diff --git a/swarm/network/stream/snapshot_sync_test.go b/swarm/network/stream/snapshot_sync_test.go
index 7e1ecc909d..6af19c12ab 100644
--- a/swarm/network/stream/snapshot_sync_test.go
+++ b/swarm/network/stream/snapshot_sync_test.go
@@ -106,43 +106,6 @@ func TestSyncingViaGlobalSync(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestSyncingViaDirectSubscribe(t *testing.T) {
-	if runtime.GOOS == "darwin" && os.Getenv("TRAVIS") == "true" {
-		t.Skip("Flaky on mac on travis")
-	}
-	//if nodes/chunks have been provided via commandline,
-	//run the tests with these values
-	if *nodes != 0 && *chunks != 0 {
-		log.Info(fmt.Sprintf("Running test with %d chunks and %d nodes...", *chunks, *nodes))
-		err := testSyncingViaDirectSubscribe(t, *chunks, *nodes)
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatal(err)
-		}
-	} else {
-		var nodeCnt []int
-		var chnkCnt []int
-		//if the `longrunning` flag has been provided
-		//run more test combinations
-		if *longrunning {
-			chnkCnt = []int{1, 8, 32, 256, 1024}
-			nodeCnt = []int{32, 16}
-		} else {
-			//default test
-			chnkCnt = []int{4, 32}
-			nodeCnt = []int{32, 16}
-		}
-		for _, chnk := range chnkCnt {
-			for _, n := range nodeCnt {
-				log.Info(fmt.Sprintf("Long running test with %d chunks and %d nodes...", chnk, n))
-				err := testSyncingViaDirectSubscribe(t, chnk, n)
-				if err != nil {
-					t.Fatal(err)
-				}
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 var simServiceMap = map[string]simulation.ServiceFunc{
 	"streamer": streamerFunc,
 }
@@ -323,235 +286,6 @@ func runSim(conf *synctestConfig, ctx context.Context, sim *simulation.Simulatio
 	})
 }
 
