diff --git a/eth/handler.go b/eth/handler.go
index cbc6eca809..d6d2cfd6c6 100644
--- a/eth/handler.go
+++ b/eth/handler.go
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ func (h *handler) runEthPeer(peer *eth.Peer, handler eth.Handler) error {
 		peer.Log().Error("Ethereum peer registration failed", "err", err)
 		return err
 	}
-	defer h.removePeer(peer.ID())
+	defer h.unregisterPeer(peer.ID())
 
 	p := h.peers.peer(peer.ID())
 	if p == nil {
@@ -395,9 +395,17 @@ func (h *handler) runDiffExtension(peer *diff.Peer, handler diff.Handler) error
 	return handler(peer)
 }
 
-// removePeer unregisters a peer from the downloader and fetchers, removes it from
-// the set of tracked peers and closes the network connection to it.
+// removePeer requests disconnection of a peer.
 func (h *handler) removePeer(id string) {
+	peer := h.peers.peer(id)
+	if peer != nil {
+		// Hard disconnect at the networking layer. Handler will get an EOF and terminate the peer. defer unregisterPeer will do the cleanup task after then.
+		peer.Peer.Disconnect(p2p.DiscUselessPeer)
+	}
+}
+
+// unregisterPeer removes a peer from the downloader, fetchers and main peer set.
+func (h *handler) unregisterPeer(id string) {
 	// Create a custom logger to avoid printing the entire id
 	var logger log.Logger
 	if len(id) < 16 {
@@ -425,8 +433,6 @@ func (h *handler) removePeer(id string) {
 	if err := h.peers.unregisterPeer(id); err != nil {
 		logger.Error("Ethereum peer removal failed", "err", err)
 	}
-	// Hard disconnect at the networking layer
-	peer.Peer.Disconnect(p2p.DiscUselessPeer)
 }
 
 func (h *handler) Start(maxPeers int) {
diff --git a/eth/handler_eth_test.go b/eth/handler_eth_test.go
index e85c74e6f2..1aedadd225 100644
--- a/eth/handler_eth_test.go
+++ b/eth/handler_eth_test.go
@@ -641,14 +641,20 @@ func testCheckpointChallenge(t *testing.T, syncmode downloader.SyncMode, checkpo
 	defer p2pLocal.Close()
 	defer p2pRemote.Close()
 
-	local := eth.NewPeer(eth.ETH65, p2p.NewPeer(enode.ID{1}, "", nil), p2pLocal, handler.txpool)
-	remote := eth.NewPeer(eth.ETH65, p2p.NewPeer(enode.ID{2}, "", nil), p2pRemote, handler.txpool)
+	local := eth.NewPeer(eth.ETH65, p2p.NewPeerPipe(enode.ID{1}, "", nil, p2pLocal), p2pLocal, handler.txpool)
+	remote := eth.NewPeer(eth.ETH65, p2p.NewPeerPipe(enode.ID{2}, "", nil, p2pRemote), p2pRemote, handler.txpool)
 	defer local.Close()
 	defer remote.Close()
 
-	go handler.handler.runEthPeer(local, func(peer *eth.Peer) error {
-		return eth.Handle((*ethHandler)(handler.handler), peer)
-	})
+	handlerDone := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		defer close(handlerDone)
+		handler.handler.runEthPeer(local, func(peer *eth.Peer) error {
+			err := eth.Handle((*ethHandler)(handler.handler), peer)
+			return err
+		})
+	}()
+
 	// Run the handshake locally to avoid spinning up a remote handler
 	var (
 		genesis = handler.chain.Genesis()
@@ -685,6 +691,7 @@ func testCheckpointChallenge(t *testing.T, syncmode downloader.SyncMode, checkpo
 
 	// Verify that the remote peer is maintained or dropped
 	if drop {
+		<-handlerDone
 		if peers := handler.handler.peers.len(); peers != 0 {
 			t.Fatalf("peer count mismatch: have %d, want %d", peers, 0)
 		}
diff --git a/p2p/peer.go b/p2p/peer.go
index 3b633108db..7b9e4d5940 100644
--- a/p2p/peer.go
+++ b/p2p/peer.go
@@ -116,7 +116,8 @@ type Peer struct {
 	disc     chan DiscReason
 
 	// events receives message send / receive events if set
-	events *event.Feed
+	events   *event.Feed
+	testPipe *MsgPipeRW // for testing
 }
 
 // NewPeer returns a peer for testing purposes.
@@ -129,6 +130,15 @@ func NewPeer(id enode.ID, name string, caps []Cap) *Peer {
 	return peer
 }
 
+// NewPeerPipe creates a peer for testing purposes.
+// The message pipe given as the last parameter is closed when
+// Disconnect is called on the peer.
+func NewPeerPipe(id enode.ID, name string, caps []Cap, pipe *MsgPipeRW) *Peer {
+	p := NewPeer(id, name, caps)
+	p.testPipe = pipe
+	return p
+}
+
 // NewPeerWithProtocols returns a peer for testing purposes.
 func NewPeerWithProtocols(id enode.ID, protocols []Protocol, name string, caps []Cap) *Peer {
 	pipe, _ := net.Pipe()
@@ -196,6 +206,10 @@ func (p *Peer) LocalAddr() net.Addr {
 // Disconnect terminates the peer connection with the given reason.
 // It returns immediately and does not wait until the connection is closed.
 func (p *Peer) Disconnect(reason DiscReason) {
+	if p.testPipe != nil {
+		p.testPipe.Close()
+	}
+
 	select {
 	case p.disc <- reason:
 	case <-p.closed: