diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 20aed5f8f..ec85c912c 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -7476,6 +7476,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "reth-dns-discovery",
  "reth-ecies",
  "reth-eth-wire",
+ "reth-fs-util",
  "reth-metrics",
  "reth-net-banlist",
  "reth-network",
@@ -7650,6 +7651,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "tempfile",
  "tokio",
  "tokio-stream",
+ "tracing",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
diff --git a/crates/net/network/Cargo.toml b/crates/net/network/Cargo.toml
index 100114624..efadac80c 100644
--- a/crates/net/network/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/net/network/Cargo.toml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ workspace = true
 [dependencies]
 # reth
 reth-chainspec.workspace = true
+reth-fs-util.workspace = true
 reth-primitives.workspace = true
 reth-net-banlist.workspace = true
 reth-network-api.workspace = true
diff --git a/crates/net/network/src/manager.rs b/crates/net/network/src/manager.rs
index 2fea2cbc4..9d68bac3c 100644
--- a/crates/net/network/src/manager.rs
+++ b/crates/net/network/src/manager.rs
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ use reth_eth_wire::{
     capability::{Capabilities, CapabilityMessage},
     DisconnectReason, EthVersion, Status,
 };
+use reth_fs_util::{self as fs, FsPathError};
 use reth_metrics::common::mpsc::UnboundedMeteredSender;
 use reth_network_api::{EthProtocolInfo, NetworkStatus, PeerInfo, ReputationChangeKind};
 use reth_network_peers::{NodeRecord, PeerId};
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ use reth_tokio_util::EventSender;
 use secp256k1::SecretKey;
 use std::{
     net::SocketAddr,
+    path::Path,
     pin::Pin,
     sync::{
         atomic::{AtomicU64, AtomicUsize, Ordering},
@@ -336,6 +338,11 @@ where
         self.swarm.state().peers().iter_peers()
     }
 
+    /// Returns the number of peers in the peer set.
+    pub fn num_known_peers(&self) -> usize {
+        self.swarm.state().peers().num_known_peers()
+    }
+
     /// Returns a new [`PeersHandle`] that can be cloned and shared.
     ///
     /// The [`PeersHandle`] can be used to interact with the network's peer set.
@@ -343,6 +350,18 @@ where
         self.swarm.state().peers().handle()
     }
 
+    /// Collect the peers from the [`NetworkManager`] and write them to the given
+    /// `persistent_peers_file`.
+    pub fn write_peers_to_file(&self, persistent_peers_file: &Path) -> Result<(), FsPathError> {
+        let known_peers = self.all_peers().collect::<Vec<_>>();
+        let known_peers = serde_json::to_string_pretty(&known_peers).map_err(|e| {
+            FsPathError::WriteJson { source: e, path: persistent_peers_file.to_path_buf() }
+        })?;
+        persistent_peers_file.parent().map(fs::create_dir_all).transpose()?;
+        fs::write(persistent_peers_file, known_peers)?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     /// Returns a new [`FetchClient`] that can be cloned and shared.
     ///
     /// The [`FetchClient`] is the entrypoint for sending requests to the network.
diff --git a/crates/node/builder/Cargo.toml b/crates/node/builder/Cargo.toml
index f83145b05..351dbc3d8 100644
--- a/crates/node/builder/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/node/builder/Cargo.toml
@@ -72,5 +72,8 @@ confy.workspace = true
 rayon.workspace = true
 backon.workspace = true
 
