diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index e304c120c0..24b81252a0 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/cespare/xxhash/v2 v2.1.2 // indirect
 	github.com/cheekybits/genny v1.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/containerd/cgroups v1.0.4 // indirect
-	github.com/coreos/go-semver v0.3.0 // indirect
 	github.com/coreos/go-systemd/v22 v22.3.2 // indirect
 	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 // indirect
 	github.com/decred/dcrd/dcrec/secp256k1/v4 v4.0.1 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 73fa9eaa00..5645fdce78 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -94,7 +94,6 @@ github.com/containerd/cgroups v1.0.4/go.mod h1:nLNQtsF7Sl2HxNebu77i1R0oDlhiTG+kO
 github.com/coreos/etcd v3.3.10+incompatible/go.mod h1:uF7uidLiAD3TWHmW31ZFd/JWoc32PjwdhPthX9715RE=
 github.com/coreos/go-etcd v2.0.0+incompatible/go.mod h1:Jez6KQU2B/sWsbdaef3ED8NzMklzPG4d5KIOhIy30Tk=
 github.com/coreos/go-semver v0.2.0/go.mod h1:nnelYz7RCh+5ahJtPPxZlU+153eP4D4r3EedlOD2RNk=
-github.com/coreos/go-semver v0.3.0 h1:wkHLiw0WNATZnSG7epLsujiMCgPAc9xhjJ4tgnAxmfM=
 github.com/coreos/go-semver v0.3.0/go.mod h1:nnelYz7RCh+5ahJtPPxZlU+153eP4D4r3EedlOD2RNk=
 github.com/coreos/go-systemd v0.0.0-20181012123002-c6f51f82210d/go.mod h1:F5haX7vjVVG0kc13fIWeqUViNPyEJxv/OmvnBo0Yme4=
 github.com/coreos/go-systemd/v22 v22.1.0/go.mod h1:xO0FLkIi5MaZafQlIrOotqXZ90ih+1atmu1JpKERPPk=
diff --git a/p2p/host/basic/basic_host_test.go b/p2p/host/basic/basic_host_test.go
index c894143b80..3a249059f2 100644
--- a/p2p/host/basic/basic_host_test.go
+++ b/p2p/host/basic/basic_host_test.go
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/p2p/protocol/identify"
 
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/event"
-	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/helpers"
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/host"
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/network"
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/peer"
@@ -272,9 +271,6 @@ func assertWait(t *testing.T, c chan protocol.ID, exp protocol.ID) {
 }
 
 func TestHostProtoPreference(t *testing.T) {
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-	defer cancel()
-
 	h1, h2 := getHostPair(t)
 	defer h1.Close()
 	defer h2.Close()
@@ -297,7 +293,7 @@ func TestHostProtoPreference(t *testing.T) {
 
 	h2.SetStreamHandler(protoOld, handler)
 
-	s, err := h1.NewStream(ctx, h2.ID(), protoMinor, protoNew, protoOld)
+	s, err := h1.NewStream(context.Background(), h2.ID(), protoMinor, protoNew, protoOld)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// force the lazy negotiation to complete
@@ -307,12 +303,9 @@ func TestHostProtoPreference(t *testing.T) {
 	assertWait(t, connectedOn, protoOld)
 	s.Close()
 
-	mfunc, err := helpers.MultistreamSemverMatcher(protoMinor)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	h2.SetStreamHandlerMatch(protoMinor, mfunc, handler)
-
+	h2.SetStreamHandlerMatch(protoMinor, func(string) bool { return true }, handler)
 	// remembered preference will be chosen first, even when the other side newly supports it
-	s2, err := h1.NewStream(ctx, h2.ID(), protoMinor, protoNew, protoOld)
+	s2, err := h1.NewStream(context.Background(), h2.ID(), protoMinor, protoNew, protoOld)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// required to force 'lazy' handshake
@@ -322,7 +315,7 @@ func TestHostProtoPreference(t *testing.T) {
 	assertWait(t, connectedOn, protoOld)
 	s2.Close()
 
-	s3, err := h1.NewStream(ctx, h2.ID(), protoMinor)
+	s3, err := h1.NewStream(context.Background(), h2.ID(), protoMinor)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// Force a lazy handshake as we may have received a protocol update by this point.