
-        }),
-    );
+    let crawl_guard = tokio::spawn(crawl_and_dial(
+        config.new_peer_interval,
+        demand_tx,
+        demand_rx,
+        candidates,
+        connector,
+        peerset_tx,
+    ));
+
+    handle_tx
+        .send(vec![add_guard, listen_guard, crawl_guard])
+        .unwrap();
 
     (peer_set, address_book)
 }
@@ -151,7 +141,8 @@ async fn add_initial_peers<S>(
     initial_peers: std::collections::HashSet<SocketAddr>,
     connector: S,
     mut tx: mpsc::Sender<PeerChange>,
-) where
+) -> Result<(), BoxedStdError>
+where
     S: Service<SocketAddr, Response = Change<SocketAddr, peer::Client>, Error = BoxedStdError>
         + Clone,
     S::Future: Send + 'static,
@@ -160,9 +151,12 @@ async fn add_initial_peers<S>(
     use tower::util::CallAllUnordered;
     let addr_stream = futures::stream::iter(initial_peers.into_iter());
     let mut handshakes = CallAllUnordered::new(connector, addr_stream);
+
     while let Some(handshake_result) = handshakes.next().await {
-        let _ = tx.send(handshake_result).await;
+        tx.send(handshake_result).await?;
     }
+
+    Ok(())
 }
 
 /// Bind to `addr`, listen for peers using `handshaker`, then send the
diff --git a/zebra-network/src/peer_set/set.rs b/zebra-network/src/peer_set/set.rs
index eeedb98e..a7e2c49f 100644
--- a/zebra-network/src/peer_set/set.rs
+++ b/zebra-network/src/peer_set/set.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ use futures::{
     stream::FuturesUnordered,
 };
 use indexmap::IndexMap;
+use tokio::sync::oneshot::error::TryRecvError;
+use tokio::task::JoinHandle;
 use tower::{
     discover::{Change, Discover},
     Service,
@@ -77,6 +79,15 @@ where
     unready_services: FuturesUnordered<UnreadyService<D::Key, D::Service, Request>>,
     next_idx: Option<usize>,
     demand_signal: mpsc::Sender<()>,
+    /// Channel for passing ownership of tokio JoinHandles from PeerSet's background tasks
+    ///
+    /// The join handles passed into the PeerSet are used populate the `guards` member
+    handle_rx: tokio::sync::oneshot::Receiver<Vec<JoinHandle<Result<(), BoxedStdError>>>>,
+    /// Unordered set of handles to background tasks associated with the `PeerSet`
+    ///
+    /// These guards are checked for errors as part of `poll_ready` which lets
+    /// the `PeerSet` propagate errors from background tasks back to the user
+    guards: futures::stream::FuturesUnordered<JoinHandle<Result<(), BoxedStdError>>>,
 }
 
 impl<D> PeerSet<D>
@@ -90,7 +101,11 @@ where
     <D::Service as Load>::Metric: Debug,
 {
     /// Construct a peerset which uses `discover` internally.
-    pub fn new(discover: D, demand_signal: mpsc::Sender<()>) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(
+        discover: D,
+        demand_signal: mpsc::Sender<()>,
+        handle_rx: tokio::sync::oneshot::Receiver<Vec<JoinHandle<Result<(), BoxedStdError>>>>,
+    ) -> Self {
         Self {
             discover,
             ready_services: IndexMap::new(),
@@ -98,6 +113,8 @@ where
             unready_services: FuturesUnordered::new(),
             next_idx: None,
             demand_signal,
+            guards: futures::stream::FuturesUnordered::new(),
+            handle_rx,
         }
     }
 
