diff --git a/aw-sync/README.md b/aw-sync/README.md
index 5d0f2874..9e128535 100644
--- a/aw-sync/README.md
+++ b/aw-sync/README.md
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ aw-sync daemon
 # Sync daemon with specific buckets only
 aw-sync daemon --buckets "aw-watcher-window,aw-watcher-afk" --start-date "2024-01-01"
 
+# Sync daemon in push-only or pull-only mode
+aw-sync daemon --mode push
+aw-sync daemon --mode pull
+
 # Sync all buckets once and exit
 aw-sync sync --start-date "2024-01-01"
 ```
@@ -35,6 +39,7 @@ For more options, see `aw-sync --help`. Some notable options:
 - `--start-date`: Only sync events after this date (YYYY-MM-DD)
 - `--sync-db`: Specify a specific database file in the sync directory
 - `--mode`: Choose sync mode: "push", "pull", or "both" (default: "both")
+  - For `aw-sync sync`, passing `--mode` (with no other options) is enough to opt into the per-bucket sync path where it's respected; without it, or any of `--buckets`/`--start-date`/`--sync-db`, `aw-sync sync` falls back to the legacy host-based mode, which always does both a pull and a push
 
 ### Setting up sync
 
diff --git a/aw-sync/src/main.rs b/aw-sync/src/main.rs
index d06516f5..46a73e03 100644
--- a/aw-sync/src/main.rs
+++ b/aw-sync/src/main.rs
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@ enum Commands {
         #[clap(long, value_parser=parse_list)]
         buckets: Option<Vec<String>>,
 
+        /// Mode to sync in. Can be "push", "pull", or "both".
+        /// Defaults to "both".
+        #[clap(long, default_value = "both")]
+        mode: sync::SyncMode,
+
         /// Full path to sync db file
         /// Useful for syncing buckets from a specific db file in the sync directory.
         /// Must be a valid absolute path to a file in the sync directory.
@@ -103,9 +108,10 @@ enum Commands {
         buckets: Option<Vec<String>>,
 
         /// Mode to sync in. Can be "push", "pull", or "both".
-        /// Defaults to "both".
-        #[clap(long, default_value = "both")]
-        mode: sync::SyncMode,
+        /// Defaults to "both". Implies advanced sync mode (see below),
+        /// since the simple host-based sync mode always does both.
+        #[clap(long)]
+        mode: Option<sync::SyncMode>,
 
         /// Full path to sync db file
         /// Useful for syncing buckets from a specific db file in the sync directory.
@@ -166,19 +172,21 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
     match opts.command.unwrap_or(Commands::Daemon {
         start_date: None,
         buckets: None,
+        mode: sync::SyncMode::Both,
         sync_db: None,
     }) {
         // Start daemon
         Commands::Daemon {
             start_date,
             buckets,
+            mode,
             sync_db,
         } => {
             info!("Starting daemon...");
 
             let effective_buckets = buckets;
 
-            daemon(&client, start_date, effective_buckets, sync_db)?;
+            daemon(&client, start_date, effective_buckets, sync_db, mode)?;
         }
         // Perform sync
         Commands::Sync {
@@ -191,7 +199,11 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
             let effective_buckets = buckets;
 
             // If advanced options are provided, use advanced sync mode
-            if start_date.is_some() || effective_buckets.is_some() || sync_db.is_some() {
+            if start_date.is_some()
+                || effective_buckets.is_some()
+                || sync_db.is_some()
+                || mode.is_some()
+            {
                 let sync_dir = dirs::get_sync_dir()?;
                 if let Some(db_path) = &sync_db {
                     info!("Using sync db: {}", &db_path.display());
@@ -211,7 +223,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
                     start: start_date,
                 };
 
-                sync::sync_run(&client, &sync_spec, mode)?
+                sync::sync_run(&client, &sync_spec, mode.unwrap_or(sync::SyncMode::Both))?
             } else {
                 // Simple host-based sync mode (backwards compatibility)
                 // Pull
@@ -251,6 +263,7 @@ fn daemon(
     start_date: Option<DateTime<Utc>>,
     buckets: Option<Vec<String>>,
     sync_db: Option<PathBuf>,
+    mode: sync::SyncMode,
 ) -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
     let (tx, rx) = channel();
 
@@ -278,7 +291,7 @@ fn daemon(
     };
 
     loop {
-        if let Err(e) = sync::sync_run(client, &sync_spec, sync::SyncMode::Both) {
+        if let Err(e) = sync::sync_run(client, &sync_spec, mode) {
             error!("Error during sync cycle: {}", e);
             return Err(e);
         }
diff --git a/aw-sync/src/sync.rs b/aw-sync/src/sync.rs
index 64618561..d8dfd5c5 100644
--- a/aw-sync/src/sync.rs
+++ b/aw-sync/src/sync.rs
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ pub fn sync_datastores(
 
     for bucket_from in buckets_from {
         let bucket_to = get_or_create_sync_bucket(&bucket_from, ds_to, is_push);
-        sync_one(ds_from, ds_to, bucket_from, bucket_to);
+        sync_one(ds_from, ds_to, bucket_from, bucket_to, sync_spec);
     }
 }
 
@@ -299,6 +299,7 @@ fn sync_one(
     ds_to: &dyn AccessMethod,
     bucket_from: Bucket,
     bucket_to: Bucket,
+    sync_spec: &SyncSpec,
 ) {
     let eventcount_to_old = ds_to.get_event_count(bucket_to.id.as_str()).unwrap();
     info!(" ⟳  Syncing bucket '{}'", bucket_to.id);
@@ -310,7 +311,12 @@ fn sync_one(
     let most_recent_events = ds_to
         .get_events(bucket_to.id.as_str(), None, None, Some(1))
         .unwrap();
-    let resume_sync_at = most_recent_events.first().map(|e| e.timestamp + e.duration);
+    // If the destination bucket already has events, resume from where it left off.
+    // Otherwise (first sync of this bucket), fall back to sync_spec.start, if specified.
+    let resume_sync_at = most_recent_events
+        .first()
+        .map(|e| e.timestamp + e.duration)
+        .or(sync_spec.start);
 
     if let Some(resume_time) = resume_sync_at {
         info!("   + Resuming at {:?}", resume_time);