diff --git a/.changelog/unreleased/improvements/4016-ss-ledger-client-improvements.md b/.changelog/unreleased/improvements/4016-ss-ledger-client-improvements.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cfcd0923e95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/unreleased/improvements/4016-ss-ledger-client-improvements.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+- Improve the shielded sync's ledger client performance and user experience.
+  ([\#4016](https://github.com/anoma/namada/pull/4016))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/crates/apps_lib/src/cli.rs b/crates/apps_lib/src/cli.rs
index 9739caaed53..8fb3e293b30 100644
--- a/crates/apps_lib/src/cli.rs
+++ b/crates/apps_lib/src/cli.rs
@@ -3386,6 +3386,8 @@ pub mod args {
         }),
     );
     pub const BIRTHDAY: ArgOpt<BlockHeight> = arg_opt("birthday");
+    pub const BLOCK_BATCH: ArgDefault<usize> =
+        arg_default("block-batch", DefaultFn(|| 10));
     pub const BLOCK_HEIGHT: Arg<BlockHeight> = arg("block-height");
     pub const BLOCK_HEIGHT_OPT: ArgOpt<BlockHeight> = arg_opt("height");
     pub const BLOCK_HEIGHT_TO_OPT: ArgOpt<BlockHeight> = arg_opt("to-height");
@@ -6803,6 +6805,7 @@ pub mod args {
                 Some(times) => RetryStrategy::Times(times),
                 None => RetryStrategy::Forever,
             };
+            let block_batch_size = BLOCK_BATCH.parse(matches);
             Self {
                 ledger_address,
                 last_query_height,
@@ -6812,6 +6815,7 @@ pub mod args {
                 wait_for_last_query_height,
                 max_concurrent_fetches,
                 retry_strategy,
+                block_batch_size,
             }
         }
 
@@ -6849,6 +6853,10 @@ pub mod args {
                     "Maximum number of times to retry fetching. If no \
                      argument is provided, defaults to retrying forever."
                 )))
+                .arg(BLOCK_BATCH.def().help(wrap!(
+                    "Number of blocks fetched per concurrent fetch job. The \
+                     default is 10."
+                )))
         }
     }
 
@@ -6862,6 +6870,7 @@ pub mod args {
             let chain_ctx = ctx.borrow_mut_chain_or_exit();
 
             Ok(ShieldedSync {
+                block_batch_size: self.block_batch_size,
                 max_concurrent_fetches: self.max_concurrent_fetches,
                 wait_for_last_query_height: self.wait_for_last_query_height,
                 ledger_address: chain_ctx.get(&self.ledger_address),
diff --git a/crates/apps_lib/src/client/masp.rs b/crates/apps_lib/src/client/masp.rs
index 7e81ac07fde..1973564acd4 100644
--- a/crates/apps_lib/src/client/masp.rs
+++ b/crates/apps_lib/src/client/masp.rs
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ pub async fn syncing<
                 .shutdown_signal(install_shutdown_signal(false))
                 .wait_for_last_query_height(args.wait_for_last_query_height)
                 .retry_strategy(args.retry_strategy)
+                .block_batch_size(args.block_batch_size)
                 .build();
 
             let env = MaspLocalTaskEnv::new(500)
@@ -141,6 +142,7 @@ pub async fn syncing<
         dispatch_client!(LedgerMaspClient::new(
             client,
             args.max_concurrent_fetches,
+            Duration::from_millis(5),
         ))?
     };
 
diff --git a/crates/core/src/control_flow/time.rs b/crates/core/src/control_flow/time.rs
index 91c7dbfbd98..46d85ad79d7 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/control_flow/time.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/control_flow/time.rs
@@ -29,9 +29,12 @@ pub trait SleepStrategy {
     /// Calculate a duration from a sleep strategy state.
     fn backoff(&self, state: &Self::State) -> Duration;
 
-    /// Update the state of the sleep strategy.
+    /// Move to the next state of the sleep strategy.
     fn next_state(&self, state: &mut Self::State);
 
+    /// Move to the previous state of the sleep strategy.
+    fn prev_state(&self, state: &mut Self::State);
+
     /// Map a function to the duration returned from a
     /// sleep strategy.
     fn map<M>(self, map: M) -> Map<Self, M>
@@ -73,6 +76,11 @@ where
     fn next_state(&self, state: &mut S::State) {
         self.strategy.next_state(state)
     }
+
+    #[inline]
+    fn prev_state(&self, state: &mut S::State) {
+        self.strategy.prev_state(state)
+    }
 }
 
