diff --git a/peer.go b/peer.go
index 92d4973d8..1be50aff1 100644
--- a/peer.go
+++ b/peer.go
@@ -41,7 +41,12 @@ func newPeer(addr *NetAddress, reactorsByCh map[byte]Reactor, chDescs []*Channel
 	}
 
 	// outbound = true
-	return newPeerFromExistingConn(conn, true, reactorsByCh, chDescs, onPeerError, config, privKey)
+	peer, err := newPeerFromExistingConn(conn, true, reactorsByCh, chDescs, onPeerError, config, privKey)
+	if err != nil {
+		conn.Close()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return peer, nil
 }
 
 func newPeerFromExistingConn(conn net.Conn, outbound bool, reactorsByCh map[byte]Reactor, chDescs []*ChannelDescriptor, onPeerError func(*Peer, interface{}), config cfg.Config, privKey crypto.PrivKeyEd25519) (*Peer, error) {
diff --git a/switch.go b/switch.go
index fcde27449..f38d4feb1 100644
--- a/switch.go
+++ b/switch.go
@@ -318,14 +318,13 @@ func (sw *Switch) DialPeerWithAddress(addr *NetAddress, persistent bool) (*Peer,
 	defer sw.dialing.Delete(addr.IP.String())
 
 	peer, err := newPeer(addr, sw.reactorsByCh, sw.chDescs, sw.StopPeerForError, sw.config, sw.nodePrivKey)
-	if persistent {
-		peer.makePersistent()
-	}
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Info("Failed dialing peer", "address", addr, "error", err)
-		peer.CloseConn()
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	if persistent {
+		peer.makePersistent()
+	}
 	err = sw.AddPeer(peer)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Info("Failed adding peer", "address", addr, "error", err)
@@ -549,7 +548,7 @@ func makeSwitch(i int, network, version string, initSwitch func(int, *Switch) *S
 func (sw *Switch) AddPeerWithConnection(conn net.Conn, outbound bool) error {
 	peer, err := newPeerFromExistingConn(conn, outbound, sw.reactorsByCh, sw.chDescs, sw.StopPeerForError, sw.config, sw.nodePrivKey)
 	if err != nil {
-		peer.CloseConn()
+		conn.Close()
 		return err
 	}