diff --git a/pkg/network/discovery.go b/pkg/network/discovery.go
index 08e59f2ee..221db32ee 100644
--- a/pkg/network/discovery.go
+++ b/pkg/network/discovery.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	maxPoolSize = 200
+	maxPoolSize = 10000
 	connRetries = 3
 )
 
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ const (
 // a healthy connection pool.
 type Discoverer interface {
 	BackFill(...string)
-	Close()
 	GetFanOut() int
 	PoolCount() int
 	RequestRemote(int)
@@ -42,7 +41,6 @@ type DefaultDiscovery struct {
 	seeds            []string
 	transport        Transporter
 	lock             sync.RWMutex
-	closeMtx         sync.RWMutex
 	dialTimeout      time.Duration
 	badAddrs         map[string]bool
 	connectedAddrs   map[string]bool
@@ -50,10 +48,7 @@ type DefaultDiscovery struct {
 	unconnectedAddrs map[string]int
 	attempted        map[string]bool
 	optimalFanOut    int32
-	isDead           bool
 	requestCh        chan int
-	pool             chan string
-	runExit          chan struct{}
 }
 
 // NewDefaultDiscovery returns a new DefaultDiscovery.
@@ -68,10 +63,7 @@ func NewDefaultDiscovery(addrs []string, dt time.Duration, ts Transporter) *Defa
 		unconnectedAddrs: make(map[string]int),
 		attempted:        make(map[string]bool),
 		requestCh:        make(chan int),
-		pool:             make(chan string, maxPoolSize),
-		runExit:          make(chan struct{}),
 	}
-	go d.run()
 	return d
 }
 
@@ -93,7 +85,6 @@ func (d *DefaultDiscovery) backfill(addrs ...string) {
 			d.unconnectedAddrs[addr] > 0 {
 			continue
 		}
-		d.unconnectedAddrs[addr] = connRetries
 		d.pushToPoolOrDrop(addr)
 	}
 	d.updateNetSize()
@@ -101,40 +92,73 @@ func (d *DefaultDiscovery) backfill(addrs ...string) {
 
 // PoolCount returns the number of the available node addresses.
 func (d *DefaultDiscovery) PoolCount() int {
-	return len(d.pool)
+	d.lock.RLock()
+	defer d.lock.RUnlock()
+	return d.poolCount()
+}
+
+func (d *DefaultDiscovery) poolCount() int {
+	return len(d.unconnectedAddrs)
 }
 
 // pushToPoolOrDrop tries to push the address given into the pool, but if the pool
 // is already full, it just drops it.
 func (d *DefaultDiscovery) pushToPoolOrDrop(addr string) {
-	select {
-	case d.pool <- addr:
-		updatePoolCountMetric(d.PoolCount())
-		// ok, queued
-	default:
-		// whatever
+	if len(d.unconnectedAddrs) < maxPoolSize {
+		d.unconnectedAddrs[addr] = connRetries
 	}
 }
 
 // RequestRemote tries to establish a connection with n nodes.
-func (d *DefaultDiscovery) RequestRemote(n int) {
-	d.closeMtx.RLock()
-	if !d.isDead {
-		d.requestCh <- n
+func (d *DefaultDiscovery) RequestRemote(requested int) {
+	for ; requested > 0; requested-- {
+		var nextAddr string
+		d.lock.Lock()
+		for addr := range d.unconnectedAddrs {
+			if !d.connectedAddrs[addr] && !d.attempted[addr] {
+				nextAddr = addr
+				break
+			}
+		}
+
+		if nextAddr == "" {
+			// Empty pool, try seeds.
+			for _, addr := range d.seeds {
+				if !d.connectedAddrs[addr] && !d.attempted[addr] {
+					nextAddr = addr
+					break
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		if nextAddr == "" {
+			d.lock.Unlock()
+			// The pool is empty, but all seed nodes are already connected (or attempted),
+			// we can end up in an infinite loop here, so drop the request.
+			break
+		}
+		d.attempted[nextAddr] = true
+		d.lock.Unlock()
+		go d.tryAddress(nextAddr)
 	}
-	d.closeMtx.RUnlock()
 }
 
 // RegisterBadAddr registers the given address as a bad address.
 func (d *DefaultDiscovery) RegisterBadAddr(addr string) {
+	var isSeed bool
 	d.lock.Lock()
-	d.unconnectedAddrs[addr]--
-	if d.unconnectedAddrs[addr] > 0 {
-		d.pushToPoolOrDrop(addr)
-	} else {
-		d.badAddrs[addr] = true
-		delete(d.unconnectedAddrs, addr)
-		delete(d.goodAddrs, addr)
+	for _, seed := range d.seeds {
+		if addr == seed {
+			isSeed = true
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if !isSeed {
+		d.unconnectedAddrs[addr]--
+		if d.unconnectedAddrs[addr] <= 0 {
+			d.badAddrs[addr] = true
+			delete(d.unconnectedAddrs, addr)
+			delete(d.goodAddrs, addr)
+		}
 	}
 	d.updateNetSize()
 	d.lock.Unlock()
@@ -219,6 +243,7 @@ func (d *DefaultDiscovery) updateNetSize() {
 