 /// Constant sleep strategy.
@@ -93,6 +101,10 @@ impl SleepStrategy for Constant {
     fn next_state(&self, _: &mut ()) {
         // NOOP
     }
+
+    fn prev_state(&self, _: &mut ()) {
+        // NOOP
+    }
 }
 
 /// Linear backoff sleep strategy.
@@ -114,7 +126,11 @@ impl SleepStrategy for LinearBackoff {
     }
 
     fn next_state(&self, state: &mut Duration) {
-        *state += self.delta;
+        *state = state.saturating_add(self.delta);
+    }
+
+    fn prev_state(&self, state: &mut Duration) {
+        *state = state.saturating_sub(self.delta);
     }
 }
 
@@ -144,6 +160,10 @@ where
     fn next_state(&self, state: &mut Self::State) {
         *state = state.saturating_add(1);
     }
+
+    fn prev_state(&self, state: &mut Self::State) {
+        *state = state.saturating_sub(1);
+    }
 }
 
 /// A [`SleepStrategy`] adaptor, to run async tasks with custom
@@ -236,7 +256,17 @@ impl<S: SleepStrategy> Sleep<S> {
     /// Update the sleep strategy state, and sleep for the given backoff.
     async fn sleep_update(&self, state: &mut S::State) {
         self.strategy.next_state(state);
-        sleep(self.strategy.backoff(state)).await;
+        self.sleep_with_current_backoff(state).await;
+    }
+
+    /// Sleep for a [`Duration`] equivalent to the value of
+    /// the current backoff.
+    pub fn sleep_with_current_backoff(
+        &self,
+        state: &S::State,
+    ) -> impl Future<Output = ()> + 'static {
+        let backoff_duration = self.strategy.backoff(state);
+        sleep(backoff_duration)
     }
 
     /// Run a future as many times as `iter_times`
diff --git a/crates/node/src/bench_utils.rs b/crates/node/src/bench_utils.rs
index e8224f4a247..9bbaeb53f3b 100644
--- a/crates/node/src/bench_utils.rs
+++ b/crates/node/src/bench_utils.rs
@@ -1192,6 +1192,7 @@ impl BenchShieldedCtx {
                     wait_for_last_query_height: false,
                     max_concurrent_fetches: 100,
                     retry_strategy: RetryStrategy::Forever,
+                    block_batch_size: 10,
                 },
                 &StdIo,
             ))
diff --git a/crates/sdk/src/args.rs b/crates/sdk/src/args.rs
index 5933a663f30..9874d3aaf0f 100644
--- a/crates/sdk/src/args.rs
+++ b/crates/sdk/src/args.rs
@@ -2158,6 +2158,8 @@ pub struct ShieldedSync<C: NamadaTypes = SdkTypes> {
     /// Maximum number of fetch jobs that will ever
     /// execute concurrently during the shielded sync.
     pub max_concurrent_fetches: usize,
+    /// Number of blocks fetched per concurrent fetch job.
+    pub block_batch_size: usize,
     /// Maximum number of times to retry fetching. If `None`
     /// is provided, defaults to "forever".
     pub retry_strategy: RetryStrategy,
diff --git a/crates/sdk/src/masp/utilities.rs b/crates/sdk/src/masp/utilities.rs
index 8f892bb2951..47be9bfbae0 100644
--- a/crates/sdk/src/masp/utilities.rs
+++ b/crates/sdk/src/masp/utilities.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 //! Helper functions and types
 
 use std::collections::BTreeMap;
-use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::sync::{Arc, RwLock};
 
 use borsh::BorshDeserialize;
 use masp_primitives::merkle_tree::{CommitmentTree, IncrementalWitness};
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ use masp_primitives::sapling::Node;
 use masp_primitives::transaction::Transaction as MaspTx;
 use namada_core::chain::BlockHeight;
 use namada_core::collections::HashMap;
+use namada_core::control_flow::time::{
+    Duration, LinearBackoff, Sleep, SleepStrategy,
+};
 use namada_core::storage::TxIndex;
 use namada_events::extend::IndexedMaspData;
 use namada_io::Client;
@@ -24,6 +27,8 @@ use crate::masp::{extract_masp_tx, get_indexed_masp_events_at_height};
 struct LedgerMaspClientInner<C> {
     client: C,
     semaphore: Semaphore,
+    backoff: RwLock<Duration>,
+    sleep: Sleep<LinearBackoff>,
 }
 
