diff --git a/internal/blocksync/reactor.go b/internal/blocksync/reactor.go
index cf1a10623..ea6f4a14d 100644
--- a/internal/blocksync/reactor.go
+++ b/internal/blocksync/reactor.go
@@ -80,15 +80,7 @@ type Reactor struct {
 	blockSync   *atomicBool
 
 	blockSyncCh *p2p.Channel
-	// blockSyncOutBridgeCh defines a channel that acts as a bridge between sending Envelope
-	// messages that the reactor will consume in processBlockSyncCh and receiving messages
-	// from the peer updates channel and other goroutines. We do this instead of directly
-	// sending on blockSyncCh.Out to avoid race conditions in the case where other goroutines
-	// send Envelopes directly to the to blockSyncCh.Out channel, since processBlockSyncCh
-	// may close the blockSyncCh.Out channel at the same time that other goroutines send to
-	// blockSyncCh.Out.
-	blockSyncOutBridgeCh chan p2p.Envelope
-	peerUpdates          *p2p.PeerUpdates
+	peerUpdates *p2p.PeerUpdates
 
 	requestsCh <-chan BlockRequest
 	errorsCh   <-chan peerError
@@ -119,17 +111,16 @@ func NewReactor(
 	}
 
 	r := &Reactor{
-		logger:               logger,
-		stateStore:           stateStore,
-		blockExec:            blockExec,
-		store:                store,
-		consReactor:          consReactor,
-		blockSync:            newAtomicBool(blockSync),
-		blockSyncCh:          blockSyncCh,
-		blockSyncOutBridgeCh: make(chan p2p.Envelope),
-		peerUpdates:          peerUpdates,
-		metrics:              metrics,
-		eventBus:             eventBus,
+		logger:      logger,
+		stateStore:  stateStore,
+		blockExec:   blockExec,
+		store:       store,
+		consReactor: consReactor,
+		blockSync:   newAtomicBool(blockSync),
+		blockSyncCh: blockSyncCh,
+		peerUpdates: peerUpdates,
+		metrics:     metrics,
+		eventBus:    eventBus,
 	}
 
 	r.BaseService = *service.NewBaseService(logger, "BlockSync", r)
@@ -175,7 +166,6 @@ func (r *Reactor) OnStart(ctx context.Context) error {
 	}
 
 	go r.processBlockSyncCh(ctx)
-	go r.processBlockSyncBridge(ctx)
 	go r.processPeerUpdates(ctx)
 
 	return nil
@@ -306,21 +296,8 @@ func (r *Reactor) processBlockSyncCh(ctx context.Context) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (r *Reactor) processBlockSyncBridge(ctx context.Context) {
-	for {
-		select {
-		case <-ctx.Done():
-			return
-		case envelope := <-r.blockSyncOutBridgeCh:
-			if err := r.blockSyncCh.Send(ctx, envelope); err != nil {
-				return
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 // processPeerUpdate processes a PeerUpdate.
-func (r *Reactor) processPeerUpdate(peerUpdate p2p.PeerUpdate) {
+func (r *Reactor) processPeerUpdate(ctx context.Context, peerUpdate p2p.PeerUpdate) {
 	r.logger.Debug("received peer update", "peer", peerUpdate.NodeID, "status", peerUpdate.Status)
 
 	// XXX: Pool#RedoRequest can sometimes give us an empty peer.
@@ -331,12 +308,20 @@ func (r *Reactor) processPeerUpdate(peerUpdate p2p.PeerUpdate) {
 	switch peerUpdate.Status {
 	case p2p.PeerStatusUp:
 		// send a status update the newly added peer
-		r.blockSyncOutBridgeCh <- p2p.Envelope{
+		if err := r.blockSyncCh.Send(ctx, p2p.Envelope{
 			To: peerUpdate.NodeID,
 			Message: &bcproto.StatusResponse{
 				Base:   r.store.Base(),
 				Height: r.store.Height(),
 			},
+		}); err != nil {
+			r.pool.RemovePeer(peerUpdate.NodeID)
+			if err := r.blockSyncCh.SendError(ctx, p2p.PeerError{
+				NodeID: peerUpdate.NodeID,
+				Err:    err,
+			}); err != nil {
+				return
+			}
 		}
 
 	case p2p.PeerStatusDown:
@@ -353,7 +338,7 @@ func (r *Reactor) processPeerUpdates(ctx context.Context) {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			return
 		case peerUpdate := <-r.peerUpdates.Updates():
-			r.processPeerUpdate(peerUpdate)
+			r.processPeerUpdate(ctx, peerUpdate)
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -372,7 +357,6 @@ func (r *Reactor) SwitchToBlockSync(ctx context.Context, state sm.State) error {
 	r.syncStartTime = time.Now()
 
 	go r.requestRoutine(ctx)
-
 	go r.poolRoutine(ctx, true)
 
 	return nil
@@ -387,15 +371,17 @@ func (r *Reactor) requestRoutine(ctx context.Context) {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			return
 		case request := <-r.requestsCh:
-			select {
-			case <-ctx.Done():
-				return
-			case r.blockSyncOutBridgeCh <- p2p.Envelope{
+			if err := r.blockSyncCh.Send(ctx, p2p.Envelope{
 				To:      request.PeerID,
 				Message: &bcproto.BlockRequest{Height: request.Height},
-			}:
+			}); err != nil {
+				if err := r.blockSyncCh.SendError(ctx, p2p.PeerError{
+					NodeID: request.PeerID,
+					Err:    err,
+				}); err != nil {
+					return
+				}
 			}
-
 		case pErr := <-r.errorsCh:
 			if err := r.blockSyncCh.SendError(ctx, p2p.PeerError{
 				NodeID: pErr.peerID,
@@ -404,16 +390,12 @@ func (r *Reactor) requestRoutine(ctx context.Context) {
 				return
 			}
 		case <-statusUpdateTicker.C:
-			go func() {
-				select {
-				case <-ctx.Done():
-					return
-				case r.blockSyncOutBridgeCh <- p2p.Envelope{
-					Broadcast: true,
-					Message:   &bcproto.StatusRequest{},
-				}:
-				}
-			}()
+			if err := r.blockSyncCh.Send(ctx, p2p.Envelope{
+				Broadcast: true,
+				Message:   &bcproto.StatusRequest{},
+			}); err != nil {
+				return
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }