diff --git a/network/gossip.go b/network/gossip.go
index b044949515..31b9409129 100644
--- a/network/gossip.go
+++ b/network/gossip.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"reflect"
+	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/go-hclog"
@@ -22,10 +23,11 @@ const (
 type Topic struct {
 	logger hclog.Logger
 
-	topic   *pubsub.Topic
-	typ     reflect.Type
-	closeCh chan struct{}
-	closed  *uint64
+	topic     *pubsub.Topic
+	typ       reflect.Type
+	closeCh   chan struct{}
+	closed    *uint64
+	waitGroup sync.WaitGroup
 }
 
 func (t *Topic) createObj() proto.Message {
@@ -43,12 +45,14 @@ func (t *Topic) Close() {
 		return
 	}
 
+	close(t.closeCh)   // close all subscribers
+	t.waitGroup.Wait() // wait for all the subscribers to finish
+
+	// if all subscribers are finished, close the topic
 	if t.topic != nil {
 		t.topic.Close()
 		t.topic = nil
 	}
-
-	close(t.closeCh)
 }
 
 func (t *Topic) Publish(obj proto.Message) error {
@@ -75,6 +79,9 @@ func (t *Topic) Subscribe(handler func(obj interface{}, from peer.ID)) error {
 }
 
 func (t *Topic) readLoop(sub *pubsub.Subscription, handler func(obj interface{}, from peer.ID)) {
+	t.waitGroup.Add(1)
+	defer t.waitGroup.Done()
+
 	ctx, cancelFn := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 
 	go func() {
diff --git a/syncer/client.go b/syncer/client.go
index 916de61654..14a45f4ab1 100644
--- a/syncer/client.go
+++ b/syncer/client.go
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ type syncPeerClient struct {
 	shouldEmitBlocks bool // flag for emitting blocks in the topic
 	closeCh          chan struct{}
 	closed           *uint64 // ACTIVE == 0, CLOSED == non-zero.
+
+	peerStatusUpdateChLock   sync.Mutex
+	peerStatusUpdateChClosed bool
 }
 
 func NewSyncPeerClient(
@@ -56,6 +59,9 @@ func NewSyncPeerClient(
 		shouldEmitBlocks:       true,
 		closeCh:                make(chan struct{}),
 		closed:                 new(uint64),
+
+		peerStatusUpdateChLock:   sync.Mutex{},
+		peerStatusUpdateChClosed: false,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -95,7 +101,10 @@ func (m *syncPeerClient) Close() {
 		close(m.closeCh)
 	}
 
+	m.peerStatusUpdateChLock.Lock()
+	m.peerStatusUpdateChClosed = true
 	close(m.peerStatusUpdateCh)
+	m.peerStatusUpdateChLock.Unlock()
 }
 
 // DisablePublishingPeerStatus disables publishing own status via gossip
@@ -210,16 +219,15 @@ func (m *syncPeerClient) handleStatusUpdate(obj interface{}, from peer.ID) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if atomic.LoadUint64(m.closed) > 0 {
-		m.logger.Debug("received status from peer after client was closed, ignoring", "id", from)
+	m.peerStatusUpdateChLock.Lock()
+	defer m.peerStatusUpdateChLock.Unlock()
 
-		return
-	}
-
-	m.peerStatusUpdateCh <- &NoForkPeer{
-		ID:       from,
-		Number:   status.Number,
-		Distance: m.network.GetPeerDistance(from),
+	if !m.peerStatusUpdateChClosed {
+		m.peerStatusUpdateCh <- &NoForkPeer{
+			ID:       from,
+			Number:   status.Number,
+			Distance: m.network.GetPeerDistance(from),
+		}
 	}
 }