diff --git a/plugins/autopeering/protocol/incoming_response_processor.go b/plugins/autopeering/protocol/incoming_response_processor.go
index ea33fa60d5c7f00411f8315065692014d022a1e6..ea1af9c5733b45840e2675c0315b9ec956807d9a 100644
--- a/plugins/autopeering/protocol/incoming_response_processor.go
+++ b/plugins/autopeering/protocol/incoming_response_processor.go
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ func createIncomingResponseProcessor(plugin *node.Plugin) *events.Closure {
 func processIncomingResponse(plugin *node.Plugin, peeringResponse *response.Response) {
 	plugin.LogDebug("received peering response from " + peeringResponse.Issuer.String())
 
-	_ = peeringResponse.Issuer.Conn.Close()
+	if conn := peeringResponse.Issuer.GetConn(); conn != nil {
+		_ = conn.Close()
+	}
 
 	knownpeers.INSTANCE.AddOrUpdate(peeringResponse.Issuer)
 	for _, peer := range peeringResponse.Peers {
diff --git a/plugins/autopeering/protocol/outgoing_request_processor.go b/plugins/autopeering/protocol/outgoing_request_processor.go
index ea2f37459d7f3876105d30a8b2b3461bac99ca22..118a2ffc907d6eec9232b71af12e7d2efc10f329 100644
--- a/plugins/autopeering/protocol/outgoing_request_processor.go
+++ b/plugins/autopeering/protocol/outgoing_request_processor.go
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 package protocol
 
 import (
+	"time"
+
 	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/plugins/autopeering/instances/outgoingrequest"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/plugins/autopeering/protocol/types"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/plugins/autopeering/server/tcp"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/packages/timeutil"
 
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ func sendOutgoingRequests(plugin *node.Plugin) {
 					plugin.LogDebug("sent peering request to " + chosenNeighborCandidate.String())
 
 					if dialed {
-						tcp.HandleConnection(chosenNeighborCandidate.Conn)
+						tcp.HandleConnection(chosenNeighborCandidate.GetConn())
 					}
 				}
 
@@ -63,10 +64,10 @@ func sendOutgoingRequests(plugin *node.Plugin) {
 			}(doneChan)
 
 			select {
-				case <-daemon.ShutdownSignal:
-					return
-				case <-doneChan:
-					continue
+			case <-daemon.ShutdownSignal:
+				return
+			case <-doneChan:
+				continue
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/plugins/autopeering/server/tcp/server.go b/plugins/autopeering/server/tcp/server.go
index 165c098e56290c712655513414017c99c53f3a5b..3c6f11e82ea7d707935252c9afd5f4a7b5a44d52 100644
--- a/plugins/autopeering/server/tcp/server.go
+++ b/plugins/autopeering/server/tcp/server.go
@@ -140,11 +140,11 @@ func processIncomingRequestPacket(connectionState *byte, receiveBuffer *[]byte,
 
 			return
 		} else {
-			req.Issuer.Conn = conn
+			req.Issuer.SetConn(conn)
 			req.Issuer.Address = conn.RemoteAddr().(*net.TCPAddr).IP
 
-			req.Issuer.Conn.Events.Close.Attach(events.NewClosure(func() {
-				req.Issuer.Conn = nil
+			conn.Events.Close.Attach(events.NewClosure(func() {
+				req.Issuer.SetConn(nil)
 			}))
 
 			Events.ReceiveRequest.Trigger(req)
@@ -173,11 +173,11 @@ func processIncomingResponsePacket(connectionState *byte, receiveBuffer *[]byte,
 
 			return
 		} else {
-			res.Issuer.Conn = conn
+			res.Issuer.SetConn(conn)
 			res.Issuer.Address = conn.RemoteAddr().(*net.TCPAddr).IP
 
-			res.Issuer.Conn.Events.Close.Attach(events.NewClosure(func() {
-				res.Issuer.Conn = nil
+			conn.Events.Close.Attach(events.NewClosure(func() {
+				res.Issuer.SetConn(nil)
 			}))
 
 			Events.ReceiveResponse.Trigger(res)
@@ -206,11 +206,11 @@ func processIncomingPingPacket(connectionState *byte, receiveBuffer *[]byte, con
 
 			return
 		} else {
-			ping.Issuer.Conn = conn
+			ping.Issuer.SetConn(conn)
 			ping.Issuer.Address = conn.RemoteAddr().(*net.TCPAddr).IP
 
-			ping.Issuer.Conn.Events.Close.Attach(events.NewClosure(func() {
-				ping.Issuer.Conn = nil
+			conn.Events.Close.Attach(events.NewClosure(func() {
+				ping.Issuer.SetConn(nil)
 			}))
 
 			Events.ReceivePing.Trigger(ping)
diff --git a/plugins/autopeering/types/peer/peer.go b/plugins/autopeering/types/peer/peer.go
index 1428ed80e675b4c8cb60ff63836cb476bb8ba929..cecf6e10e132d89566d1e1e79229e1bf44918248 100644
--- a/plugins/autopeering/types/peer/peer.go
+++ b/plugins/autopeering/types/peer/peer.go
@@ -21,14 +21,28 @@ type Peer struct {
 	PeeringPort    uint16
 	GossipPort     uint16
 	Salt           *salt.Salt
-	Conn           *network.ManagedConnection
-	connectMutex   sync.Mutex
+	conn           *network.ManagedConnection
+	connectMutex   sync.RWMutex
 	firstSeen      time.Time
 	firstSeenMutex sync.RWMutex
 	lastSeen       time.Time
 	lastSeenMutex  sync.RWMutex
 }
 
+func (peer *Peer) GetConn() (result *network.ManagedConnection) {
+	peer.connectMutex.RLock()
+	result = peer.conn
+	peer.connectMutex.RUnlock()
+
+	return
+}
+
+func (peer *Peer) SetConn(conn *network.ManagedConnection) {
+	peer.connectMutex.Lock()
+	peer.conn = conn
+	peer.connectMutex.Unlock()
+}
+
 func Unmarshal(data []byte) (*Peer, error) {
 	if len(data) < MARSHALED_TOTAL_SIZE {
 		return nil, errors.New("size of marshaled peer is too small")
@@ -76,27 +90,31 @@ func (peer *Peer) Send(data []byte, protocol types.ProtocolType, responseExpecte
 }
 
 func (peer *Peer) ConnectTCP() (*network.ManagedConnection, bool, error) {
-	if peer.Conn == nil {
+	peer.connectMutex.RLock()
+
+	if peer.conn == nil {
+		peer.connectMutex.RUnlock()
 		peer.connectMutex.Lock()
 		defer peer.connectMutex.Unlock()
 
-		if peer.Conn == nil {
+		if peer.conn == nil {
 			conn, err := net.Dial("tcp", peer.Address.String()+":"+strconv.Itoa(int(peer.PeeringPort)))
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, false, errors.New("error when connecting to " + peer.String() + ": " + err.Error())
 			} else {
-				peer.Conn = network.NewManagedConnection(conn)
-
-				peer.Conn.Events.Close.Attach(events.NewClosure(func() {
-					peer.Conn = nil
+				peer.conn = network.NewManagedConnection(conn)
+				peer.conn.Events.Close.Attach(events.NewClosure(func() {
+					peer.SetConn(nil)
 				}))
 
-				return peer.Conn, true, nil
+				return peer.conn, true, nil
 			}
 		}
+	} else {
+		peer.connectMutex.RUnlock()
 	}
 
-	return peer.Conn, false, nil
+	return peer.conn, false, nil
 }
 
 func (peer *Peer) ConnectUDP() (*network.ManagedConnection, bool, error) {