 /// An inefficient MASP client which simply uses a
@@ -43,36 +48,39 @@ impl<C> Clone for LedgerMaspClient<C> {
 impl<C> LedgerMaspClient<C> {
     /// Create a new [`MaspClient`] given an rpc client.
     #[inline(always)]
-    pub fn new(client: C, max_concurrent_fetches: usize) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(
+        client: C,
+        max_concurrent_fetches: usize,
+        linear_backoff_delta: Duration,
+    ) -> Self {
         Self {
             inner: Arc::new(LedgerMaspClientInner {
                 client,
                 semaphore: Semaphore::new(max_concurrent_fetches),
+                backoff: RwLock::new(Duration::from_secs(0)),
+                sleep: Sleep {
+                    strategy: LinearBackoff {
+                        delta: linear_backoff_delta,
+                    },
+                },
             }),
         }
     }
 }
 
-impl<C: Client + Send + Sync> MaspClient for LedgerMaspClient<C> {
-    type Error = Error;
-
-    async fn last_block_height(&self) -> Result<Option<BlockHeight>, Error> {
-        let maybe_block = crate::rpc::query_block(&self.inner.client).await?;
-        Ok(maybe_block.map(|b| b.height))
-    }
-
-    async fn fetch_shielded_transfers(
+impl<C: Client + Send + Sync> LedgerMaspClient<C> {
+    async fn fetch_shielded_transfers_inner(
         &self,
         from: BlockHeight,
         to: BlockHeight,
     ) -> Result<Vec<IndexedNoteEntry>, Error> {
+        let _permit = self.inner.semaphore.acquire().await.unwrap();
+
         // Fetch all the transactions we do not have yet
         let mut txs = vec![];
 
         for height in from.0..=to.0 {
             let maybe_txs_results = async {
-                let _permit = self.inner.semaphore.acquire().await.unwrap();
-
                 get_indexed_masp_events_at_height(
                     &self.inner.client,
                     height.into(),
@@ -86,8 +94,6 @@ impl<C: Client + Send + Sync> MaspClient for LedgerMaspClient<C> {
             };
 
             let block = {
-                let _permit = self.inner.semaphore.acquire().await.unwrap();
-
                 // Query the actual block to get the txs bytes. If we only need
                 // one tx it might be slightly better to query
                 // the /tx endpoint to reduce the amount of data
@@ -127,6 +133,43 @@ impl<C: Client + Send + Sync> MaspClient for LedgerMaspClient<C> {
 
         Ok(txs)
     }
+}
+
+impl<C: Client + Send + Sync> MaspClient for LedgerMaspClient<C> {
+    type Error = Error;
+
+    async fn last_block_height(&self) -> Result<Option<BlockHeight>, Error> {
+        let maybe_block = crate::rpc::query_block(&self.inner.client).await?;
+        Ok(maybe_block.map(|b| b.height))
+    }
+
+    async fn fetch_shielded_transfers(
+        &self,
+        from: BlockHeight,
+        to: BlockHeight,
+    ) -> Result<Vec<IndexedNoteEntry>, Error> {
+        const ZERO: Duration = Duration::from_secs(0);
+        let current_backoff = { *self.inner.backoff.read().unwrap() };
+
+        if current_backoff > ZERO {
+            self.inner
+                .sleep
+                .sleep_with_current_backoff(&current_backoff)
+                .await;
+        }
+
+        let result = self.fetch_shielded_transfers_inner(from, to).await;
+
+        if result.is_err() {
+            let mut backoff = self.inner.backoff.write().unwrap();
+            self.inner.sleep.strategy.next_state(&mut *backoff);
+        } else if current_backoff > ZERO {
+            let mut backoff = self.inner.backoff.write().unwrap();
+            self.inner.sleep.strategy.prev_state(&mut *backoff);
+        }
+
+        result
+    }
 
     #[inline(always)]
     fn capabilities(&self) -> MaspClientCapabilities {
diff --git a/crates/shielded_token/src/masp/shielded_sync/dispatcher.rs b/crates/shielded_token/src/masp/shielded_sync/dispatcher.rs
index 68fe08a8a78..6a53a6270e8 100644
--- a/crates/shielded_token/src/masp/shielded_sync/dispatcher.rs
+++ b/crates/shielded_token/src/masp/shielded_sync/dispatcher.rs
@@ -702,7 +702,6 @@ where
         }
 
         if self.config.retry_strategy.may_retry() {
-            self.config.fetched_tracker.message(format!("{error}"));
             true
         } else {
             // NB: store last encountered error