diff --git a/crates/kitsune_p2p/proxy/src/inner_listen.rs b/crates/kitsune_p2p/proxy/src/inner_listen.rs
index 6e6f76516a..9928187213 100644
--- a/crates/kitsune_p2p/proxy/src/inner_listen.rs
+++ b/crates/kitsune_p2p/proxy/src/inner_listen.rs
@@ -210,6 +210,8 @@ ghost_actor::ghost_chan! {
             futures::channel::mpsc::Receiver<ProxyWire>,
         );
 
+        fn prune_bad_proxy_to(proxy_url: ProxyUrl) -> ();
+
         fn register_proxy_to(proxy_url: ProxyUrl, base_url: url2::Url2) -> ();
 
         fn req_proxy(proxy_url: ProxyUrl) -> ();
@@ -371,14 +373,38 @@ impl InternalHandler for InnerListen {
         // and the channel create will re-use that.
         // If it is not, it will try to create a new connection that may fail.
         let fut = match proxy_to {
-            None => self
-                .i_s
-                .create_low_level_channel(dest_proxy_url.as_base().clone()),
+            None => {
+                tracing::warn!("Dropping message for {}", dest_proxy_url.as_full_str());
+                return Ok(async move {
+                    write
+                        .send(ProxyWire::failure(format!(
+                            "Dropped message to {}",
+                            dest_proxy_url.as_full_str()
+                        )))
+                        .await
+                        .map_err(TransportError::other)?;
+                    Ok(())
+                }
+                .boxed()
+                .into());
+            }
             Some(proxy_to) => self.i_s.create_low_level_channel(proxy_to),
         };
+        let i_s = self.i_s.clone();
         Ok(async move {
-            let (mut fwd_write, fwd_read) = match fut.await {
+            let url = dest_proxy_url.clone();
+            let res = async move {
+                let (mut fwd_write, fwd_read) = fut.await?;
+                fwd_write
+                    .send(ProxyWire::chan_new(url.into()))
+                    .await
+                    .map_err(TransportError::other)?;
+                TransportResult::Ok((fwd_write, fwd_read))
+            }
+            .await;
+            let (fwd_write, fwd_read) = match res {
                 Err(e) => {
+                    let _ = i_s.prune_bad_proxy_to(dest_proxy_url).await;
                     write
                         .send(ProxyWire::failure(format!("{:?}", e)))
                         .await
@@ -387,10 +413,6 @@ impl InternalHandler for InnerListen {
                 }
                 Ok(t) => t,
             };
-            fwd_write
-                .send(ProxyWire::chan_new(dest_proxy_url.clone().into()))
-                .await
-                .map_err(TransportError::other)?;
             cross_join_channel_forward(fwd_write, read);
             cross_join_channel_forward(write, fwd_read);
             Ok(())
@@ -417,6 +439,11 @@ impl InternalHandler for InnerListen {
         .into())
     }
 
+    fn handle_prune_bad_proxy_to(&mut self, proxy_url: ProxyUrl) -> InternalHandlerResult<()> {
+        self.proxy_list.remove(&proxy_url);
+        Ok(async move { Ok(()) }.boxed().into())
+    }
+
     #[tracing::instrument(skip(self))]
     fn handle_register_proxy_to(
         &mut self,