-/*
-The test generates the given number of chunks
-
-For every chunk generated, the nearest node addresses
-are identified, we verify that the nodes closer to the
-chunk addresses actually do have the chunks in their local stores.
-
-The test loads a snapshot file to construct the swarm network,
-assuming that the snapshot file identifies a healthy
-kademlia network. The snapshot should have 'streamer' in its service list.
-*/
-func testSyncingViaDirectSubscribe(t *testing.T, chunkCount int, nodeCount int) error {
-
-	sim := simulation.New(map[string]simulation.ServiceFunc{
-		"streamer": func(ctx *adapters.ServiceContext, bucket *sync.Map) (s node.Service, cleanup func(), err error) {
-			n := ctx.Config.Node()
-			addr := network.NewAddr(n)
-			store, datadir, err := createTestLocalStorageForID(n.ID(), addr)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, nil, err
-			}
-			bucket.Store(bucketKeyStore, store)
-			localStore := store.(*storage.LocalStore)
-			netStore, err := storage.NewNetStore(localStore, nil)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, nil, err
-			}
-			kad := network.NewKademlia(addr.Over(), network.NewKadParams())
-			delivery := NewDelivery(kad, netStore)
-			netStore.NewNetFetcherFunc = network.NewFetcherFactory(dummyRequestFromPeers, true).New
-
-			r := NewRegistry(addr.ID(), delivery, netStore, state.NewInmemoryStore(), &RegistryOptions{
-				Retrieval: RetrievalDisabled,
-				Syncing:   SyncingRegisterOnly,
-			}, nil)
-			bucket.Store(bucketKeyRegistry, r)
-
-			fileStore := storage.NewFileStore(netStore, storage.NewFileStoreParams())
-			bucket.Store(bucketKeyFileStore, fileStore)
-
-			cleanup = func() {
-				os.RemoveAll(datadir)
-				netStore.Close()
-				r.Close()
-			}
-
-			return r, cleanup, nil
-
-		},
-	})
-	defer sim.Close()
-
-	ctx, cancelSimRun := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 2*time.Minute)
-	defer cancelSimRun()
-
-	conf := &synctestConfig{}
-	//map of discover ID to indexes of chunks expected at that ID
-	conf.idToChunksMap = make(map[enode.ID][]int)
-	//map of overlay address to discover ID
-	conf.addrToIDMap = make(map[string]enode.ID)
-	//array where the generated chunk hashes will be stored
-	conf.hashes = make([]storage.Address, 0)
-
-	err := sim.UploadSnapshot(fmt.Sprintf("testing/snapshot_%d.json", nodeCount))
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	if _, err := sim.WaitTillHealthy(ctx); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	disconnections := sim.PeerEvents(
-		context.Background(),
-		sim.NodeIDs(),
-		simulation.NewPeerEventsFilter().Drop(),
-	)
-
-	var disconnected atomic.Value
-	go func() {
-		for d := range disconnections {
-			if d.Error != nil {
-				log.Error("peer drop", "node", d.NodeID, "peer", d.PeerID)
-				disconnected.Store(true)
-			}
-		}
-	}()
-
-	result := sim.Run(ctx, func(ctx context.Context, sim *simulation.Simulation) error {
-		nodeIDs := sim.UpNodeIDs()
-		for _, n := range nodeIDs {
-			//get the kademlia overlay address from this ID
-			a := n.Bytes()
-			//append it to the array of all overlay addresses
-			conf.addrs = append(conf.addrs, a)
-			//the proximity calculation is on overlay addr,
-			//the p2p/simulations check func triggers on enode.ID,
-			//so we need to know which overlay addr maps to which nodeID
-			conf.addrToIDMap[string(a)] = n
-		}
-
-		var subscriptionCount int
-
-		filter := simulation.NewPeerEventsFilter().ReceivedMessages().Protocol("stream").MsgCode(4)
-		eventC := sim.PeerEvents(ctx, nodeIDs, filter)
-
-		for j, node := range nodeIDs {
-			log.Trace(fmt.Sprintf("Start syncing subscriptions: %d", j))
-			//start syncing!
-			item, ok := sim.NodeItem(node, bucketKeyRegistry)
-			if !ok {
-				return fmt.Errorf("No registry")
-			}
-			registry := item.(*Registry)
-
-			var cnt int
-			cnt, err = startSyncing(registry, conf)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			//increment the number of subscriptions we need to wait for
-			//by the count returned from startSyncing (SYNC subscriptions)
-			subscriptionCount += cnt
-		}
-
-		for e := range eventC {
-			if e.Error != nil {
-				return e.Error
-			}
-			subscriptionCount--
-			if subscriptionCount == 0 {
-				break
-			}
-		}
-		//select a random node for upload
-		node := sim.Net.GetRandomUpNode()
-		item, ok := sim.NodeItem(node.ID(), bucketKeyStore)
-		if !ok {
-			return fmt.Errorf("No localstore")
-		}
-		lstore := item.(*storage.LocalStore)
-		hashes, err := uploadFileToSingleNodeStore(node.ID(), chunkCount, lstore)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		conf.hashes = append(conf.hashes, hashes...)
-		mapKeysToNodes(conf)
-
-		if _, err := sim.WaitTillHealthy(ctx); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		var globalStore mock.GlobalStorer
-		if *useMockStore {
-			globalStore = mockmem.NewGlobalStore()
-		}
-		// File retrieval check is repeated until all uploaded files are retrieved from all nodes
-		// or until the timeout is reached.
-	REPEAT:
-		for {
-			for _, id := range nodeIDs {
-				//for each expected chunk, check if it is in the local store
-				localChunks := conf.idToChunksMap[id]
-				for _, ch := range localChunks {
-					//get the real chunk by the index in the index array
-					chunk := conf.hashes[ch]
-					log.Trace(fmt.Sprintf("node has chunk: %s:", chunk))
-					//check if the expected chunk is indeed in the localstore
-					var err error
-					if *useMockStore {
-						//use the globalStore if the mockStore should be used; in that case,
-						//the complete localStore stack is bypassed for getting the chunk
-						_, err = globalStore.Get(common.BytesToAddress(id.Bytes()), chunk)
-					} else {
-						//use the actual localstore
-						item, ok := sim.NodeItem(id, bucketKeyStore)
-						if !ok {
-							return fmt.Errorf("Error accessing localstore")
-						}
-						lstore := item.(*storage.LocalStore)
-						_, err = lstore.Get(ctx, chunk)
-					}
-					if err != nil {
-						log.Debug(fmt.Sprintf("Chunk %s NOT found for id %s", chunk, id))
-						// Do not get crazy with logging the warn message
-						time.Sleep(500 * time.Millisecond)
-						continue REPEAT
-					}
-					log.Debug(fmt.Sprintf("Chunk %s IS FOUND for id %s", chunk, id))
-				}
-			}
-			return nil
-		}
-	})
-
-	if result.Error != nil {
-		return result.Error
-	}
-
-	if yes, ok := disconnected.Load().(bool); ok && yes {
-		t.Fatal("disconnect events received")
-	}
-	log.Info("Simulation ended")
-	return nil
-}
-
-//the server func to start syncing
-//issues `RequestSubscriptionMsg` to peers, based on po, by iterating over
-//the kademlia's `EachBin` function.
-//returns the number of subscriptions requested
-func startSyncing(r *Registry, conf *synctestConfig) (int, error) {
-	var err error
-	kad := r.delivery.kad
-	subCnt := 0
-	//iterate over each bin and solicit needed subscription to bins
-	kad.EachConn(nil, 255, func(p *network.Peer, po int, _ bool) bool {
-		//identify begin and start index of the bin(s) we want to subscribe to
-		subCnt++
-		err = r.RequestSubscription(conf.addrToIDMap[string(p.Address())], NewStream("SYNC", FormatSyncBinKey(uint8(po)), true), NewRange(0, 0), High)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error in RequestSubsciption! %v", err))
-			return false
-		}
-		return true
-
-	})
-	return subCnt, nil
-}
-
 //map chunk keys to addresses which are responsible
 func mapKeysToNodes(conf *synctestConfig) {
 	nodemap := make(map[string][]int)
diff --git a/swarm/network/stream/stream.go b/swarm/network/stream/stream.go
index bb23e46e91..101c68352b 100644
--- a/swarm/network/stream/stream.go
+++ b/swarm/network/stream/stream.go
@@ -87,9 +87,13 @@ type Registry struct {
 	intervalsStore state.Store
 	autoRetrieval  bool // automatically subscribe to retrieve request stream
 	maxPeerServers int
-	balance        protocols.Balance // implements protocols.Balance, for accounting
-	prices         protocols.Prices  // implements protocols.Prices, provides prices to accounting
-	spec           *protocols.Spec   // this protocol's spec
+	spec           *protocols.Spec   //this protocol's spec
+	balance        protocols.Balance //implements protocols.Balance, for accounting
+	prices         protocols.Prices  //implements protocols.Prices, provides prices to accounting
+	// the subscriptionFunc is used to determine what to do in order to perform subscriptions
+	// usually we would start to really subscribe to nodes, but for tests other functionality may be needed
+	// (see TestRequestPeerSubscriptions in streamer_test.go)
+	subscriptionFunc func(p *network.Peer, bin uint8, subs map[enode.ID]map[Stream]struct{}) bool
 }
 
