diff --git a/p2p/conn_go110.go b/p2p/conn_go110.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2fca7c3df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/p2p/conn_go110.go
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// +build go1.10
+
+package p2p
+
+// Go1.10 has a proper net.Conn implementation that
+// has the SetDeadline method implemented as per
+//  https://github.com/golang/go/commit/e2dd8ca946be884bb877e074a21727f1a685a706
+// lest we run into problems like
+//  https://github.com/tendermint/tendermint/issues/851
+
+import "net"
+
+func netPipe() (net.Conn, net.Conn) {
+	return net.Pipe()
+}
diff --git a/p2p/connection_test.go b/p2p/connection_test.go
index 959992238..d74deabfa 100644
--- a/p2p/connection_test.go
+++ b/p2p/connection_test.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ func createMConnectionWithCallbacks(conn net.Conn, onReceive func(chID byte, msg
 func TestMConnectionSend(t *testing.T) {
 	assert, require := assert.New(t), require.New(t)
 
-	server, client := net.Pipe()
+	server, client := netPipe()
 	defer server.Close()
 	defer client.Close()
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func TestMConnectionSend(t *testing.T) {
 func TestMConnectionReceive(t *testing.T) {
 	assert, require := assert.New(t), require.New(t)
 
-	server, client := net.Pipe()
+	server, client := netPipe()
 	defer server.Close()
 	defer client.Close()
 
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func TestMConnectionReceive(t *testing.T) {
 func TestMConnectionStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	assert, require := assert.New(t), require.New(t)
 
-	server, client := net.Pipe()
+	server, client := netPipe()
 	defer server.Close()
 	defer client.Close()
 
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ func TestMConnectionStatus(t *testing.T) {
 func TestMConnectionStopsAndReturnsError(t *testing.T) {
 	assert, require := assert.New(t), require.New(t)
 
-	server, client := net.Pipe()
+	server, client := netPipe()
 	defer server.Close()
 	defer client.Close()
 
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ func TestMConnectionStopsAndReturnsError(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func newClientAndServerConnsForReadErrors(require *require.Assertions, chOnErr chan struct{}) (*MConnection, *MConnection) {
-	server, client := net.Pipe()
+	server, client := netPipe()
 
 	onReceive := func(chID byte, msgBytes []byte) {}
 	onError := func(r interface{}) {}
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ func TestMConnectionReadErrorUnknownMsgType(t *testing.T) {
 func TestMConnectionTrySend(t *testing.T) {
 	assert, require := assert.New(t), require.New(t)
 
-	server, client := net.Pipe()
+	server, client := netPipe()
 	defer server.Close()
 	defer client.Close()
 
diff --git a/p2p/switch.go b/p2p/switch.go
index 2012897af..5771cf364 100644
--- a/p2p/switch.go
+++ b/p2p/switch.go
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ var PanicOnAddPeerErr = false
 func Connect2Switches(switches []*Switch, i, j int) {
 	switchI := switches[i]
 	switchJ := switches[j]
-	c1, c2 := net.Pipe()
+	c1, c2 := netPipe()
 	doneCh := make(chan struct{})
 	go func() {
 		err := switchI.addPeerWithConnection(c1)
@@ -593,3 +593,27 @@ func (sw *Switch) addPeerWithConnectionAndConfig(conn net.Conn, config *PeerConf
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+// Only Go1.10 has a proper net.Conn implementation that
+// has the SetDeadline method implemented as per
+//  https://github.com/golang/go/commit/e2dd8ca946be884bb877e074a21727f1a685a706
+// lest we run into problems like
+//  https://github.com/tendermint/tendermint/issues/851
+// so for go versions < Go1.10 use our custom net.Conn creator
+// that doesn't return an `Unimplemented error` for net.Conn.
+// Before https://github.com/tendermint/tendermint/commit/49faa79bdce5663894b3febbf4955fb1d172df04
+// we hadn't cared about errors from SetDeadline so swallow them up anyways.
+type pipe struct {
+	net.Conn
+}
+
+func (p *pipe) SetDeadline(t time.Time) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func netPipe() (net.Conn, net.Conn) {
+	p1, p2 := net.Pipe()
+	return &pipe{p1}, &pipe{p2}
+}
+
+var _ net.Conn = (*pipe)(nil)
diff --git a/p2p/switch_test.go b/p2p/switch_test.go
index b06e05868..1ea79efef 100644
--- a/p2p/switch_test.go
+++ b/p2p/switch_test.go
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ func TestConnAddrFilter(t *testing.T) {
 	defer s1.Stop()
 	defer s2.Stop()
 
-	c1, c2 := net.Pipe()
+	c1, c2 := netPipe()
 
 	s1.SetAddrFilter(func(addr net.Addr) error {
 		if addr.String() == c1.RemoteAddr().String() {
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ func TestConnPubKeyFilter(t *testing.T) {
 	defer s1.Stop()
 	defer s2.Stop()
 
-	c1, c2 := net.Pipe()
+	c1, c2 := netPipe()
 
 	// set pubkey filter
 	s1.SetPubKeyFilter(func(pubkey crypto.PubKeyEd25519) error {