diff --git a/infrastructure/network/connmanager/incoming_connections.go b/infrastructure/network/connmanager/incoming_connections.go
index 587421de3..9c206a2e1 100644
--- a/infrastructure/network/connmanager/incoming_connections.go
+++ b/infrastructure/network/connmanager/incoming_connections.go
@@ -8,8 +8,12 @@ func (c *ConnectionManager) checkIncomingConnections(incomingConnectionSet conne
 	}
 
 	numConnectionsOverMax := len(incomingConnectionSet) - c.maxIncoming
+	log.Debugf("Got %d incoming connections while only %d are allowed. Disconnecting "+
+		"%d", len(incomingConnectionSet), c.maxIncoming, numConnectionsOverMax)
+
 	// randomly disconnect nodes until the number of incoming connections is smaller than maxIncoming
 	for _, connection := range incomingConnectionSet {
+		log.Debugf("Disconnecting %s due to exceeding incoming connections", connection)
 		connection.Disconnect()
 
 		numConnectionsOverMax--
diff --git a/infrastructure/network/netadapter/netconnection.go b/infrastructure/network/netadapter/netconnection.go
index aa45def53..3c286018c 100644
--- a/infrastructure/network/netadapter/netconnection.go
+++ b/infrastructure/network/netadapter/netconnection.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/kaspanet/kaspad/app/appmessage"
 	routerpkg "github.com/kaspanet/kaspad/infrastructure/network/netadapter/router"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"sync/atomic"
 
 	"github.com/kaspanet/kaspad/infrastructure/network/netadapter/id"
 	"github.com/kaspanet/kaspad/infrastructure/network/netadapter/server"
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ type NetConnection struct {
 	router                *routerpkg.Router
 	invalidMessageChan    chan error
 	onDisconnectedHandler server.OnDisconnectedHandler
-	isConnected           uint32
+	isRouterClosed        uint32
 }
 
 func newNetConnection(connection server.Connection, routerInitializer RouterInitializer) *NetConnection {
@@ -30,7 +31,12 @@ func newNetConnection(connection server.Connection, routerInitializer RouterInit
 	}
 
 	netConnection.connection.SetOnDisconnectedHandler(func() {
-		router.Close()
+		// If the disconnection came because of a network error and not because of the application layer, we
+		// need to close the router as well.
+		if atomic.AddUint32(&netConnection.isRouterClosed, 1) == 1 {
+			netConnection.router.Close()
+		}
+
 		close(netConnection.invalidMessageChan)
 		netConnection.onDisconnectedHandler()
 	})
@@ -91,7 +97,9 @@ func (c *NetConnection) setOnDisconnectedHandler(onDisconnectedHandler server.On
 
 // Disconnect disconnects the given connection
 func (c *NetConnection) Disconnect() {
-	c.connection.Disconnect()
+	if atomic.AddUint32(&c.isRouterClosed, 1) == 1 {
+		c.router.Close()
+	}
 }
 
 // DequeueInvalidMessage dequeues the next invalid message
diff --git a/infrastructure/network/netadapter/router/route.go b/infrastructure/network/netadapter/router/route.go
index 6a04cab93..a1296722b 100644
--- a/infrastructure/network/netadapter/router/route.go
+++ b/infrastructure/network/netadapter/router/route.go
@@ -100,8 +100,3 @@ func (r *Route) Close() {
 	r.closed = true
 	close(r.channel)
 }
-
-// IsEmpty returns true if the route doesn't have any pending messages
-func (r *Route) IsEmpty() bool {
-	return len(r.channel) == 0
-}
diff --git a/infrastructure/network/netadapter/server/grpcserver/connection_loops.go b/infrastructure/network/netadapter/server/grpcserver/connection_loops.go
index a6b3905e3..c7eaf8232 100644
--- a/infrastructure/network/netadapter/server/grpcserver/connection_loops.go
+++ b/infrastructure/network/netadapter/server/grpcserver/connection_loops.go
@@ -33,8 +33,7 @@ func (c *gRPCConnection) connectionLoops() error {
 
 func (c *gRPCConnection) sendLoop() error {
 	outgoingRoute := c.router.OutgoingRoute()
-	// Once the connection is closed, the send loop empties the remaining messages in the channel.
-	for c.IsConnected() || !outgoingRoute.IsEmpty() {
+	for c.IsConnected() {
 		message, err := outgoingRoute.Dequeue()
 		if err != nil {
 			if errors.Is(err, routerpkg.ErrRouteClosed) {
@@ -57,7 +56,6 @@ func (c *gRPCConnection) sendLoop() error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/infrastructure/network/netadapter/server/grpcserver/grpc_connection.go b/infrastructure/network/netadapter/server/grpcserver/grpc_connection.go
index ba8144066..af145fffb 100644
--- a/infrastructure/network/netadapter/server/grpcserver/grpc_connection.go
+++ b/infrastructure/network/netadapter/server/grpcserver/grpc_connection.go
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 package grpcserver
 
 import (
+	"github.com/kaspanet/kaspad/infrastructure/network/netadapter/router"
+	"github.com/kaspanet/kaspad/infrastructure/network/netadapter/server/grpcserver/protowire"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"net"
 	"sync/atomic"
-	"time"
-
-	"github.com/kaspanet/kaspad/infrastructure/network/netadapter/router"
-	"github.com/kaspanet/kaspad/infrastructure/network/netadapter/server/grpcserver/protowire"
 
 	"github.com/kaspanet/kaspad/infrastructure/network/netadapter/server"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
@@ -93,14 +91,9 @@ func (c *gRPCConnection) Disconnect() {
 	close(c.stopChan)
 
 	if c.isOutbound {
-		spawn("gRPCConnection.Disconnect-clientStream.CloseSend", func() {
-			// Wait a second before closing the stream, to let the send queue to get emptied.
-			const finishSendDuration = time.Second
-			time.Sleep(finishSendDuration)
-			clientStream := c.stream.(protowire.P2P_MessageStreamClient)
-			_ = clientStream.CloseSend() // ignore error because we don't really know what's the status of the connection
-			log.Debugf("Disconnected from %s", c)
-		})
+		clientStream := c.stream.(protowire.P2P_MessageStreamClient)
+		_ = clientStream.CloseSend() // ignore error because we don't really know what's the status of the connection
+		log.Debugf("Disconnected from %s", c)
 	}
 
 	log.Debugf("Disconnecting from %s", c)