 // RegistryOptions holds optional values for NewRegistry constructor.
@@ -124,6 +128,8 @@ func NewRegistry(localID enode.ID, delivery *Delivery, syncChunkStore storage.Sy
 		maxPeerServers: options.MaxPeerServers,
 		balance:        balance,
 	}
+	//assign the default subscription func: actually do request subscriptions from nodes
+	streamer.subscriptionFunc = streamer.doRequestSubscription
 	streamer.setupSpec()
 
 	streamer.api = NewAPI(streamer)
@@ -467,7 +473,7 @@ func (r *Registry) updateSyncing() {
 	r.peersMu.RUnlock()
 
 	// start requesting subscriptions from peers
-	r.requestPeerSubscriptions(kad, subs, r.doRequestSubscription)
+	r.requestPeerSubscriptions(kad, subs)
 
 	// remove SYNC servers that do not need to be subscribed
 	for id, streams := range subs {
@@ -498,10 +504,7 @@ func (r *Registry) updateSyncing() {
 //   * a map of subscriptions
 //   * the actual function to subscribe
 //     (in case of the test, it doesn't do real subscriptions)
-func (r *Registry) requestPeerSubscriptions(
-	kad *network.Kademlia,
-	subs map[enode.ID]map[Stream]struct{},
-	subscriptionFunc func(p *network.Peer, bin uint8, subs map[enode.ID]map[Stream]struct{}) bool) {
+func (r *Registry) requestPeerSubscriptions(kad *network.Kademlia, subs map[enode.ID]map[Stream]struct{}) {
 
