diff --git a/core/bloombits/matcher.go b/core/bloombits/matcher.go
index 6a4cfb23db..486581fe23 100644
--- a/core/bloombits/matcher.go
+++ b/core/bloombits/matcher.go
@@ -596,6 +596,9 @@ func (s *MatcherSession) deliverSections(bit uint, sections []uint64, bitsets []
 // of the session, any request in-flight need to be responded to! Empty responses
 // are fine though in that case.
 func (s *MatcherSession) Multiplex(batch int, wait time.Duration, mux chan chan *Retrieval) {
+	waitTimer := time.NewTimer(wait)
+	defer waitTimer.Stop()
+
 	for {
 		// Allocate a new bloom bit index to retrieve data for, stopping when done
 		bit, ok := s.allocateRetrieval()
@@ -604,6 +607,7 @@ func (s *MatcherSession) Multiplex(batch int, wait time.Duration, mux chan chan
 		}
 		// Bit allocated, throttle a bit if we're below our batch limit
 		if s.pendingSections(bit) < batch {
+			waitTimer.Reset(wait)
 			select {
 			case <-s.quit:
 				// Session terminating, we can't meaningfully service, abort
@@ -611,7 +615,7 @@ func (s *MatcherSession) Multiplex(batch int, wait time.Duration, mux chan chan
 				s.deliverSections(bit, []uint64{}, [][]byte{})
 				return
 
-			case <-time.After(wait):
+			case <-waitTimer.C:
 				// Throttling up, fetch whatever is available
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/eth/downloader/beaconsync.go b/eth/downloader/beaconsync.go
index d3f75c8527..7dfc419f4e 100644
--- a/eth/downloader/beaconsync.go
+++ b/eth/downloader/beaconsync.go
@@ -289,6 +289,9 @@ func (d *Downloader) fetchBeaconHeaders(from uint64) error {
 		localHeaders = d.readHeaderRange(tail, int(count))
 		log.Warn("Retrieved beacon headers from local", "from", from, "count", count)
 	}
+	fsHeaderContCheckTimer := time.NewTimer(fsHeaderContCheck)
+	defer fsHeaderContCheckTimer.Stop()
+
 	for {
 		// Some beacon headers might have appeared since the last cycle, make
 		// sure we're always syncing to all available ones
@@ -381,8 +384,9 @@ func (d *Downloader) fetchBeaconHeaders(from uint64) error {
 		}
 		// State sync still going, wait a bit for new headers and retry
 		log.Trace("Pivot not yet committed, waiting...")
+		fsHeaderContCheckTimer.Reset(fsHeaderContCheck)
 		select {
-		case <-time.After(fsHeaderContCheck):
+		case <-fsHeaderContCheckTimer.C:
 		case <-d.cancelCh:
 			return errCanceled
 		}
diff --git a/eth/downloader/downloader.go b/eth/downloader/downloader.go
index 6b26822e22..941f575aa8 100644
--- a/eth/downloader/downloader.go
+++ b/eth/downloader/downloader.go
@@ -1276,7 +1276,10 @@ func (d *Downloader) processHeaders(origin uint64, td, ttd *big.Int, beaconMode
 	var (
 		mode       = d.getMode()
 		gotHeaders = false // Wait for batches of headers to process
+		timer      = time.NewTimer(time.Second)
 	)
+	defer timer.Stop()
+
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-d.cancelCh:
@@ -1397,10 +1400,11 @@ func (d *Downloader) processHeaders(origin uint64, td, ttd *big.Int, beaconMode
 				if mode == FullSync || mode == SnapSync {
 					// If we've reached the allowed number of pending headers, stall a bit
 					for d.queue.PendingBodies() >= maxQueuedHeaders || d.queue.PendingReceipts() >= maxQueuedHeaders {
+						timer.Reset(time.Second)
 						select {
 						case <-d.cancelCh:
 							return errCanceled
-						case <-time.After(time.Second):
+						case <-timer.C:
 						}
 					}
 					// Otherwise insert the headers for content retrieval
@@ -1567,7 +1571,10 @@ func (d *Downloader) processSnapSyncContent() error {
 	var (
 		oldPivot *fetchResult   // Locked in pivot block, might change eventually
 		oldTail  []*fetchResult // Downloaded content after the pivot
+		timer    = time.NewTimer(time.Second)
 	)
+	defer timer.Stop()
+
 	for {
 		// Wait for the next batch of downloaded data to be available. If we have
 		// not yet reached the pivot point, wait blockingly as there's no need to
@@ -1650,6 +1657,7 @@ func (d *Downloader) processSnapSyncContent() error {
 				oldPivot = P
 			}
 			// Wait for completion, occasionally checking for pivot staleness
+			timer.Reset(time.Second)
 			select {
 			case <-sync.done:
 				if sync.err != nil {
@@ -1660,7 +1668,7 @@ func (d *Downloader) processSnapSyncContent() error {
 				}
 				oldPivot = nil
 
