diff --git a/swarm/storage/localstore/accessor_test.go b/swarm/storage/localstore/accessor_test.go
index 1c847b7529..f09eb82ee1 100644
--- a/swarm/storage/localstore/accessor_test.go
+++ b/swarm/storage/localstore/accessor_test.go
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ func testAccessors(t *testing.T, db *DB) {
 		ModeSyncing,
 		ModeUpload,
 		ModeRequest,
-		ModeSynced,
 		modeAccess,
 	} {
 		t.Run(ModeName(m), func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -75,6 +74,25 @@ func testAccessors(t *testing.T, db *DB) {
 		})
 	}
 
+	// Synced mode does not put the item to retrieval index.
+	t.Run(ModeName(ModeSynced), func(t *testing.T) {
+		a := db.Accessor(ModeSynced)
+
+		chunk := generateRandomChunk()
+
+		// first put a random chunk to the database
+		err := a.Put(context.Background(), chunk)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		wantError := storage.ErrChunkNotFound
+		_, err = a.Get(context.Background(), chunk.Address())
+		if err != wantError {
+			t.Errorf("got error %v, want %v", err, wantError)
+		}
+	})
+
 	// Removal mode is a special case as it removes the chunk
 	// from the database.
 	t.Run(ModeName(modeRemoval), func(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/swarm/storage/localstore/mode.go b/swarm/storage/localstore/mode.go
index 32b622762a..d914a8c4ed 100644
--- a/swarm/storage/localstore/mode.go
+++ b/swarm/storage/localstore/mode.go
@@ -181,9 +181,25 @@ func (db *DB) updateBatch(b *batch, mode Mode, item shed.IndexItem) (err error)
 		// delete from push, insert to gc
 		item.StoreTimestamp = now()
 		if db.useRetrievalCompositeIndex {
-			db.retrievalCompositeIndex.PutInBatch(b.Batch, item)
+			i, err := db.retrievalCompositeIndex.Get(item)
+			switch err {
+			case nil:
+				item.AccessTimestamp = i.AccessTimestamp
+			case leveldb.ErrNotFound:
+				item.AccessTimestamp = now()
+			default:
+				return err
+			}
 		} else {
-			db.retrievalDataIndex.PutInBatch(b.Batch, item)
+			i, err := db.retrievalAccessIndex.Get(item)
+			switch err {
+			case nil:
+				item.AccessTimestamp = i.AccessTimestamp
+			case leveldb.ErrNotFound:
+				item.AccessTimestamp = now()
+			default:
+				return err
+			}
 		}
 		db.pushIndex.DeleteInBatch(b.Batch, item)
 		db.gcIndex.PutInBatch(b.Batch, item)
diff --git a/swarm/storage/localstore/mode_test.go b/swarm/storage/localstore/mode_test.go
index 75a48397e0..8d72f829a6 100644
--- a/swarm/storage/localstore/mode_test.go
+++ b/swarm/storage/localstore/mode_test.go
@@ -158,19 +158,61 @@ func testModeRequestValues(t *testing.T, db *DB) {
 		return wantTimestamp
 	}
 
-	wantSize, err := db.sizeCounter.Get()
+	err := a.Put(context.Background(), chunk)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	t.Run("retrieve indexes", testRetrieveIndexesValuesWithAccess(db, chunk, wantTimestamp, wantTimestamp))
+
+	t.Run("gc index", testGCIndexValues(db, chunk, wantTimestamp, wantTimestamp))
+}
+
+// TestModeSynced validates internal data operations and state
+// for ModeSynced on DB with default configuration.
+func TestModeSynced(t *testing.T) {
+	db, cleanupFunc := newTestDB(t)
+	defer cleanupFunc()
+
+	testModeSyncedValues(t, db)
+}
+
+// TestModeSynced_withRetrievalCompositeIndex validates internal
+// data operations and state for ModeSynced on DB with
+// retrieval composite index enabled.
+func TestModeSynced_withRetrievalCompositeIndex(t *testing.T) {
+	db, cleanupFunc := newTestDB(t, WithRetrievalCompositeIndex(true))
+	defer cleanupFunc()
+
+	testModeSyncedValues(t, db)
+}
+
+// testModeSyncedValues validates ModeSynced on the provided DB.
+func testModeSyncedValues(t *testing.T, db *DB) {
+	a := db.Accessor(ModeSyncing)
+
+	chunk := generateRandomChunk()
+
+	wantTimestamp := time.Now().UTC().UnixNano()
+	now = func() (t int64) {
+		return wantTimestamp
+	}
+
+	err := a.Put(context.Background(), chunk)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	a = db.Accessor(ModeSynced)
+
 	err = a.Put(context.Background(), chunk)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	wantSize++
+	t.Run("retrieve indexes", testRetrieveIndexesValues(db, chunk, wantTimestamp, wantTimestamp))
 
-	t.Run("retrieve indexes", testRetrieveIndexesValuesWithAccess(db, chunk, wantTimestamp, wantTimestamp))
+	t.Run("push index", testPushIndexValues(db, chunk, wantTimestamp, leveldb.ErrNotFound))
 
 	t.Run("gc index", testGCIndexValues(db, chunk, wantTimestamp, wantTimestamp))
 }
@@ -246,16 +288,18 @@ func testPullIndexValues(db *DB, chunk storage.Chunk, storeTimestamp int64) func
 
 // testPushIndexValues returns a test function that validates if the right
 // chunk values are in the push index.
-func testPushIndexValues(db *DB, chunk storage.Chunk, storeTimestamp int64) func(t *testing.T) {
+func testPushIndexValues(db *DB, chunk storage.Chunk, storeTimestamp int64, wantError error) func(t *testing.T) {
 	return func(t *testing.T) {
 		item, err := db.pushIndex.Get(shed.IndexItem{
 			Address:        chunk.Address(),
 			StoreTimestamp: storeTimestamp,
 		})
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatal(err)
+		if err != wantError {
+			t.Errorf("got error %v, want %v", err, wantError)
+		}
+		if err == nil {
+			validateItem(t, item, chunk.Address(), nil, storeTimestamp, 0)
 		}
-		validateItem(t, item, chunk.Address(), nil, storeTimestamp, 0)
 	}
 }