diff --git a/p2p/kademlia/conn_pool.go b/p2p/kademlia/conn_pool.go
index 8c5876f3..66b33e28 100644
--- a/p2p/kademlia/conn_pool.go
+++ b/p2p/kademlia/conn_pool.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package kademlia
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"net"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
@@ -123,6 +124,9 @@ func NewSecureServerConn(_ context.Context, tc credentials.TransportCredentials,
 
 // Read implements net.Conn's Read interface
 func (conn *connWrapper) Read(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
+	if conn == nil || conn.secureConn == nil {
+		return 0, io.ErrClosedPipe
+	}
 	conn.mtx.Lock()
 	defer conn.mtx.Unlock()
 	return conn.secureConn.Read(b)
@@ -130,6 +134,9 @@ func (conn *connWrapper) Read(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
 
 // Write implements net.Conn's Write interface
 func (conn *connWrapper) Write(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
+	if conn == nil || conn.secureConn == nil {
+		return 0, io.ErrClosedPipe
+	}
 	conn.mtx.Lock()
 	defer conn.mtx.Unlock()
 	return conn.secureConn.Write(b)
@@ -137,14 +144,25 @@ func (conn *connWrapper) Write(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
 
 // Close implements net.Conn's Close interface
 func (conn *connWrapper) Close() error {
+	if conn == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
 	conn.mtx.Lock()
 	defer conn.mtx.Unlock()
-	conn.secureConn.Close()
-	return conn.rawConn.Close()
+	if conn.secureConn != nil {
+		_ = conn.secureConn.Close()
+	}
+	if conn.rawConn != nil {
+		return conn.rawConn.Close()
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 // LocalAddr implements net.Conn's LocalAddr interface
 func (conn *connWrapper) LocalAddr() net.Addr {
+	if conn == nil || conn.rawConn == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
 	conn.mtx.Lock()
 	defer conn.mtx.Unlock()
 	return conn.rawConn.LocalAddr()
@@ -152,6 +170,9 @@ func (conn *connWrapper) LocalAddr() net.Addr {
 
 // RemoteAddr implements net.Conn's RemoteAddr interface
 func (conn *connWrapper) RemoteAddr() net.Addr {
+	if conn == nil || conn.rawConn == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
 	conn.mtx.Lock()
 	defer conn.mtx.Unlock()
 	return conn.rawConn.RemoteAddr()
@@ -159,6 +180,9 @@ func (conn *connWrapper) RemoteAddr() net.Addr {
 
 // SetDeadline implements net.Conn's SetDeadline interface
 func (conn *connWrapper) SetDeadline(t time.Time) error {
+	if conn == nil || conn.secureConn == nil {
+		return io.ErrClosedPipe
+	}
 	conn.mtx.Lock()
 	defer conn.mtx.Unlock()
 	return conn.secureConn.SetDeadline(t)
@@ -166,6 +190,9 @@ func (conn *connWrapper) SetDeadline(t time.Time) error {
 
 // SetReadDeadline implements net.Conn's SetReadDeadline interface
 func (conn *connWrapper) SetReadDeadline(t time.Time) error {
+	if conn == nil || conn.secureConn == nil {
+		return io.ErrClosedPipe
+	}
 	conn.mtx.Lock()
 	defer conn.mtx.Unlock()
 	return conn.secureConn.SetReadDeadline(t)
@@ -173,6 +200,9 @@ func (conn *connWrapper) SetReadDeadline(t time.Time) error {
 
 // SetWriteDeadline implements net.Conn's SetWriteDeadline interface
 func (conn *connWrapper) SetWriteDeadline(t time.Time) error {
+	if conn == nil || conn.secureConn == nil {
+		return io.ErrClosedPipe
+	}
 	conn.mtx.Lock()
 	defer conn.mtx.Unlock()
 	return conn.secureConn.SetWriteDeadline(t)
@@ -200,6 +230,10 @@ func (pool *ConnPool) Add(addr string, conn net.Conn) {
 	pool.mtx.Lock()
 	defer pool.mtx.Unlock()
 
+	if w, ok := conn.(*connWrapper); ok && w == nil {
+		return
+	}
+
 	if item, ok := pool.conns[addr]; ok {
 		_ = item.conn.Close()
 		pool.conns[addr] = &connectionItem{lastAccess: time.Now().UTC(), conn: conn}