diff --git a/flow/Makefile b/flow/Makefile
index 530ff511c4..21a5ea0223 100644
--- a/flow/Makefile
+++ b/flow/Makefile
@@ -414,9 +414,8 @@ do-$(1)$(if $(4),$(4),):
 	cp $(RESULTS_DIR)/$(2) $(RESULTS_DIR)/$(1)$(if $(4),$(4),.odb)
 endef
 
+$(eval $(call do-step,1_3_synth,$(RESULTS_DIR)/1_synth.v $(RESULTS_DIR)/1_synth.sdc,synth_odb))
 
-# STEP 1: Translate verilog to odb
-#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 $(eval $(call do-step,2_1_floorplan,$(RESULTS_DIR)/1_synth.v $(RESULTS_DIR)/1_synth.sdc $(TECH_LEF) $(SC_LEF) $(ADDITIONAL_LEFS) $(FOOTPRINT) $(SIG_MAP_FILE) $(FOOTPRINT_TCL) $(DONT_USE_SC_LIB),floorplan))
 
 $(eval $(call do-copy,2_floorplan,2_1_floorplan.sdc,,.sdc))
@@ -775,13 +774,7 @@ nuke: clean_test clean_issues
 $(foreach file,$(RESULTS_DEF) $(RESULTS_GDS) $(RESULTS_OAS),klayout_$(file)): klayout_%: $(OBJECTS_DIR)/klayout.lyt
 	$(KLAYOUT_CMD) -nn $(OBJECTS_DIR)/klayout.lyt $(RESULTS_DIR)/$*
 
-.PHONY: gui_synth
-gui_synth:
-	$(OPENROAD_GUI_CMD) $(SCRIPTS_DIR)/sta-synth.tcl
-.PHONY: open_synth
-open_synth:
-	$(OPENROAD_NO_EXIT_CMD) $(SCRIPTS_DIR)/sta-synth.tcl
-
+$(eval $(call OPEN_GUI_SHORTCUT,synth,1_synth.odb))
 $(eval $(call OPEN_GUI_SHORTCUT,floorplan,2_floorplan.odb))
 $(eval $(call OPEN_GUI_SHORTCUT,place,3_place.odb))
 $(eval $(call OPEN_GUI_SHORTCUT,cts,4_cts.odb))
diff --git a/flow/scripts/sta-synth.tcl b/flow/scripts/sta-synth.tcl
deleted file mode 100644
index a51ba8ea91..0000000000
--- a/flow/scripts/sta-synth.tcl
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-source $::env(SCRIPTS_DIR)/load.tcl
-load_design 1_synth.v 1_synth.sdc
diff --git a/flow/scripts/synth_odb.tcl b/flow/scripts/synth_odb.tcl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8b7af86e0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flow/scripts/synth_odb.tcl
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+utl::set_metrics_stage "floorplan__{}"
+source $::env(SCRIPTS_DIR)/load.tcl
+erase_non_stage_variables synth
+load_design 1_synth.v 1_synth.sdc
+
+write_db $::env(RESULTS_DIR)/1_3_synth.odb
+# Canonicalize 1_synth.sdc. The original SDC_FILE provided by
+# the user could have dependencies, such as sourcing util.tcl,
+# which are read in here and a canonicalized version is written
+# out by OpenSTA that has no dependencies.
+write_sdc -no_timestamp $::env(RESULTS_DIR)/1_3_synth.sdc
+
+# Final output of the synthesis stage, the other files are written out for
+# consistency and logging of .odb hashes
+exec cp $::env(RESULTS_DIR)/1_3_synth.sdc $::env(RESULTS_DIR)/1_synth.sdc
+exec cp $::env(RESULTS_DIR)/1_3_synth.odb $::env(RESULTS_DIR)/1_synth.odb