diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/link.go b/src/yggdrasil/link.go
index 63c9a309..2ee2f312 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/link.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/link.go
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ func (l *links) stop() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (intf *link) handler() error {
+func (intf *link) handler() (chan struct{}, error) {
 	// TODO split some of this into shorter functions, so it's easier to read, and for the FIXME duplicate peer issue mentioned later
 	go func() {
 		for bss := range intf.writer.worker {
@@ -207,38 +207,38 @@ func (intf *link) handler() error {
 	// TODO timeouts on send/recv (goroutine for send/recv, channel select w/ timer)
 	var err error
 	if !util.FuncTimeout(func() { err = intf.msgIO._sendMetaBytes(metaBytes) }, 30*time.Second) {
-		return errors.New("timeout on metadata send")
+		return nil, errors.New("timeout on metadata send")
 	}
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	if !util.FuncTimeout(func() { metaBytes, err = intf.msgIO._recvMetaBytes() }, 30*time.Second) {
-		return errors.New("timeout on metadata recv")
+		return nil, errors.New("timeout on metadata recv")
 	}
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	meta = version_metadata{}
 	if !meta.decode(metaBytes) || !meta.check() {
-		return errors.New("failed to decode metadata")
+		return nil, errors.New("failed to decode metadata")
 	}
 	base := version_getBaseMetadata()
 	if meta.ver > base.ver || meta.ver == base.ver && meta.minorVer > base.minorVer {
 		intf.links.core.log.Errorln("Failed to connect to node: " + intf.lname + " version: " + fmt.Sprintf("%d.%d", meta.ver, meta.minorVer))
-		return errors.New("failed to connect: wrong version")
+		return nil, errors.New("failed to connect: wrong version")
 	}
 	// Check if the remote side matches the keys we expected. This is a bit of a weak
 	// check - in future versions we really should check a signature or something like that.
 	if pinned := intf.options.pinnedCurve25519Keys; pinned != nil {
 		if _, allowed := pinned[meta.box]; !allowed {
 			intf.links.core.log.Errorf("Failed to connect to node: %q sent curve25519 key that does not match pinned keys", intf.name)
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to connect: host sent curve25519 key that does not match pinned keys")
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to connect: host sent curve25519 key that does not match pinned keys")
 		}
 	}
 	if pinned := intf.options.pinnedEd25519Keys; pinned != nil {
 		if _, allowed := pinned[meta.sig]; !allowed {
 			intf.links.core.log.Errorf("Failed to connect to node: %q sent ed25519 key that does not match pinned keys", intf.name)
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to connect: host sent ed25519 key that does not match pinned keys")
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to connect: host sent ed25519 key that does not match pinned keys")
 		}
 	}
 	// Check if we're authorized to connect to this key / IP
@@ -246,19 +246,19 @@ func (intf *link) handler() error {
 		intf.links.core.log.Warnf("%s connection from %s forbidden: AllowedEncryptionPublicKeys does not contain key %s",
 			strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), intf.info.remote, hex.EncodeToString(meta.box[:]))
 		intf.msgIO.close()
-		return nil
+		return nil, nil
 	}
 	// Check if we already have a link to this node
 	intf.info.box = meta.box
 	intf.info.sig = meta.sig
 	intf.links.mutex.Lock()
-	if _, isIn := intf.links.links[intf.info]; isIn {
+	if oldIntf, isIn := intf.links.links[intf.info]; isIn {
 		intf.links.mutex.Unlock()
 		// FIXME we should really return an error and let the caller block instead
 		// That lets them do things like close connections on its own, avoid printing a connection message in the first place, etc.
 		intf.links.core.log.Debugln("DEBUG: found existing interface for", intf.name)
 		intf.msgIO.close()
-		return nil
+		return oldIntf.closed, nil
 	} else {
 		intf.closed = make(chan struct{})
 		intf.links.links[intf.info] = intf
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ func (intf *link) handler() error {
 		intf.peer = intf.links.core.peers._newPeer(&meta.box, &meta.sig, shared, intf)
 	})
 	if intf.peer == nil {
-		return errors.New("failed to create peer")
+		return nil, errors.New("failed to create peer")
 	}
 	defer func() {
 		// More cleanup can go here
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ func (intf *link) handler() error {
 		intf.links.core.log.Infof("Disconnected %s: %s, source %s",
 			strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), themString, intf.info.local)
 	}
-	return err
+	return nil, err
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/tcp.go b/src/yggdrasil/tcp.go
index ad9d872e..10c2b1eb 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/tcp.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/tcp.go
@@ -299,7 +299,9 @@ func (t *tcp) call(saddr string, options tcpOptions, sintf string) {
 			}
 			t.waitgroup.Add(1)
 			options.socksPeerAddr = conn.RemoteAddr().String()
-			t.handler(conn, false, options)
+			if ch := t.handler(conn, false, options); ch != nil {
+				<-ch
+			}
 		} else {
 			dst, err := net.ResolveTCPAddr("tcp", saddr)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -365,12 +367,14 @@ func (t *tcp) call(saddr string, options tcpOptions, sintf string) {
 				return
 			}
 			t.waitgroup.Add(1)
-			t.handler(conn, false, options)
+			if ch := t.handler(conn, false, options); ch != nil {
+				<-ch
+			}
 		}
 	}()
 }
 
-func (t *tcp) handler(sock net.Conn, incoming bool, options tcpOptions) {
+func (t *tcp) handler(sock net.Conn, incoming bool, options tcpOptions) chan struct{} {
 	defer t.waitgroup.Done() // Happens after sock.close
 	defer sock.Close()
 	t.setExtraOptions(sock)
@@ -379,7 +383,7 @@ func (t *tcp) handler(sock net.Conn, incoming bool, options tcpOptions) {
 		var err error
 		if sock, err = options.upgrade.upgrade(sock); err != nil {
 			t.links.core.log.Errorln("TCP handler upgrade failed:", err)
-			return
+			return nil
 		}
 		upgraded = true
 	}
@@ -415,7 +419,7 @@ func (t *tcp) handler(sock net.Conn, incoming bool, options tcpOptions) {
 			//  Maybe dial/listen at the application level
 			//  Then pass a net.Conn to the core library (after these kinds of checks are done)
 			t.links.core.log.Debugln("Dropping ygg-tunneled connection", local, remote)
-			return
+			return nil
 		}
 	}
 	force := net.ParseIP(strings.Split(remote, "%")[0]).IsLinkLocalUnicast()
@@ -425,6 +429,7 @@ func (t *tcp) handler(sock net.Conn, incoming bool, options tcpOptions) {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 	t.links.core.log.Debugln("DEBUG: starting handler for", name)
-	err = link.handler()
+	ch, err := link.handler()
 	t.links.core.log.Debugln("DEBUG: stopped handler for", name, err)
+	return ch
 }