diff --git a/cmd/headers/download/sentry.go b/cmd/headers/download/sentry.go
index f38703b85..1b333346f 100644
--- a/cmd/headers/download/sentry.go
+++ b/cmd/headers/download/sentry.go
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ type PeerInfo struct {
 	deadlines []time.Time // Request deadlines
 	height    uint64
 	rw        p2p.MsgReadWriter
+	removed   bool
 }
 
 // AddDeadline adds given deadline to the list of deadlines
@@ -100,6 +101,18 @@ func (pi *PeerInfo) ClearDeadlines(now time.Time, givePermit bool) int {
 	return len(pi.deadlines)
 }
 
+func (pi *PeerInfo) Remove() {
+	pi.lock.Lock()
+	defer pi.lock.Unlock()
+	pi.removed = true
+}
+
+func (pi *PeerInfo) Removed() bool {
+	pi.lock.RLock()
+	defer pi.lock.RUnlock()
+	return pi.removed
+}
+
 func makeP2PServer(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	nodeName string,
@@ -317,7 +330,9 @@ func runPeer(
 		if err = common.Stopped(ctx.Done()); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-
+		if peerInfo.Removed() {
+			return fmt.Errorf("peer removed")
+		}
 		msg, err := rw.ReadMsg()
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("reading message: %v", err)
@@ -608,6 +623,12 @@ type SentryServerImpl struct {
 func (ss *SentryServerImpl) PenalizePeer(_ context.Context, req *proto_sentry.PenalizePeerRequest) (*empty.Empty, error) {
 	//log.Warn("Received penalty", "kind", req.GetPenalty().Descriptor().FullName, "from", fmt.Sprintf("%s", req.GetPeerId()))
 	strId := string(gointerfaces.ConvertH512ToBytes(req.PeerId))
+	if x, ok := ss.Peers.Load(strId); ok {
+		peerInfo := x.(*PeerInfo)
+		if peerInfo != nil {
+			peerInfo.Remove()
+		}
+	}
 	ss.Peers.Delete(strId)
 	return &empty.Empty{}, nil
 }
@@ -672,6 +693,12 @@ func (ss *SentryServerImpl) SendMessageByMinBlock(_ context.Context, inreq *prot
 		return &proto_sentry.SentPeers{}, fmt.Errorf("sendMessageByMinBlock not implemented for message Id: %s", inreq.Data.Id)
 	}
 	if err := peerInfo.rw.WriteMsg(p2p.Msg{Code: msgcode, Size: uint32(len(inreq.Data.Data)), Payload: bytes.NewReader(inreq.Data.Data)}); err != nil {
+		if x, ok := ss.Peers.Load(peerID); ok {
+			peerInfo := x.(*PeerInfo)
+			if peerInfo != nil {
+				peerInfo.Remove()
+			}
+		}
 		ss.Peers.Delete(peerID)
 		return &proto_sentry.SentPeers{}, fmt.Errorf("sendMessageByMinBlock to peer %s: %v", peerID, err)
 	}
@@ -707,6 +734,12 @@ func (ss *SentryServerImpl) SendMessageById(_ context.Context, inreq *proto_sent
 	}
 
 	if err := peerInfo.rw.WriteMsg(p2p.Msg{Code: msgcode, Size: uint32(len(inreq.Data.Data)), Payload: bytes.NewReader(inreq.Data.Data)}); err != nil {
+		if x, ok := ss.Peers.Load(peerID); ok {
+			peerInfo := x.(*PeerInfo)
+			if peerInfo != nil {
+				peerInfo.Remove()
+			}
+		}
 		ss.Peers.Delete(peerID)
 		return &proto_sentry.SentPeers{}, fmt.Errorf("sendMessageById to peer %s: %v", peerID, err)
 	}
@@ -745,6 +778,12 @@ func (ss *SentryServerImpl) SendMessageToRandomPeers(ctx context.Context, req *p
 			return true
 		}
 		if err := peerInfo.rw.WriteMsg(p2p.Msg{Code: msgcode, Size: uint32(len(req.Data.Data)), Payload: bytes.NewReader(req.Data.Data)}); err != nil {
+			if x, ok := ss.Peers.Load(peerID); ok {
+				peerInfo := x.(*PeerInfo)
+				if peerInfo != nil {
+					peerInfo.Remove()
+				}
+			}
 			ss.Peers.Delete(peerID)
 			innerErr = err
 			return false
@@ -779,6 +818,12 @@ func (ss *SentryServerImpl) SendMessageToAll(ctx context.Context, req *proto_sen
 			return true
 		}
 		if err := peerInfo.rw.WriteMsg(p2p.Msg{Code: msgcode, Size: uint32(len(req.Data)), Payload: bytes.NewReader(req.Data)}); err != nil {
+			if x, ok := ss.Peers.Load(peerID); ok {
+				peerInfo := x.(*PeerInfo)
+				if peerInfo != nil {
+					peerInfo.Remove()
+				}
+			}
 			ss.Peers.Delete(peerID)
 			innerErr = err
 			return false