 	atomic.StoreInt32(&d.optimalFanOut, int32(fanOut+0.5)) // Truncating conversion, hence +0.5.
 	updateNetworkSizeMetric(netsize)
+	updatePoolCountMetric(d.poolCount())
 }
 
 func (d *DefaultDiscovery) tryAddress(addr string) {
@@ -231,76 +256,3 @@ func (d *DefaultDiscovery) tryAddress(addr string) {
 		d.RequestRemote(1)
 	}
 }
-
-// Close stops discoverer pool processing, which makes the discoverer almost useless.
-func (d *DefaultDiscovery) Close() {
-	d.closeMtx.Lock()
-	d.isDead = true
-	d.closeMtx.Unlock()
-	select {
-	case <-d.requestCh: // Drain the channel if there is anything there.
-	default:
-	}
-	close(d.requestCh)
-	<-d.runExit
-}
-
-// run is a goroutine that makes DefaultDiscovery process its queue to connect
-// to other nodes.
-func (d *DefaultDiscovery) run() {
-	var requested, oldRequest, r int
-	var ok bool
-
-	for {
-		if requested == 0 {
-			requested, ok = <-d.requestCh
-		}
-		oldRequest = requested
-		for ok && requested > 0 {
-			select {
-			case r, ok = <-d.requestCh:
-				if requested <= r {
-					requested = r
-				}
-			case addr := <-d.pool:
-				updatePoolCountMetric(d.PoolCount())
-				d.lock.Lock()
-				if !d.connectedAddrs[addr] && !d.attempted[addr] {
-					d.attempted[addr] = true
-					go d.tryAddress(addr)
-					requested--
-				}
-				d.lock.Unlock()
-			default: // Empty pool
-				var added int
-				d.lock.Lock()
-				for _, addr := range d.seeds {
-					if !d.connectedAddrs[addr] {
-						delete(d.badAddrs, addr)
-						d.unconnectedAddrs[addr] = connRetries
-						d.pushToPoolOrDrop(addr)
-						added++
-					}
-				}
-				d.lock.Unlock()
-				// The pool is empty, but all seed nodes are already connected,
-				// we can end up in an infinite loop here, so drop the request.
-				if added == 0 {
-					requested = 0
-				}
-			}
-		}
-		if !ok {
-			break
-		}
-		// Special case, no connections after all attempts.
-		d.lock.RLock()
-		connected := len(d.connectedAddrs)
-		d.lock.RUnlock()
-		if connected == 0 {
-			time.Sleep(d.dialTimeout)
-			requested = oldRequest
-		}
-	}
-	close(d.runExit)
-}
diff --git a/pkg/network/discovery_test.go b/pkg/network/discovery_test.go
index 047aceb9b..fdcea6af1 100644
--- a/pkg/network/discovery_test.go
+++ b/pkg/network/discovery_test.go
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ func TestDefaultDiscoverer(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	require.Equal(t, 0, d.PoolCount())
+	require.Eventually(t, func() bool { return d.PoolCount() == 0 }, 2*time.Second, 50*time.Millisecond)
 	sort.Strings(dialledBad)
 	for i := 0; i < len(set1); i++ {
 		for j := 0; j < connRetries; j++ {
@@ -174,10 +174,6 @@ func TestDefaultDiscoverer(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, len(set1), len(d.BadPeers()))
 	assert.Equal(t, 0, len(d.GoodPeers()))
 	require.Equal(t, 0, d.PoolCount())
-
-	// Close should work and subsequent RequestRemote is a no-op.
-	d.Close()
-	d.RequestRemote(42)
 }
 
 func TestSeedDiscovery(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/network/helper_test.go b/pkg/network/helper_test.go
index 8be8339f5..5692482cf 100644
--- a/pkg/network/helper_test.go
+++ b/pkg/network/helper_test.go
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ func (d *testDiscovery) BackFill(addrs ...string) {
 	defer d.Unlock()
 	d.backfill = append(d.backfill, addrs...)
 }
-func (d *testDiscovery) Close()         {}
 func (d *testDiscovery) PoolCount() int { return 0 }
 func (d *testDiscovery) RegisterBadAddr(addr string) {
 	d.Lock()
@@ -204,6 +203,5 @@ func newTestServerWithCustomCfg(t *testing.T, serverConfig ServerConfig, protoco
 	s, err := newServerFromConstructors(serverConfig, fakechain.NewFakeChainWithCustomCfg(protocolCfg), new(fakechain.FakeStateSync), zaptest.NewLogger(t),
 		newFakeTransp, newTestDiscovery)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	t.Cleanup(s.discovery.Close)
 	return s
 }
diff --git a/pkg/network/server.go b/pkg/network/server.go
index b33901543..542a934b6 100644
--- a/pkg/network/server.go
+++ b/pkg/network/server.go
@@ -261,7 +261,6 @@ func (s *Server) Start(errChan chan error) {
 func (s *Server) Shutdown() {
 	s.log.Info("shutting down server", zap.Int("peers", s.PeerCount()))
 	s.transport.Close()
-	s.discovery.Close()
 	for _, p := range s.getPeers(nil) {
 		p.Disconnect(errServerShutdown)
 	}