diff --git a/common/commonspace/synctree/synctree.go b/common/commonspace/synctree/synctree.go
index 6a56593d..e471a961 100644
--- a/common/commonspace/synctree/synctree.go
+++ b/common/commonspace/synctree/synctree.go
@@ -85,7 +85,9 @@ func DeriveSyncTree(ctx context.Context, deps CreateDeps) (t tree.ObjectTree, er
 	t = syncTree
 	syncTree.Lock()
 	defer syncTree.Unlock()
-	syncTree.listener.Rebuild(syncTree)
+	if syncTree.listener != nil {
+		syncTree.listener.Rebuild(syncTree)
+	}
 
 	headUpdate := syncClient.CreateHeadUpdate(t, nil)
 	err = syncClient.BroadcastAsync(headUpdate)
@@ -113,7 +115,10 @@ func CreateSyncTree(ctx context.Context, deps CreateDeps) (t tree.ObjectTree, er
 	t = syncTree
 	syncTree.Lock()
 	defer syncTree.Unlock()
-	syncTree.listener.Rebuild(syncTree)
+	// TODO: refactor here because the code is duplicated, when we create a tree we should only create a storage and then build a tree
+	if syncTree.listener != nil {
+		syncTree.listener.Rebuild(syncTree)
+	}
 
 	headUpdate := syncClient.CreateHeadUpdate(t, nil)
 	err = syncClient.BroadcastAsync(headUpdate)
@@ -210,7 +215,9 @@ func buildSyncTree(ctx context.Context, isFirstBuild bool, deps BuildDeps) (t tr
 	t = syncTree
 	syncTree.Lock()
 	defer syncTree.Unlock()
-	syncTree.listener.Rebuild(syncTree)
+	if syncTree.listener != nil {
+		syncTree.listener.Rebuild(syncTree)
+	}
 
 	headUpdate := syncTree.syncClient.CreateHeadUpdate(t, nil)
 	// here we will have different behaviour based on who is sending this update