diff --git a/lib/connector/meshcore_connector.dart b/lib/connector/meshcore_connector.dart
index 93a926c..0d2ff1f 100644
--- a/lib/connector/meshcore_connector.dart
+++ b/lib/connector/meshcore_connector.dart
@@ -3900,6 +3900,18 @@ class MeshCoreConnector extends ChangeNotifier {
     }
   }
 
+  /// Whether a RESP_CODE_ERR should skip the in-flight channel slot. The
+  /// firmware answers ERR for an empty/invalid channel index; without this the
+  /// sync waits out its 2s timeout + 3 retries on every empty slot, so a device
+  /// with few populated channels out of a large capacity takes minutes to sync.
+  /// A pending generic-ack command (a SET / channel-text send) is order-
+  /// correlated to the ERR first, so only advance when none is waiting. (#82)
+  static bool shouldAdvanceChannelSyncOnError({
+    required bool isSyncingChannels,
+    required bool channelSyncInFlight,
+    required bool hasPendingGenericAck,
+  }) => isSyncingChannels && channelSyncInFlight && !hasPendingGenericAck;
+
   void _handleErrorFrame(Uint8List frame) {
     final errCode = frame.length > 1 ? frame[1] : -1;
     _appDebugLogService?.warn(
@@ -3907,6 +3919,23 @@ class MeshCoreConnector extends ChangeNotifier {
       tag: 'Protocol',
     );
 
+    // An in-flight channel GET that draws an ERR means that slot is empty —
+    // advance to the next index the instant the ERR lands instead of waiting
+    // out the timeout + retry budget (mirrors the CHANNEL_INFO success path
+    // minus adding a channel). This is the whole sync-slowness fix (#82).
+    if (shouldAdvanceChannelSyncOnError(
+      isSyncingChannels: _isSyncingChannels,
+      channelSyncInFlight: _channelSyncInFlight,
+      hasPendingGenericAck: _pendingGenericAckQueue.isNotEmpty,
+    )) {
+      _channelSyncTimeout?.cancel();
+      _channelSyncInFlight = false;
+      _channelSyncRetries = 0;
+      _nextChannelIndexToRequest++;
+      unawaited(_requestNextChannel());
+      return;
+    }
+
     if (_pendingGenericAckQueue.isEmpty) {
       return;
     }
diff --git a/test/connector/meshcore_connector_channel_sync_test.dart b/test/connector/meshcore_connector_channel_sync_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4cb5fb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/connector/meshcore_connector_channel_sync_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+// Channel-sync decision helper (#82).
+//
+// The firmware answers RESP_CODE_ERR for an empty/invalid channel index. The
+// sync must skip that slot the instant the ERR arrives; without this branch it
+// waits out the 2s timeout + 3 retries on EVERY empty slot, so a device with a
+// few populated channels out of a large capacity takes minutes to sync (~8s per
+// empty slot). This pins the decision: advance on ERR only while a channel GET
+// is in flight AND no generic-ack command is waiting — a pending generic-ack
+// (a SET / channel-text send) is order-correlated to the ERR first.
+
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+import 'package:meshcore_open/connector/meshcore_connector.dart';
+
+void main() {
+  group('shouldAdvanceChannelSyncOnError', () {
+    test('advances when a channel GET is in flight and nothing else awaits the '
+        'ERR', () {
+      expect(
+        MeshCoreConnector.shouldAdvanceChannelSyncOnError(
+          isSyncingChannels: true,
+          channelSyncInFlight: true,
+          hasPendingGenericAck: false,
+        ),
+        isTrue,
+      );
+    });
+
+    test('does not advance when not syncing channels', () {
+      expect(
+        MeshCoreConnector.shouldAdvanceChannelSyncOnError(
+          isSyncingChannels: false,
+          channelSyncInFlight: true,
+          hasPendingGenericAck: false,
+        ),
+        isFalse,
+      );
+    });
+
+    test('does not advance when no channel GET is in flight', () {
+      expect(
+        MeshCoreConnector.shouldAdvanceChannelSyncOnError(
+          isSyncingChannels: true,
+          channelSyncInFlight: false,
+          hasPendingGenericAck: false,
+        ),
+        isFalse,
+      );
+    });
+
+    test('a pending generic-ack command owns the ERR first (no channel '
+        'advance)', () {
+      expect(
+        MeshCoreConnector.shouldAdvanceChannelSyncOnError(
+          isSyncingChannels: true,
+          channelSyncInFlight: true,
+          hasPendingGenericAck: true,
+        ),
+        isFalse,
+      );
+    });
+  });
+}