diff --git a/p2p/peer.go b/p2p/peer.go
index 3652c4654..2efe55d26 100644
--- a/p2p/peer.go
+++ b/p2p/peer.go
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ func (p *peer) PubKey() crypto.PubKeyEd25519 {
 	if p.config.AuthEnc {
 		return p.conn.(*SecretConnection).RemotePubKey()
 	}
-	if p.NodeInfo == nil {
+	if p.NodeInfo() == nil {
 		panic("Attempt to get peer's PubKey before calling Handshake")
 	}
 	return p.PubKey()
@@ -306,6 +306,9 @@ func (p *peer) Key() string {
 
 // NodeInfo returns a copy of the peer's NodeInfo.
 func (p *peer) NodeInfo() *NodeInfo {
+	if p.nodeInfo == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
 	n := *p.nodeInfo // copy
 	return &n
 }
diff --git a/p2p/pex_reactor.go b/p2p/pex_reactor.go
index 2f13703ef..e2ccff424 100644
--- a/p2p/pex_reactor.go
+++ b/p2p/pex_reactor.go
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func (r *PEXReactor) AddPeer(p Peer) {
 	} else { // For inbound connections, the peer is its own source
 		addr, err := NewNetAddressString(p.NodeInfo().ListenAddr)
 		if err != nil {
-			// this should never happen
+			// peer gave us a bad ListenAddr. TODO: punish
 			r.Logger.Error("Error in AddPeer: invalid peer address", "addr", p.NodeInfo().ListenAddr, "err", err)
 			return
 		}
@@ -120,7 +120,12 @@ func (r *PEXReactor) RemovePeer(p Peer, reason interface{}) {
 // Receive implements Reactor by handling incoming PEX messages.
 func (r *PEXReactor) Receive(chID byte, src Peer, msgBytes []byte) {
 	srcAddrStr := src.NodeInfo().RemoteAddr
-	srcAddr, _ := NewNetAddressString(srcAddrStr)
+	srcAddr, err := NewNetAddressString(srcAddrStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		// this should never happen. TODO: cancel conn
+		r.Logger.Error("Error in Receive: invalid peer address", "addr", srcAddrStr, "err", err)
+		return
+	}
 
 	r.IncrementMsgCountForPeer(srcAddrStr)
 	if r.ReachedMaxMsgCountForPeer(srcAddrStr) {
diff --git a/p2p/switch.go b/p2p/switch.go
index 62f44d8fc..2012897af 100644
--- a/p2p/switch.go
+++ b/p2p/switch.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ type Reactor interface {
 	GetChannels() []*ChannelDescriptor
 	AddPeer(peer Peer)
 	RemovePeer(peer Peer, reason interface{})
-	Receive(chID byte, peer Peer, msgBytes []byte)
+	Receive(chID byte, peer Peer, msgBytes []byte) // CONTRACT: msgBytes are not nil
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------