-			case <-time.After(time.Second):
+			case <-timer.C:
 				oldTail = afterP
 				continue
 			}
diff --git a/ethstats/ethstats.go b/ethstats/ethstats.go
index 6e71666ec1..c845db1164 100644
--- a/ethstats/ethstats.go
+++ b/ethstats/ethstats.go
@@ -544,10 +544,13 @@ func (s *Service) reportLatency(conn *connWrapper) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	// Wait for the pong request to arrive back
+	timer := time.NewTimer(5 * time.Second)
+	defer timer.Stop()
+
 	select {
 	case <-s.pongCh:
 		// Pong delivered, report the latency
-	case <-time.After(5 * time.Second):
+	case <-timer.C:
 		// Ping timeout, abort
 		return errors.New("ping timed out")
 	}
diff --git a/p2p/simulations/adapters/exec.go b/p2p/simulations/adapters/exec.go
index 5df2d7649c..6307b90bf8 100644
--- a/p2p/simulations/adapters/exec.go
+++ b/p2p/simulations/adapters/exec.go
@@ -303,10 +303,13 @@ func (n *ExecNode) Stop() error {
 	go func() {
 		waitErr <- n.Cmd.Wait()
 	}()
+	timer := time.NewTimer(5 * time.Second)
+	defer timer.Stop()
+
 	select {
 	case err := <-waitErr:
 		return err
-	case <-time.After(5 * time.Second):
+	case <-timer.C:
 		return n.Cmd.Process.Kill()
 	}
 }
diff --git a/p2p/simulations/mocker.go b/p2p/simulations/mocker.go
index 0dc04e65f9..8763df67ef 100644
--- a/p2p/simulations/mocker.go
+++ b/p2p/simulations/mocker.go
@@ -65,8 +65,13 @@ func startStop(net *Network, quit chan struct{}, nodeCount int) {
 	if err != nil {
 		panic("Could not startup node network for mocker")
 	}
-	tick := time.NewTicker(10 * time.Second)
+	var (
+		tick  = time.NewTicker(10 * time.Second)
+		timer = time.NewTimer(3 * time.Second)
+	)
 	defer tick.Stop()
+	defer timer.Stop()
+
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-quit:
@@ -80,11 +85,12 @@ func startStop(net *Network, quit chan struct{}, nodeCount int) {
 				return
 			}
 
+			timer.Reset(3 * time.Second)
 			select {
 			case <-quit:
 				log.Info("Terminating simulation loop")
 				return
-			case <-time.After(3 * time.Second):
+			case <-timer.C:
 			}
 
 			log.Debug("starting node", "id", id)
diff --git a/p2p/simulations/network.go b/p2p/simulations/network.go
index 0225a3bbaa..2eb8333cd6 100644
--- a/p2p/simulations/network.go
+++ b/p2p/simulations/network.go
@@ -1028,11 +1028,14 @@ func (net *Network) Load(snap *Snapshot) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	timeout := time.NewTimer(snapshotLoadTimeout)
+	defer timeout.Stop()
+
 	select {
 	// Wait until all connections from the snapshot are established.
 	case <-allConnected:
 	// Make sure that we do not wait forever.
-	case <-time.After(snapshotLoadTimeout):
+	case <-timeout.C:
 		return errors.New("snapshot connections not established")
 	}
 	return nil