diff --git a/p2p/rlpx.go b/p2p/rlpx.go
index 67cc1d9bf3..0697ef3b01 100644
--- a/p2p/rlpx.go
+++ b/p2p/rlpx.go
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ func (t *rlpx) doProtoHandshake(our *protoHandshake) (their *protoHandshake, err
 	// as the error so it can be tracked elsewhere.
 	werr := make(chan error, 1)
 	go func() { werr <- Send(t.rw, handshakeMsg, our) }()
-	if their, err = readProtocolHandshake(t.rw, our); err != nil {
+	if their, err = readProtocolHandshake(t.rw); err != nil {
 		<-werr // make sure the write terminates too
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func (t *rlpx) doProtoHandshake(our *protoHandshake) (their *protoHandshake, err
 	return their, nil
 }
 
-func readProtocolHandshake(rw MsgReader, our *protoHandshake) (*protoHandshake, error) {
+func readProtocolHandshake(rw MsgReader) (*protoHandshake, error) {
 	msg, err := rw.ReadMsg()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err