diff --git a/p2p/pex/addrbook.go b/p2p/pex/addrbook.go
index 56a4c5163..08646ae76 100644
--- a/p2p/pex/addrbook.go
+++ b/p2p/pex/addrbook.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ package pex
 import (
 	"crypto/sha256"
 	"encoding/binary"
-	"fmt"
 	"math"
 	"net"
 	"sync"
@@ -169,7 +168,9 @@ func (a *addrBook) OurAddress(addr *p2p.NetAddress) bool {
 	return ok
 }
 
-// AddAddress implements AddrBook - adds the given address as received from the given source.
+// AddAddress implements AddrBook
+// Add address to a "new" bucket. If it's already in one, only add it probabilistically.
+// Returns error if the addr is non-routable. Does not add self.
 // NOTE: addr must not be nil
 func (a *addrBook) AddAddress(addr *p2p.NetAddress, src *p2p.NetAddress) error {
 	a.mtx.Lock()
@@ -298,25 +299,27 @@ func (a *addrBook) GetSelection() []*p2p.NetAddress {
 	a.mtx.Lock()
 	defer a.mtx.Unlock()
 
-	if a.size() == 0 {
+	bookSize := a.size()
+	if bookSize == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	allAddr := make([]*p2p.NetAddress, a.size())
+	numAddresses := cmn.MaxInt(
+		cmn.MinInt(minGetSelection, bookSize),
+		bookSize*getSelectionPercent/100)
+	numAddresses = cmn.MinInt(maxGetSelection, numAddresses)
+
+	// XXX: instead of making a list of all addresses, shuffling, and slicing a random chunk,
+	// could we just select a random numAddresses of indexes?
+	allAddr := make([]*p2p.NetAddress, bookSize)
 	i := 0
 	for _, ka := range a.addrLookup {
 		allAddr[i] = ka.Addr
 		i++
 	}
 
-	numAddresses := cmn.MaxInt(
-		cmn.MinInt(minGetSelection, len(allAddr)),
-		len(allAddr)*getSelectionPercent/100)
-	numAddresses = cmn.MinInt(maxGetSelection, numAddresses)
-
 	// Fisher-Yates shuffle the array. We only need to do the first
 	// `numAddresses' since we are throwing the rest.
-	// XXX: What's the point of this if we already loop randomly through addrLookup ?
 	for i := 0; i < numAddresses; i++ {
 		// pick a number between current index and the end
 		j := cmn.RandIntn(len(allAddr)-i) + i
@@ -338,7 +341,8 @@ func (a *addrBook) GetSelectionWithBias(biasTowardsNewAddrs int) []*p2p.NetAddre
 	a.mtx.Lock()
 	defer a.mtx.Unlock()
 
-	if a.size() == 0 {
+	bookSize := a.size()
+	if bookSize == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -350,8 +354,8 @@ func (a *addrBook) GetSelectionWithBias(biasTowardsNewAddrs int) []*p2p.NetAddre
 	}
 
 	numAddresses := cmn.MaxInt(
-		cmn.MinInt(minGetSelection, a.size()),
-		a.size()*getSelectionPercent/100)
+		cmn.MinInt(minGetSelection, bookSize),
+		bookSize*getSelectionPercent/100)
 	numAddresses = cmn.MinInt(maxGetSelection, numAddresses)
 
 	selection := make([]*p2p.NetAddress, numAddresses)
@@ -605,12 +609,19 @@ func (a *addrBook) pickOldest(bucketType byte, bucketIdx int) *knownAddress {
 // adds the address to a "new" bucket. if its already in one,
 // it only adds it probabilistically
 func (a *addrBook) addAddress(addr, src *p2p.NetAddress) error {
+	if addr == nil {
+		return ErrAddrBookNilAddr{addr, src}
+	}
+	if src == nil {
+		return ErrAddrBookNilAddr{addr, src}
+	}
+
 	if a.routabilityStrict && !addr.Routable() {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Cannot add non-routable address %v", addr)
+		return ErrAddrBookNonRoutable{addr}
 	}
+	// TODO: we should track ourAddrs by ID and by IP:PORT and refuse both.
 	if _, ok := a.ourAddrs[addr.String()]; ok {
-		// Ignore our own listener address.
-		return fmt.Errorf("Cannot add ourselves with address %v", addr)
+		return ErrAddrBookSelf
 	}
 
