diff --git a/core/http_request.c b/core/http_request.c
index 312e926..2d922e8 100644
--- a/core/http_request.c
+++ b/core/http_request.c
@@ -333,7 +333,8 @@ int ipfs_core_http_process_swarm_connect(struct IpfsNode* local_node, struct Htt
 		return 0;
 	}
 	sprintf((char*)response->bytes, json, address);
-	libp2p_peer_free(new_peer);
+	// getting rid of the peer here will close the connection. That's not what we want
+	//libp2p_peer_free(new_peer);
 	multiaddress_free(ma);
 	return 1;
 
diff --git a/exchange/bitswap/engine.c b/exchange/bitswap/engine.c
index 9b17f5a..2efa264 100644
--- a/exchange/bitswap/engine.c
+++ b/exchange/bitswap/engine.c
@@ -96,30 +96,34 @@ void* ipfs_bitswap_engine_peer_request_processor_start(void* ctx) {
 			if (current_peer_entry->sessionContext == NULL || current_peer_entry->sessionContext->default_stream == NULL) {
 				current_peer_entry->connection_type = CONNECTION_TYPE_NOT_CONNECTED;
 			} else {
-				//libp2p_logger_debug("bitswap_engine", "We're connected to %s. Lets see if there is a message waiting for us.\n", libp2p_peer_id_to_string(current_peer_entry));
-				int retVal = current_peer_entry->sessionContext->default_stream->peek(current_peer_entry->sessionContext);
-				if (retVal < 0) {
-					libp2p_logger_debug("bitswap_engine", "We thought we were connected, but Peek reported an error.\n");
-					libp2p_peer_handle_connection_error(current_peer_entry);
-				} else if (retVal > 0) {
-					libp2p_logger_debug("bitswap_engine", "%d bytes waiting on network for peer %s.\n", retVal, libp2p_peer_id_to_string(current_peer_entry));
-					unsigned char* buffer = NULL;
-					size_t buffer_len = 0;
-					if (current_peer_entry->sessionContext->default_stream->read(current_peer_entry->sessionContext, &buffer, &buffer_len, 1)) {
-						// handle it
-						libp2p_logger_debug("bitswap_engine", "%lu bytes read, result: [%s].\n", buffer_len, buffer);
-						int retVal = libp2p_protocol_marshal(buffer, buffer_len, current_peer_entry->sessionContext, context->ipfsNode->protocol_handlers);
-						free(buffer);
-						did_some_processing = 1;
-						if (retVal == -1) {
-							libp2p_logger_error("bitswap_engine", "protocol_marshal tried to handle the network traffic, but failed.\n");
-							// there was a problem. Clean up
+				// check the network to see if there is anything waiting for us (if the stream is idle)
+				if (libp2p_stream_try_lock(current_peer_entry->sessionContext->default_stream)) {
+					libp2p_logger_error("bitswap_engine", "I have the lock for peer %s.\n", libp2p_peer_id_to_string(current_peer_entry));
+					int retVal = current_peer_entry->sessionContext->default_stream->peek(current_peer_entry->sessionContext);
+					if (retVal < 0) {
+						libp2p_logger_debug("bitswap_engine", "We thought we were connected, but Peek reported an error.\n");
+						libp2p_peer_handle_connection_error(current_peer_entry);
+					} else if (retVal > 0) {
+						libp2p_logger_debug("bitswap_engine", "%d bytes waiting on network for peer %s.\n", retVal, libp2p_peer_id_to_string(current_peer_entry));
+						unsigned char* buffer = NULL;
+						size_t buffer_len = 0;
+						if (current_peer_entry->sessionContext->default_stream->read(current_peer_entry->sessionContext, &buffer, &buffer_len, 1)) {
+							// handle it
+							libp2p_logger_debug("bitswap_engine", "%lu bytes read, result: [%s].\n", buffer_len, buffer);
+							int retVal = libp2p_protocol_marshal(buffer, buffer_len, current_peer_entry->sessionContext, context->ipfsNode->protocol_handlers);
+							free(buffer);
+							did_some_processing = 1;
+							if (retVal == -1) {
+								libp2p_logger_error("bitswap_engine", "protocol_marshal tried to handle the network traffic, but failed.\n");
+								// there was a problem. Clean up
+								libp2p_peer_handle_connection_error(current_peer_entry);
+							}
+						} else {
+							libp2p_logger_error("bitswap_engine", "It was said that there was %d bytes to read, but there wasn't. Cleaning up connection.\n");
 							libp2p_peer_handle_connection_error(current_peer_entry);
 						}
-					} else {
-						libp2p_logger_error("bitswap_engine", "It was said that there was %d bytes to read, but there wasn't. Cleaning up connection.\n");
-						libp2p_peer_handle_connection_error(current_peer_entry);
 					}
+					libp2p_stream_unlock(current_peer_entry->sessionContext->default_stream);
 				}
 			}
 		} else {