+# tracing
+tracing.workspace = true
+
 [dev-dependencies]
 tempfile.workspace = true
diff --git a/crates/node/builder/src/builder/mod.rs b/crates/node/builder/src/builder/mod.rs
index 72e56b71a..dbdef2291 100644
--- a/crates/node/builder/src/builder/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/node/builder/src/builder/mod.rs
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ use reth_node_core::{
     dirs::{ChainPath, DataDirPath, MaybePlatformPath},
     node_config::NodeConfig,
     primitives::Head,
-    utils::write_peers_to_file,
 };
 use reth_primitives::revm_primitives::EnvKzgSettings;
 use reth_provider::{providers::BlockchainProvider, ChainSpecProvider};
@@ -39,6 +38,7 @@ use reth_transaction_pool::{PoolConfig, TransactionPool};
 use secp256k1::SecretKey;
 pub use states::*;
 use std::sync::Arc;
+use tracing::{info, trace, warn};
 
 mod states;
 
@@ -509,7 +509,18 @@ impl<Node: FullNodeTypes> BuilderContext<Node> {
             "p2p network task",
             |shutdown| {
                 network.run_until_graceful_shutdown(shutdown, |network| {
-                    write_peers_to_file(&network, known_peers_file)
+                    if let Some(peers_file) = known_peers_file {
+                        let num_known_peers = network.num_known_peers();
+                        trace!(target: "reth::cli", peers_file=?peers_file, num_peers=%num_known_peers, "Saving current peers");
+                        match network.write_peers_to_file(peers_file.as_path()) {
+                            Ok(_) => {
+                                info!(target: "reth::cli", peers_file=?peers_file, "Wrote network peers to file");
+                            }
+                            Err(err) => {
+                                warn!(target: "reth::cli", %err, "Failed to write network peers to file");
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
                 })
             },
         );
diff --git a/crates/node/core/src/utils.rs b/crates/node/core/src/utils.rs
index 8393b50be..7bf3314f5 100644
--- a/crates/node/core/src/utils.rs
+++ b/crates/node/core/src/utils.rs
@@ -4,22 +4,19 @@
 use eyre::Result;
 use reth_chainspec::ChainSpec;
 use reth_consensus_common::validation::validate_block_pre_execution;
-use reth_fs_util as fs;
-use reth_network::NetworkManager;
 use reth_network_p2p::{
     bodies::client::BodiesClient,
     headers::client::{HeadersClient, HeadersRequest},
     priority::Priority,
 };
 use reth_primitives::{BlockHashOrNumber, HeadersDirection, SealedBlock, SealedHeader};
-use reth_provider::BlockReader;
 use reth_rpc_types::engine::{JwtError, JwtSecret};
 use std::{
     env::VarError,
     path::{Path, PathBuf},
     sync::Arc,
 };
-use tracing::{debug, info, trace, warn};
+use tracing::{debug, info};
 
 /// Parses a user-specified path with support for environment variables and common shorthands (e.g.
 /// ~ for the user's home directory).
@@ -38,29 +35,6 @@ pub fn get_or_create_jwt_secret_from_path(path: &Path) -> Result<JwtSecret, JwtE
     }
 }
 
-/// Collect the peers from the [`NetworkManager`] and write them to the given
-/// `persistent_peers_file`, if configured.
-pub fn write_peers_to_file<C>(network: &NetworkManager<C>, persistent_peers_file: Option<PathBuf>)
-where
-    C: BlockReader + Unpin,
-{
-    if let Some(file_path) = persistent_peers_file {
-        let known_peers = network.all_peers().collect::<Vec<_>>();
-        if let Ok(known_peers) = serde_json::to_string_pretty(&known_peers) {
-            trace!(target: "reth::cli", peers_file =?file_path, num_peers=%known_peers.len(), "Saving current peers");
-            let parent_dir = file_path.parent().map(fs::create_dir_all).transpose();
-            match parent_dir.and_then(|_| fs::write(&file_path, known_peers)) {
-                Ok(_) => {
-                    info!(target: "reth::cli", peers_file=?file_path, "Wrote network peers to file");
-                }
-                Err(err) => {
-                    warn!(target: "reth::cli", %err, peers_file=?file_path, "Failed to write network peers to file");
-                }
-            }
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 /// Get a single header from network
 pub async fn get_single_header<Client>(
     client: Client,