diff --git a/pkg/network/discovery.go b/pkg/network/discovery.go
index bb9606240..43bf56fa8 100644
--- a/pkg/network/discovery.go
+++ b/pkg/network/discovery.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const (
 // a healthy connection pool.
 type Discoverer interface {
 	BackFill(...string)
+	Close()
 	PoolCount() int
 	RequestRemote(int)
 	RegisterBadAddr(string)
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ type DefaultDiscovery struct {
 	connectedAddrs   map[string]bool
 	goodAddrs        map[string]bool
 	unconnectedAddrs map[string]int
+	isDead           bool
 	requestCh        chan int
 	pool             chan string
 }
@@ -88,7 +90,11 @@ func (d *DefaultDiscovery) pushToPoolOrDrop(addr string) {
 
 // RequestRemote tries to establish a connection with n nodes.
 func (d *DefaultDiscovery) RequestRemote(n int) {
-	d.requestCh <- n
+	d.lock.RLock()
+	if !d.isDead {
+		d.requestCh <- n
+	}
+	d.lock.RUnlock()
 }
 
 // RegisterBadAddr registers the given address as a bad address.
@@ -171,15 +177,28 @@ func (d *DefaultDiscovery) tryAddress(addr string) {
 	}
 }
 
+// Close stops discoverer pool processing making discoverer almost useless.
+func (d *DefaultDiscovery) Close() {
+	d.lock.Lock()
+	d.isDead = true
+	d.lock.Unlock()
+	select {
+	case <-d.requestCh: // Drain the channel if there is anything there.
+	default:
+	}
+	close(d.requestCh)
+}
+
 // run is a goroutine that makes DefaultDiscovery process its queue to connect
 // to other nodes.
 func (d *DefaultDiscovery) run() {
-	var requested int
+	var requested, r int
+	var ok bool
 
 	for {
-		for requested = <-d.requestCh; requested > 0; requested-- {
+		for requested, ok = <-d.requestCh; ok && requested > 0; requested-- {
 			select {
-			case r := <-d.requestCh:
+			case r, ok = <-d.requestCh:
 				if requested <= r {
 					requested = r + 1
 				}
@@ -193,5 +212,8 @@ func (d *DefaultDiscovery) run() {
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		if !ok {
+			return
+		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/network/discovery_test.go b/pkg/network/discovery_test.go
index 0662370b9..9105cdc0b 100644
--- a/pkg/network/discovery_test.go
+++ b/pkg/network/discovery_test.go
@@ -143,4 +143,8 @@ func TestDefaultDiscoverer(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, len(set1), len(d.BadPeers()))
 	assert.Equal(t, len(set1), len(d.GoodPeers()))
 	require.Equal(t, 0, d.PoolCount())
+
+	// Close should work and subsequent RequestRemote is a no-op.
+	d.Close()
+	d.RequestRemote(42)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/network/helper_test.go b/pkg/network/helper_test.go
index 2759c37df..29227b149 100644
--- a/pkg/network/helper_test.go
+++ b/pkg/network/helper_test.go
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ func (chain testChain) VerifyTx(*transaction.Transaction, *block.Block) error {
 type testDiscovery struct{}
 
 func (d testDiscovery) BackFill(addrs ...string)       {}
+func (d testDiscovery) Close()                         {}
 func (d testDiscovery) PoolCount() int                 { return 0 }
 func (d testDiscovery) RegisterBadAddr(string)         {}
 func (d testDiscovery) RegisterGoodAddr(string)        {}
diff --git a/pkg/network/server.go b/pkg/network/server.go
index 3e0eb6575..b6cbaaf7a 100644
--- a/pkg/network/server.go
+++ b/pkg/network/server.go
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ func (s *Server) Start(errChan chan error) {
 func (s *Server) Shutdown() {
 	s.log.Info("shutting down server", zap.Int("peers", s.PeerCount()))
 	s.bQueue.discard()
+	s.discovery.Close()
 	close(s.quit)
 }