diff --git a/src/app.rs b/src/app.rs
--- a/src/app.rs
+++ b/src/app.rs
@@ -157,31 +157,36 @@
     }
 
     pub async fn create_invite(&self, folder_path: &Path) -> AppResult<String> {
+        let node = self.load_node().await?;
+        let result = self.create_invite_with_node(folder_path, &node).await;
+        node.shutdown().await?;
+        result
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) async fn create_invite_with_node(
+        &self,
+        folder_path: &Path,
+        node: &NodeHost,
+    ) -> AppResult<String> {
         let folder = self.require_folder(folder_path)?;
         let roster = self
             .state_store
             .load_roster(folder.id)?
             .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("folder has no signed roster"))?;
-        let node = self.load_node().await?;
-        let result = async {
-            node.wait_until_online().await?;
-            let mut invite = Invite {
-                protocol_version: PROTOCOL_VERSION,
-                folder_id: folder.id,
-                folder_name: folder.name.clone(),
-                inviter_device_id: node.endpoint_address().id.to_string(),
-                inviter_endpoint: node.endpoint_address(),
-                capability: folder.capability.clone(),
-                roster,
-                expires_at: OffsetDateTime::now_utc() + INVITE_TTL,
-                signature: None,
-            };
-            invite.sign(&self.paths.load_identity()?)?;
-            encode_invite(&invite)
-        }
-        .await;
-        node.shutdown().await?;
-        result
+        node.wait_until_online().await?;
+        let mut invite = Invite {
+            protocol_version: PROTOCOL_VERSION,
+            folder_id: folder.id,
+            folder_name: folder.name.clone(),
+            inviter_device_id: node.endpoint_address().id.to_string(),
+            inviter_endpoint: node.endpoint_address(),
+            capability: folder.capability.clone(),
+            roster,
+            expires_at: OffsetDateTime::now_utc() + INVITE_TTL,
+            signature: None,
+        };
+        invite.sign(&self.paths.load_identity()?)?;
+        encode_invite(&invite)
     }
 
     pub fn join_folder(&self, folder_path: &Path, ticket: &str) -> AppResult<FolderConfig> {
diff --git a/src/daemon.rs b/src/daemon.rs
--- a/src/daemon.rs
+++ b/src/daemon.rs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
             } => result?,
             accepted = listener.accept() => {
                 let (mut stream, _) = accepted?;
-                handle_connection(&service, &mut stream).await;
+                handle_connection(&service, &sync_runner, &mut stream).await;
             }
         }
     }
@@ -52,10 +52,14 @@
     remove_stale_socket(&socket_path)
 }
 
-async fn handle_connection(service: &AppaService, stream: &mut UnixStream) {
+async fn handle_connection(
+    service: &AppaService,
+    sync_runner: &SyncRunner,
+    stream: &mut UnixStream,
+) {
     let response = match ipc::read_message::<Request>(stream).await {
         Ok(request) if request.protocol_version == PROTOCOL_VERSION => {
-            handle_command(service, request.command).await
+            handle_command(service, sync_runner, request.command).await
         }
         Ok(request) => Response::Error(format!(
             "unsupported Appa daemon protocol version {}; expected {PROTOCOL_VERSION}",
@@ -68,7 +72,11 @@
     }
 }
 
-async fn handle_command(service: &AppaService, command: Command) -> Response {
+async fn handle_command(
+    service: &AppaService,
+    sync_runner: &SyncRunner,
+    command: Command,
+) -> Response {
     let result = match command {
         Command::Dashboard => service_dashboard(service).map(Response::Dashboard),
         Command::FolderDetails { folder_path } => {
@@ -84,7 +92,7 @@
             .join_folder(&folder_path, &invitation)
             .map(|_| Response::Success),
         Command::CreateInvite { folder_path } => service
-            .create_invite(&folder_path)
+            .create_invite_with_node(&folder_path, sync_runner.node())
             .await
             .map(Response::Invitation),
         Command::RevokeMember {
diff --git a/src/app/run.rs b/src/app/run.rs
--- a/src/app/run.rs
+++ b/src/app/run.rs
@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@
     pub(crate) async fn shutdown(self) -> AppResult<()> {
         self.node.shutdown().await
     }
+
+    pub(crate) fn node(&self) -> &NodeHost {
+        &self.node
+    }
 }
 
 impl AppaService {