diff --git a/p2p/discover/node.go b/p2p/discover/node.go
index 99cb549a59..6662a6cb7b 100644
--- a/p2p/discover/node.go
+++ b/p2p/discover/node.go
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
-	"sync/atomic"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto/secp256k1"
@@ -31,9 +29,6 @@ type Node struct {
 
 	DiscPort int // UDP listening port for discovery protocol
 	TCPPort  int // TCP listening port for RLPx
-
-	// this must be set/read using atomic load and store.
-	activeStamp int64
 }
 
 func newNode(id NodeID, addr *net.UDPAddr) *Node {
@@ -50,16 +45,6 @@ func (n *Node) isValid() bool {
 	return !n.IP.IsMulticast() && !n.IP.IsUnspecified() && n.TCPPort != 0 && n.DiscPort != 0
 }
 
-func (n *Node) bumpActive() {
-	stamp := time.Now().Unix()
-	atomic.StoreInt64(&n.activeStamp, stamp)
-}
-
-func (n *Node) active() time.Time {
-	stamp := atomic.LoadInt64(&n.activeStamp)
-	return time.Unix(stamp, 0)
-}
-
 func (n *Node) addr() *net.UDPAddr {
 	return &net.UDPAddr{IP: n.IP, Port: n.DiscPort}
 }
diff --git a/p2p/discover/table.go b/p2p/discover/table.go
index dbf86c0840..e2e8464569 100644
--- a/p2p/discover/table.go
+++ b/p2p/discover/table.go
@@ -326,7 +326,6 @@ outer:
 func (b *bucket) bump(n *Node) bool {
 	for i := range b.entries {
 		if b.entries[i].ID == n.ID {
-			n.bumpActive()
 			// move it to the front
 			copy(b.entries[1:], b.entries[:i])
 			b.entries[0] = n
diff --git a/p2p/discover/udp.go b/p2p/discover/udp.go
index d37260e7d7..61a0abed99 100644
--- a/p2p/discover/udp.go
+++ b/p2p/discover/udp.go
@@ -267,11 +267,12 @@ func (t *udp) loop() {
 	defer timeout.Stop()
 
 	rearmTimeout := func() {
-		if len(pending) == 0 || nextDeadline == pending[0].deadline {
+		now := time.Now()
+		if len(pending) == 0 || now.Before(nextDeadline) {
 			return
 		}
 		nextDeadline = pending[0].deadline
-		timeout.Reset(nextDeadline.Sub(time.Now()))
+		timeout.Reset(nextDeadline.Sub(now))
 	}
 
 	for {
diff --git a/p2p/handshake.go b/p2p/handshake.go
index 43361364fa..79395f23ff 100644
--- a/p2p/handshake.go
+++ b/p2p/handshake.go
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ func setupOutboundConn(fd net.Conn, prv *ecdsa.PrivateKey, our *protoHandshake,
 	// returning the handshake read error. If the remote side
 	// disconnects us early with a valid reason, we should return it
 	// as the error so it can be tracked elsewhere.
-	werr := make(chan error)
+	werr := make(chan error, 1)
 	go func() { werr <- Send(rw, handshakeMsg, our) }()
 	rhs, err := readProtocolHandshake(rw, secrets.RemoteID, our)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/p2p/peer.go b/p2p/peer.go
index 7bc4f9cf6b..1262ba64a7 100644
--- a/p2p/peer.go
+++ b/p2p/peer.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
-	"io/ioutil"
 	"net"
 	"sort"
 	"sync"
@@ -20,8 +19,7 @@ const (
 	baseProtocolLength     = uint64(16)
 	baseProtocolMaxMsgSize = 10 * 1024 * 1024
 
-	pingInterval          = 15 * time.Second
-	disconnectGracePeriod = 2 * time.Second
+	pingInterval = 15 * time.Second
 )
 
 const (
@@ -129,39 +127,27 @@ func (p *Peer) run() DiscReason {
 	case err := <-readErr:
 		if r, ok := err.(DiscReason); ok {
 			reason = r
-			break
+		} else {
+			// Note: We rely on protocols to abort if there is a write
+			// error. It might be more robust to handle them here as well.
+			p.DebugDetailf("Read error: %v\n", err)
+			reason = DiscNetworkError
 		}
-		// Note: We rely on protocols to abort if there is a write
-		// error. It might be more robust to handle them here as well.
-		p.DebugDetailf("Read error: %v\n", err)
-		p.conn.Close()
-		reason = DiscNetworkError
 	case err := <-p.protoErr:
 		reason = discReasonForError(err)
 	case reason = <-p.disc:
 	}
 
 	close(p.closed)
+	p.politeDisconnect(reason)
 	p.wg.Wait()
-	if reason != DiscNetworkError {
-		p.politeDisconnect(reason)
-	}
 	p.Debugf("Disconnected: %v\n", reason)
 	return reason
 }
 
 func (p *Peer) politeDisconnect(reason DiscReason) {
-	done := make(chan struct{})
-	go func() {
+	if reason != DiscNetworkError {
 		SendItems(p.rw, discMsg, uint(reason))
-		// Wait for the other side to close the connection.
-		// Discard any data that they send until then.
-		io.Copy(ioutil.Discard, p.conn)
-		close(done)
-	}()
-	select {
-	case <-done:
-	case <-time.After(disconnectGracePeriod):
 	}
 	p.conn.Close()
 }
diff --git a/p2p/server.go b/p2p/server.go
index 5cd3dc2adf..61e0d71e93 100644
--- a/p2p/server.go
+++ b/p2p/server.go
@@ -260,9 +260,11 @@ func (srv *Server) Stop() {
 	// No new peers can be added at this point because dialLoop and
 	// listenLoop are down. It is safe to call peerWG.Wait because
 	// peerWG.Add is not called outside of those loops.
+	srv.lock.Lock()
 	for _, peer := range srv.peers {
 		peer.Disconnect(DiscQuitting)
 	}
+	srv.lock.Unlock()
 	srv.peerWG.Wait()
 }