diff --git a/p2p/simulations/adapters/exec.go b/p2p/simulations/adapters/exec.go
index dc7d277cac..cc96f83e85 100644
--- a/p2p/simulations/adapters/exec.go
+++ b/p2p/simulations/adapters/exec.go
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ func (s *snapshotService) Protocols() []p2p.Protocol {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (s *snapshotService) Start(*p2p.Server) error {
+func (s *snapshotService) Start(p2p.ServerIf) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/p2p/simulations/adapters/inproc.go b/p2p/simulations/adapters/inproc.go
index 52a662be63..db1bc6f5dc 100644
--- a/p2p/simulations/adapters/inproc.go
+++ b/p2p/simulations/adapters/inproc.go
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ func (sn *SimNode) ServiceMap() map[string]node.Service {
 }
 
 // Server returns the underlying p2p.Server
-func (sn *SimNode) Server() *p2p.Server {
+func (sn *SimNode) Server() p2p.ServerIf {
 	return sn.node.Server()
 }
 
diff --git a/p2p/simulations/examples/ping-pong.go b/p2p/simulations/examples/ping-pong.go
index 597cc950c9..fcd4ee8dc9 100644
--- a/p2p/simulations/examples/ping-pong.go
+++ b/p2p/simulations/examples/ping-pong.go
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ func (p *pingPongService) APIs() []rpc.API {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (p *pingPongService) Start(server *p2p.Server) error {
+func (p *pingPongService) Start(server p2p.ServerIf) error {
 	p.log.Info("ping-pong service starting")
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/p2p/simulations/http_test.go b/p2p/simulations/http_test.go
index 7bdbad1b53..9b3e334012 100644
--- a/p2p/simulations/http_test.go
+++ b/p2p/simulations/http_test.go
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ func (t *testService) APIs() []rpc.API {
 	}}
 }
 
-func (t *testService) Start(server *p2p.Server) error {
+func (t *testService) Start(server p2p.ServerIf) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/p2p/testing/protocolsession.go b/p2p/testing/protocolsession.go
index 476c2a9840..c46998fb91 100644
--- a/p2p/testing/protocolsession.go
+++ b/p2p/testing/protocolsession.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ var errTimedOut = errors.New("timed out")
 // a service and a number of dummy peers that can send (trigger) or
 // receive (expect) messages
 type ProtocolSession struct {
-	Server  *p2p.Server
+	Server  p2p.ServerIf
 	Nodes   []*enode.Node
 	adapter *adapters.SimAdapter
 	events  chan *p2p.PeerEvent
diff --git a/p2p/testing/protocoltester.go b/p2p/testing/protocoltester.go
index afc03b009f..3c7631e24c 100644
--- a/p2p/testing/protocoltester.go
+++ b/p2p/testing/protocoltester.go
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func (t *testNode) APIs() []rpc.API {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (t *testNode) Start(server *p2p.Server) error {
+func (t *testNode) Start(server p2p.ServerIf) error {
 	return nil
 }