diff --git a/plugin/evm/atomic_backend.go b/plugin/evm/atomic_backend.go
index 2420021d6f..45afa707f2 100644
--- a/plugin/evm/atomic_backend.go
+++ b/plugin/evm/atomic_backend.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/utils"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/utils/wrappers"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/coreth/plugin/evm/atomic"
-	syncclient "github.com/ava-labs/coreth/sync/client"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log"
 )
@@ -57,10 +56,6 @@ type AtomicBackend interface {
 	// will not have been executed on shared memory.
 	MarkApplyToSharedMemoryCursor(previousLastAcceptedHeight uint64) error
 
-	// Syncer creates and returns a new Syncer object that can be used to sync the
-	// state of the atomic trie from peers
-	Syncer(client syncclient.LeafClient, targetRoot common.Hash, targetHeight uint64, requestSize uint16) (Syncer, error)
-
 	// SetLastAccepted is used after state-sync to reset the last accepted block.
 	SetLastAccepted(lastAcceptedHash common.Hash)
 
@@ -356,12 +351,6 @@ func (a *atomicBackend) MarkApplyToSharedMemoryCursor(previousLastAcceptedHeight
 	return database.PutUInt64(a.metadataDB, appliedSharedMemoryCursorKey, previousLastAcceptedHeight+1)
 }
 
-// Syncer creates and returns a new Syncer object that can be used to sync the
-// state of the atomic trie from peers
-func (a *atomicBackend) Syncer(client syncclient.LeafClient, targetRoot common.Hash, targetHeight uint64, requestSize uint16) (Syncer, error) {
-	return newAtomicSyncer(client, a, targetRoot, targetHeight, requestSize)
-}
-
 func (a *atomicBackend) GetVerifiedAtomicState(blockHash common.Hash) (AtomicState, error) {
 	if state, ok := a.verifiedRoots[blockHash]; ok {
 		return state, nil
diff --git a/plugin/evm/atomic_syncer.go b/plugin/evm/atomic_syncer.go
index d68d61d597..8c435690c0 100644
--- a/plugin/evm/atomic_syncer.go
+++ b/plugin/evm/atomic_syncer.go
@@ -50,8 +50,7 @@ func addZeroes(height uint64) []byte {
 	return packer.Bytes
 }
 
-func newAtomicSyncer(client syncclient.LeafClient, atomicBackend *atomicBackend, targetRoot common.Hash, targetHeight uint64, requestSize uint16) (*atomicSyncer, error) {
-	atomicTrie := atomicBackend.AtomicTrie()
+func newAtomicSyncer(client syncclient.LeafClient, vdb *versiondb.Database, atomicTrie AtomicTrie, targetRoot common.Hash, targetHeight uint64, requestSize uint16) (*atomicSyncer, error) {
 	lastCommittedRoot, lastCommit := atomicTrie.LastCommitted()
 	trie, err := atomicTrie.OpenTrie(lastCommittedRoot)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -59,7 +58,7 @@ func newAtomicSyncer(client syncclient.LeafClient, atomicBackend *atomicBackend,
 	}
 
 	atomicSyncer := &atomicSyncer{
-		db:           atomicBackend.db,
+		db:           vdb,
 		atomicTrie:   atomicTrie,
 		trie:         trie,
 		targetRoot:   targetRoot,
diff --git a/plugin/evm/atomic_syncer_test.go b/plugin/evm/atomic_syncer_test.go
index 86589cc4d8..3feffe444c 100644
--- a/plugin/evm/atomic_syncer_test.go
+++ b/plugin/evm/atomic_syncer_test.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func testAtomicSyncer(t *testing.T, serverTrieDB *triedb.Database, targetHeight
 	// next trie.
 	for i, checkpoint := range checkpoints {
 		// Create syncer targeting the current [syncTrie].
-		syncer, err := atomicBackend.Syncer(mockClient, targetRoot, targetHeight, config.DefaultStateSyncRequestSize)
+		syncer, err := newAtomicSyncer(mockClient, clientDB, atomicBackend.AtomicTrie(), targetRoot, targetHeight, config.DefaultStateSyncRequestSize)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func testAtomicSyncer(t *testing.T, serverTrieDB *triedb.Database, targetHeight
 	}
 
 	// Create syncer targeting the current [targetRoot].
-	syncer, err := atomicBackend.Syncer(mockClient, targetRoot, targetHeight, config.DefaultStateSyncRequestSize)
+	syncer, err := newAtomicSyncer(mockClient, clientDB, atomicBackend.AtomicTrie(), targetRoot, targetHeight, config.DefaultStateSyncRequestSize)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/plugin/evm/syncervm_client.go b/plugin/evm/syncervm_client.go
index 0b704d6233..c25f68c46b 100644
--- a/plugin/evm/syncervm_client.go
+++ b/plugin/evm/syncervm_client.go
@@ -276,7 +276,14 @@ func (client *stateSyncerClient) syncBlocks(ctx context.Context, fromHash common
 
 func (client *stateSyncerClient) syncAtomicTrie(ctx context.Context) error {
 	log.Info("atomic tx: sync starting", "root", client.syncSummary.AtomicRoot)
-	atomicSyncer, err := client.atomicBackend.Syncer(client.client, client.syncSummary.AtomicRoot, client.syncSummary.BlockNumber, client.stateSyncRequestSize)
+	atomicSyncer, err := newAtomicSyncer(
+		client.client,
+		client.db,
+		client.atomicBackend.AtomicTrie(),
+		client.syncSummary.AtomicRoot,
+		client.syncSummary.BlockNumber,
+		client.stateSyncRequestSize,
+	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}