diff --git a/p2p/pex/pex_reactor.go b/p2p/pex/pex_reactor.go
index cb9e62bfd..5b53d3f43 100644
--- a/p2p/pex/pex_reactor.go
+++ b/p2p/pex/pex_reactor.go
@@ -257,10 +257,7 @@ func (r *PEXReactor) ReceiveAddrs(addrs []*p2p.NetAddress, src Peer) error {
 
 	srcAddr := src.NodeInfo().NetAddress()
 	for _, netAddr := range addrs {
-		if netAddr == nil {
-			continue
-		}
-		if !isAddrPrivate(netAddr, r.config.PrivatePeerIDs) {
+		if netAddr != nil && !isAddrPrivate(netAddr, r.config.PrivatePeerIDs) {
 			r.book.AddAddress(netAddr, srcAddr)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/p2p/pex/pex_reactor_test.go b/p2p/pex/pex_reactor_test.go
index 41eb2e8dd..95cedfea5 100644
--- a/p2p/pex/pex_reactor_test.go
+++ b/p2p/pex/pex_reactor_test.go
@@ -269,21 +269,21 @@ func TestPEXReactorCrawlStatus(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestPEXReactorDoesNotAddPrivatePeersToAddrBook(t *testing.T) {
+	peer := p2p.CreateRandomPeer(false)
+
 	pexR, book := createReactor(&PEXReactorConfig{PrivatePeerIDs: []string{string(peer.NodeInfo().ID())}})
 	defer teardownReactor(book)
 
-	peer := p2p.CreateRandomPeer(false)
-
 	// we have to send a request to receive responses
-	r.RequestAddrs(peer)
+	pexR.RequestAddrs(peer)
 
 	size := book.Size()
 	addrs := []*p2p.NetAddress{peer.NodeInfo().NetAddress()}
 	msg := wire.BinaryBytes(struct{ PexMessage }{&pexAddrsMessage{Addrs: addrs}})
-	r.Receive(PexChannel, peer, msg)
+	pexR.Receive(PexChannel, peer, msg)
 	assert.Equal(t, size, book.Size())
 
-	r.AddPeer(peer)
+	pexR.AddPeer(peer)
 	assert.Equal(t, size, book.Size())
 }
 
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ func createReactor(config *PEXReactorConfig) (r *PEXReactor, book *addrBook) {
 	book = NewAddrBook(filepath.Join(dir, "addrbook.json"), true)
 	book.SetLogger(log.TestingLogger())
 
-	r = NewPEXReactor(book, &PEXReactorConfig{})
+	r = NewPEXReactor(book, config)
 	r.SetLogger(log.TestingLogger())
 	return
 }