 	var startPo int
 	var endPo int
@@ -527,7 +530,7 @@ func (r *Registry) requestPeerSubscriptions(
 
 		for bin := startPo; bin <= endPo; bin++ {
 			//do the actual subscription
-			ok = subscriptionFunc(p, uint8(bin), subs)
+			ok = r.subscriptionFunc(p, uint8(bin), subs)
 		}
 		return ok
 	})
@@ -537,7 +540,7 @@ func (r *Registry) requestPeerSubscriptions(
 func (r *Registry) doRequestSubscription(p *network.Peer, bin uint8, subs map[enode.ID]map[Stream]struct{}) bool {
 	log.Debug(fmt.Sprintf("Requesting subscription by: registry %s from peer %s for bin: %d", r.addr, p.ID(), bin))
 	// bin is always less then 256 and it is safe to convert it to type uint8
-	stream := NewStream("SYNC", FormatSyncBinKey(uint8(bin)), true)
+	stream := NewStream("SYNC", FormatSyncBinKey(bin), true)
 	if streams, ok := subs[p.ID()]; ok {
 		// delete live and history streams from the map, so that it won't be removed with a Quit request
 		delete(streams, stream)
diff --git a/swarm/network/stream/streamer_test.go b/swarm/network/stream/streamer_test.go
index 9044babc04..4425d9a5ef 100644
--- a/swarm/network/stream/streamer_test.go
+++ b/swarm/network/stream/streamer_test.go
@@ -962,7 +962,7 @@ func TestHasPriceImplementation(t *testing.T) {
 TestRequestPeerSubscriptions is a unit test for stream's pull sync subscriptions.
 
 The test does:
-	* assign each known connected peer to a bin map
+	* assign each connected peer to a bin map
   * build up a known kademlia in advance
 	* run the EachConn function, which returns supposed subscription bins
 	* store all supposed bins per peer in a map
@@ -1067,7 +1067,8 @@ func TestRequestPeerSubscriptions(t *testing.T) {
 	// create just a simple Registry object in order to be able to call...
 	r := &Registry{}
 	// ...the requestPeerSubscriptions function, which contains the logic for subscriptions
-	r.requestPeerSubscriptions(k, nil, requestSubscriptionFunc)
+	r.subscriptionFunc = requestSubscriptionFunc
+	r.requestPeerSubscriptions(k, nil)
 	// calculate the kademlia depth
 	kdepth := k.NeighbourhoodDepth()
 
@@ -1077,27 +1078,27 @@ func TestRequestPeerSubscriptions(t *testing.T) {
 		// for every peer...
 		for _, peer := range peers {
 			// ...get its (fake) subscriptions
-			fakeSubs := fakeSubscriptions[peer]
-			// if the peer's bin is below the kademlia depth...
+			fakeSubsForPeer := fakeSubscriptions[peer]
+			// if the peer's bin is shallower than the kademlia depth...
 			if bin < kdepth {
 				// (iterate all (fake) subscriptions)
-				for _, subbin := range fakeSubs {
+				for _, subbin := range fakeSubsForPeer {
 					// ...only the peer's bin should be "subscribed"
 					// (and thus have only one subscription)
-					if subbin != bin || len(fakeSubs) != 1 {
+					if subbin != bin || len(fakeSubsForPeer) != 1 {
 						t.Fatalf("Did not get expected subscription for bin < depth; bin of peer %s: %d, subscription: %d", peer, bin, subbin)
 					}
 				}
 			} else { //if the peer's bin is equal or higher than the kademlia depth...
 				// (iterate all (fake) subscriptions)
-				for i, subbin := range fakeSubs {
+				for i, subbin := range fakeSubsForPeer {
 					// ...each bin from the peer's bin number up to k.MaxProxDisplay should be "subscribed"
 					// as we start from depth we can use the iteration index to check
 					if subbin != i+kdepth {
 						t.Fatalf("Did not get expected subscription for bin > depth; bin of peer %s: %d, subscription: %d", peer, bin, subbin)
 					}
 					// the last "subscription" should be k.MaxProxDisplay
-					if i == len(fakeSubs)-1 && subbin != k.MaxProxDisplay {
+					if i == len(fakeSubsForPeer)-1 && subbin != k.MaxProxDisplay {
 						t.Fatalf("Expected last subscription to be: %d, but is: %d", k.MaxProxDisplay, subbin)
 					}
 				}