@@ -152,6 +169,30 @@ where
         });
     }
 
+    fn check_for_background_errors(&mut self, cx: &mut Context) -> Result<(), BoxedStdError> {
+        if self.guards.is_empty() {
+            match self.handle_rx.try_recv() {
+                Ok(handles) => {
+                    for handle in handles {
+                        self.guards.push(handle);
+                    }
+                }
+                Err(TryRecvError::Closed) => unreachable!(
+                    "try_recv will never be called if the futures have already been received"
+                ),
+                Err(TryRecvError::Empty) => return Ok(()),
+            }
+        }
+
+        match Pin::new(&mut self.guards).poll_next(cx) {
+            Poll::Pending => {}
+            Poll::Ready(Some(res)) => res??,
+            Poll::Ready(None) => Err("all background tasks have exited")?,
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     fn poll_unready(&mut self, cx: &mut Context<'_>) {
         loop {
             match Pin::new(&mut self.unready_services).poll_next(cx) {
@@ -223,6 +264,7 @@ where
         Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Result<Self::Response, Self::Error>> + Send + 'static>>;
 
     fn poll_ready(&mut self, cx: &mut Context<'_>) -> Poll<Result<(), Self::Error>> {
+        self.check_for_background_errors(cx)?;
         // Process peer discovery updates.
         let _ = self.poll_discover(cx)?;
 
diff --git a/zebrad/Cargo.toml b/zebrad/Cargo.toml
index 1abcb271..6602fe35 100644
--- a/zebrad/Cargo.toml
+++ b/zebrad/Cargo.toml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ serde = { version = "1", features = ["serde_derive"] }
 toml = "0.5"
 thiserror = "1"
 
-tokio = { version = "0.2", features = ["time", "rt-threaded", "stream"] }
+tokio = { version = "0.2", features = ["time", "rt-threaded", "stream", "macros"] }
 futures = "0.3"
 
 tracing = "0.1"
diff --git a/zebrad/src/commands/connect.rs b/zebrad/src/commands/connect.rs
index 79f202f4..db804602 100644
--- a/zebrad/src/commands/connect.rs
+++ b/zebrad/src/commands/connect.rs
@@ -33,10 +33,17 @@ impl Runnable for ConnectCmd {
             .rt
             .take();
 
-        rt.expect("runtime should not already be taken")
-            .block_on(self.connect())
-            // Surface any error that occurred executing the future.
-            .unwrap();
+        let result = rt
+            .expect("runtime should not already be taken")
+            .block_on(self.connect());
+
+        match result {
+            Ok(()) => {}
+            Err(e) => {
+                eprintln!("Error: {:?}", e);
+                std::process::exit(1);
+            }
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/zebrad/src/commands/seed.rs b/zebrad/src/commands/seed.rs
index 2c0c11a0..c99bf3f7 100644
--- a/zebrad/src/commands/seed.rs
+++ b/zebrad/src/commands/seed.rs
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ impl SeedCmd {
 
         let config = app_config().network.clone();
 
-        let (mut peer_set, address_book) = zebra_network::init(config, buffered_svc.clone()).await;
+        let (mut peer_set, address_book) = zebra_network::init(config, buffered_svc).await;
 
         let _ = addressbook_tx.send(address_book);
 
diff --git a/zebrad/src/commands/start.rs b/zebrad/src/commands/start.rs
index 35c2b67e..5109e774 100644
--- a/zebrad/src/commands/start.rs
+++ b/zebrad/src/commands/start.rs
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ impl Runnable for StartCmd {
         let default_config = ZebradConfig::default();
         println!("Default config: {:?}", default_config);
 
-        println!("Toml:\n{}", toml::to_string(&default_config).unwrap());
+        println!("Toml:\n{}", toml::Value::try_from(&default_config).unwrap());
 
         info!("Starting placeholder loop");
 
diff --git a/zebrad/src/config.rs b/zebrad/src/config.rs
index 6b4e502a..0ddc0138 100644
--- a/zebrad/src/config.rs
+++ b/zebrad/src/config.rs
@@ -53,3 +53,16 @@ impl Default for MetricsSection {
         }
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod test {
+    #[test]
+    fn test_toml_ser() -> color_eyre::Result<()> {
+        let default_config = super::ZebradConfig::default();
+        println!("Default config: {:?}", default_config);
+
+        println!("Toml:\n{}", toml::Value::try_from(&default_config)?);
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}