diff --git a/web/apps/photos/src/pages/gallery.tsx b/web/apps/photos/src/pages/gallery.tsx
index b1703b6728..aab41ce0df 100644
--- a/web/apps/photos/src/pages/gallery.tsx
+++ b/web/apps/photos/src/pages/gallery.tsx
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ import {
     getSectionSummaries,
 } from "services/collectionService";
 import { syncFiles } from "services/fileService";
-import { sync, triggerPreFileInfoSync } from "services/sync";
+import { preFileInfoSync, sync } from "services/sync";
 import { syncTrash } from "services/trashService";
 import uploadManager from "services/upload/uploadManager";
 import { isTokenValid } from "services/userService";
@@ -720,7 +720,7 @@ export default function Gallery() {
                 throw new Error(CustomError.SESSION_EXPIRED);
             }
             !silent && startLoading();
-            triggerPreFileInfoSync();
+            await preFileInfoSync();
             const collections = await getAllLatestCollections();
             const { normalCollections, hiddenCollections } =
                 await splitNormalAndHiddenCollections(collections);
diff --git a/web/apps/photos/src/services/sync.ts b/web/apps/photos/src/services/sync.ts
index 0f1e3ded1b..eff5b4d6d1 100644
--- a/web/apps/photos/src/services/sync.ts
+++ b/web/apps/photos/src/services/sync.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-import { fetchAndSaveFeatureFlagsIfNeeded } from "@/new/photos/services/feature-flags";
+import { triggerFeatureFlagsFetchIfNeeded } from "@/new/photos/services/feature-flags";
 import {
     isMLSupported,
-    triggerMLStatusSync,
+    mlStatusSync,
     triggerMLSync,
     wipClusterEnable,
 } from "@/new/photos/services/ml";
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ import { syncMapEnabled } from "services/userService";
 /**
  * Part 1 of {@link sync}. See TODO below for why this is split.
  */
-export const triggerPreFileInfoSync = () => {
-    fetchAndSaveFeatureFlagsIfNeeded();
-    if (isMLSupported) triggerMLStatusSync();
+export const preFileInfoSync = async () => {
+    triggerFeatureFlagsFetchIfNeeded();
+    await Promise.all([isMLSupported && mlStatusSync()]);
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/web/packages/new/photos/services/feature-flags.ts b/web/packages/new/photos/services/feature-flags.ts
index 1f2e4329bc..d694522228 100644
--- a/web/packages/new/photos/services/feature-flags.ts
+++ b/web/packages/new/photos/services/feature-flags.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ let _haveFetched = false;
  *    the default. Otherwise the now fetched result is saved to local storage
  *    and the corresponding value returned.
  */
-export const fetchAndSaveFeatureFlagsIfNeeded = () => {
+export const triggerFeatureFlagsFetchIfNeeded = () => {
     if (_haveFetched) return;
     if (_fetchTimeout) return;
     // Not critical, so fetch these after some delay.
diff --git a/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/index.ts b/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/index.ts
index a57bb2c03f..65c7bb88fc 100644
--- a/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/index.ts
+++ b/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/index.ts
@@ -279,14 +279,12 @@ const updateIsMLEnabledRemote = (enabled: boolean) =>
  * It checks with remote if the ML flag is set, and updates our local flag to
  * reflect that value.
  *
- * To trigger the actual ML sync, use {@link triggerMLSync}.
+ * To perform the actual ML sync, use {@link mlSync}.
  */
-export const triggerMLStatusSync = () => void mlStatusSync();
-
-const mlStatusSync = async () => {
+export const mlStatusSync = async () => {
     _state.isMLEnabled = await getIsMLEnabledRemote();
     setIsMLEnabledLocal(_state.isMLEnabled);
-    triggerStatusUpdate();
+    return updateMLStatusSnapshot();
 };
 
 /**
@@ -298,7 +296,7 @@ const mlStatusSync = async () => {
  * If ML is enabled, it pulls any missing embeddings from remote and starts
  * indexing to backfill any missing values.
  *
- * This will only have an effect if {@link triggerMLSync} has been called at
+ * This will only have an effect if {@link mlStatusSync} has been called at
  * least once prior to calling this in the sync sequence.
  */
 export const triggerMLSync = () => void mlSync();