 	ka := a.addrLookup[addr.ID]
@@ -636,10 +647,8 @@ func (a *addrBook) addAddress(addr, src *p2p.NetAddress) error {
 	bucket := a.calcNewBucket(addr, src)
 	added := a.addToNewBucket(ka, bucket)
 	if !added {
-		a.Logger.Info("Can't add new address, addr book is full", "address", addr, "total", a.size())
+		return ErrAddrBookFull{addr, a.size()}
 	}
-
-	a.Logger.Info("Added new address", "address", addr, "total", a.size())
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/p2p/pex/pex_reactor.go b/p2p/pex/pex_reactor.go
index 7897a5534..c6ae4f22d 100644
--- a/p2p/pex/pex_reactor.go
+++ b/p2p/pex/pex_reactor.go
@@ -167,17 +167,28 @@ func (r *PEXReactor) AddPeer(p Peer) {
 			r.RequestAddrs(p)
 		}
 	} else {
-		// For inbound peers, the peer is its own source,
-		// and its NodeInfo has already been validated.
-		// Let the ensurePeersRoutine handle asking for more
-		// peers when we need - we don't trust inbound peers as much.
+		// inbound peer is its own source
 		addr := p.NodeInfo().NetAddress()
-		if !isAddrPrivate(addr, r.config.PrivatePeerIDs) {
-			err := r.book.AddAddress(addr, addr)
-			if err != nil {
+		src := addr
+
+		// ignore private addrs
+		if isAddrPrivate(addr, r.config.PrivatePeerIDs) {
+			return
+		}
+
+		// add to book. dont RequestAddrs right away because
+		// we don't trust inbound as much - let ensurePeersRoutine handle it.
+		err := r.book.AddAddress(addr, src)
+		if err != nil {
+			switch err.(type) {
+			case ErrAddrBookNilAddr:
 				r.Logger.Error("Failed to add new address", "err", err)
+			default:
+				// non-routable, self, full book, etc.
+				r.Logger.Debug("Failed to add new address", "err", err)
 			}
 		}
+
 	}
 }
 
@@ -277,25 +288,31 @@ func (r *PEXReactor) RequestAddrs(p Peer) {
 // request for this peer and deletes the open request.
 // If there's no open request for the src peer, it returns an error.
 func (r *PEXReactor) ReceiveAddrs(addrs []*p2p.NetAddress, src Peer) error {
-	id := string(src.ID())
 
+	id := string(src.ID())
 	if !r.requestsSent.Has(id) {
 		return cmn.NewError("Received unsolicited pexAddrsMessage")
 	}
-
 	r.requestsSent.Delete(id)
 
 	srcAddr := src.NodeInfo().NetAddress()
 	for _, netAddr := range addrs {
 		// TODO: make sure correct nodes never send nil and return error
-		//   if a netAddr == nil
-		if netAddr != nil && !isAddrPrivate(netAddr, r.config.PrivatePeerIDs) {
-			// TODO: Should we moe the list of private peers into the AddrBook so AddAddress
-			// can do the check for us, and we don't have to worry about checking before calling ?
-			err := r.book.AddAddress(netAddr, srcAddr)
-			if err != nil {
-				r.Logger.Error("Failed to add new address", "err", err)
-			}
+		if netAddr == nil {
+			return cmn.NewError("received nil addr")
+		}
+
+		// ignore private peers
+		// TODO: give private peers to AddrBook so it can enforce this on AddAddress.
+		// We'd then have to check for ErrPrivatePeer on AddAddress here, which is
+		// an error we just ignore (maybe peer is probing us for our private peers :P)
+		if isAddrPrivate(netAddr, r.config.PrivatePeerIDs) {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		err := r.book.AddAddress(netAddr, srcAddr)
+		if err != nil {
+			r.Logger.Error("Failed to add new address", "err", err)
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -627,7 +644,7 @@ func (r *PEXReactor) attemptDisconnects() {
 	}
 }
 
-// isAddrPrivate returns true if addr is private.
+// isAddrPrivate returns true if addr.ID is a private ID.
 func isAddrPrivate(addr *p2p.NetAddress, privatePeerIDs []string) bool {
 	for _, id := range privatePeerIDs {
 		if string(addr.ID) == id {
diff --git a/p2p/switch.go b/p2p/switch.go
index 598fac468..7a06a69f0 100644
--- a/p2p/switch.go
+++ b/p2p/switch.go
@@ -260,6 +260,7 @@ func (sw *Switch) StopPeerForError(peer Peer, reason interface{}) {
 	sw.stopAndRemovePeer(peer, reason)
 
 	if peer.IsPersistent() {
+		// NOTE: this is the self-reported addr, not the original we dialed
 		go sw.reconnectToPeer(peer.NodeInfo().NetAddress())
 	}
 }
@@ -351,6 +352,7 @@ func (sw *Switch) IsDialing(id ID) bool {
 }
 
 // DialPeersAsync dials a list of peers asynchronously in random order (optionally, making them persistent).
+// Used to dial peers from config on startup or from unsafe-RPC (trusted sources).
 // TODO: remove addrBook arg since it's now set on the switch
 func (sw *Switch) DialPeersAsync(addrBook AddrBook, peers []string, persistent bool) error {
 	netAddrs, errs := NewNetAddressStrings(peers)