diff --git a/swarm/pss/prox_test.go b/swarm/pss/prox_test.go
index 33d5863abb..57e94d230c 100644
--- a/swarm/pss/prox_test.go
+++ b/swarm/pss/prox_test.go
@@ -123,18 +123,24 @@ func readSnapshot(t *testing.T, nodeCount int) simulations.Snapshot {
 	return snap
 }
 
+func newTestData() *testData {
+	return &testData{
+		kademlias:    make(map[enode.ID]*network.Kademlia),
+		nodeAddrs:    make(map[enode.ID][]byte),
+		recipients:   make(map[int][]enode.ID),
+		allowed:      make(map[int][]enode.ID),
+		expectedMsgs: make(map[enode.ID][]uint64),
+		allowedMsgs:  make(map[enode.ID][]uint64),
+		senders:      make(map[int]enode.ID),
+		handlerC:     make(chan handlerNotification),
+		doneC:        make(chan struct{}),
+		errC:         make(chan error),
+		msgC:         make(chan handlerNotification),
+	}
+}
+
 func (d *testData) init(msgCount int) {
 	log.Debug("TestProxNetwork start")
-	d.nodeAddrs = make(map[enode.ID][]byte)
-	d.recipients = make(map[int][]enode.ID)
-	d.allowed = make(map[int][]enode.ID)
-	d.expectedMsgs = make(map[enode.ID][]uint64)
-	d.allowedMsgs = make(map[enode.ID][]uint64)
-	d.senders = make(map[int]enode.ID)
-	d.handlerC = make(chan handlerNotification)
-	d.doneC = make(chan struct{})
-	d.errC = make(chan error)
-	d.msgC = make(chan handlerNotification)
 
 	for _, nodeId := range d.sim.NodeIDs() {
 		d.nodeAddrs[nodeId] = nodeIDToAddr(nodeId)
@@ -189,14 +195,14 @@ func (d *testData) init(msgCount int) {
 
 // Here we test specific functionality of the pss, setting the prox property of
 // the handler. The tests generate a number of messages with random addresses.
-// Then, for each message it calculates which nodes in the network the msg address
+// Then, for each message it calculates which nodes have the msg address
 // within its nearest neighborhood depth, and stores those nodes as possible
 // recipients. Those nodes that are the closest to the message address (nodes
 // belonging to the deepest PO wrt the msg address) are stored as required
 // recipients. The difference between allowed and required recipients results
 // from the fact that the nearest neighbours are not necessarily reciprocal.
 // Upon sending the messages, the test verifies that the respective message is
-// passed to the message handlers of these required recipients. Test will fail
+// passed to the message handlers of these required recipients. The test fails
 // if a message is handled by recipient which is not listed among the allowed
 // recipients of this particular message. It also fails after timeout, if not
 // all the required recipients have received their respective messages.
@@ -222,12 +228,11 @@ func TestProxNetworkLong(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func testProxNetwork(t *testing.T) {
-	var tstdata testData
+	tstdata := newTestData()
 	msgCount, nodeCount := getCmdParams(t)
 	handlerContextFuncs := make(map[Topic]handlerContextFunc)
 	handlerContextFuncs[topic] = nodeMsgHandler
-	tstdata.kademlias = make(map[enode.ID]*network.Kademlia)
-	services := newProxServices(&tstdata, true, handlerContextFuncs, tstdata.kademlias)
+	services := newProxServices(tstdata, true, handlerContextFuncs, tstdata.kademlias)
 	tstdata.sim = simulation.New(services)
 	defer tstdata.sim.Close()
 	err := tstdata.sim.UploadSnapshot(fmt.Sprintf("testdata/snapshot_%d.json", nodeCount))
@@ -243,7 +248,7 @@ func testProxNetwork(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	tstdata.init(msgCount) // initialize the test data
 	wrapper := func(c context.Context, _ *simulation.Simulation) error {
-		return runFunc(&tstdata, c)
+		return testRoutine(tstdata, c)
 	}
 	result := tstdata.sim.Run(ctx, wrapper) // call the main test function
 	if result.Error != nil {
@@ -259,7 +264,7 @@ func testProxNetwork(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Logf("completed %d", result.Duration)
 }
 
-func sendAllMsgs(tstdata *testData) {
+func (tstdata *testData) sendAllMsgs() {
 	for i, msg := range tstdata.msgs {
 		log.Debug("sending msg", "idx", i, "from", tstdata.senders[i])
 		nodeClient, err := tstdata.sim.Net.GetNode(tstdata.senders[i]).Client()
@@ -273,10 +278,10 @@ func sendAllMsgs(tstdata *testData) {
 	log.Debug("all messages sent")
 }
 
-// runFunc is the main test function, called by Simulation.Run()
-func runFunc(tstdata *testData, ctx context.Context) error {
+// testRoutine is the main test function, called by Simulation.Run()
+func testRoutine(tstdata *testData, ctx context.Context) error {
 	go handlerChannelListener(tstdata, ctx)
-	go sendAllMsgs(tstdata)
+	go tstdata.sendAllMsgs()
 	received := 0
 
 	// collect incoming messages and terminate with corresponding status when message handler listener ends