diff --git a/swarm/network/discovery_test.go b/swarm/network/discovery_test.go
index 04e1b36fed..137205ca60 100644
--- a/swarm/network/discovery_test.go
+++ b/swarm/network/discovery_test.go
@@ -160,7 +160,10 @@ func testInitialPeersMsg(t *testing.T, peerPO, peerDepth int) {
 	// block until control peer is found among hive peers
 	found := false
 	for attempts := 0; attempts < 20; attempts++ {
-		if _, found = hive.peers[peerID]; found {
+		hive.lock.Lock()
+		_, found = hive.peers[peerID]
+		hive.lock.Unlock()
+		if found {
 			break
 		}
 		time.Sleep(1 * time.Millisecond)
@@ -171,7 +174,9 @@ func testInitialPeersMsg(t *testing.T, peerPO, peerDepth int) {
 	}
 
 	// pivotDepth is the advertised depth of the pivot node we expect in the outgoing subPeersMsg
+	hive.Kademlia.lock.RLock() // protect Kademlia.conns that are read in Kademlia.saturation()
 	pivotDepth := hive.saturation()
+	hive.Kademlia.lock.RUnlock()
 	// the test exchange is as follows:
 	// 1. pivot sends to the control peer a `subPeersMsg` advertising its depth (ignored)
 	// 2. peer sends to pivot a `subPeersMsg` advertising its own depth (arbitrarily chosen)
diff --git a/swarm/network/protocol_test.go b/swarm/network/protocol_test.go
index b562a42534..c65844b97d 100644
--- a/swarm/network/protocol_test.go
+++ b/swarm/network/protocol_test.go
@@ -131,9 +131,11 @@ func newBzzBaseTesterWithAddrs(prvkey *ecdsa.PrivateKey, addrs [][]byte, spec *p
 		ProtocolTester: s,
 		cs:             cs,
 	}
+	mu.Lock()
 	for _, n := range pt.Nodes {
 		nodeAddrs = append(nodeAddrs, nodeToAddr[n.ID()])
 	}
+	mu.Unlock()
 
 	return pt, nodeAddrs, nil
 }