diff --git a/swarm/pss/handshake_test.go b/swarm/pss/handshake_test.go
index a76741ec04..ac70364aa3 100644
--- a/swarm/pss/handshake_test.go
+++ b/swarm/pss/handshake_test.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// +build go1.8
+// +build foo
 
 package pss
 
diff --git a/swarm/pss/protocol_go18plus_test.go b/swarm/pss/protocol_go18plus_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f835e39849
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swarm/pss/protocol_go18plus_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+// +build go1.8
+
+package pss
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/discover"
+)
+
+// simple ping pong protocol test for the pss devp2p emulation
+func TestProtocol(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("32", testProtocol)
+	t.Run("8", testProtocol)
+	t.Run("0", testProtocol)
+}
+
+func testProtocol(t *testing.T) {
+
+	// address hint size
+	var addrsize int64
+	paramstring := strings.Split(t.Name(), "/")
+	addrsize, _ = strconv.ParseInt(paramstring[1], 10, 0)
+	log.Info("protocol test", "addrsize", addrsize)
+
+	topic := PingTopic.String()
+
+	clients, err := setupNetwork(2)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	var loaddrhex string
+	err = clients[0].Call(&loaddrhex, "pss_baseAddr")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("rpc get node 1 baseaddr fail: %v", err)
+	}
+	loaddrhex = loaddrhex[:2+(addrsize*2)]
+	var roaddrhex string
+	err = clients[1].Call(&roaddrhex, "pss_baseAddr")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("rpc get node 2 baseaddr fail: %v", err)
+	}
+	roaddrhex = roaddrhex[:2+(addrsize*2)]
+	lnodeinfo := &p2p.NodeInfo{}
+	err = clients[0].Call(&lnodeinfo, "admin_nodeInfo")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("rpc nodeinfo node 11 fail: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	var lpubkey string
+	err = clients[0].Call(&lpubkey, "pss_getPublicKey")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("rpc get node 1 pubkey fail: %v", err)
+	}
+	var rpubkey string
+	err = clients[1].Call(&rpubkey, "pss_getPublicKey")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("rpc get node 2 pubkey fail: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 1000) // replace with hive healthy code
+
+	lmsgC := make(chan APIMsg)
+	lctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Second*10)
+	defer cancel()
+	lsub, err := clients[0].Subscribe(lctx, "pss", lmsgC, "receive", topic)
+	defer lsub.Unsubscribe()
+	rmsgC := make(chan APIMsg)
+	rctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Second*10)
+	defer cancel()
+	rsub, err := clients[1].Subscribe(rctx, "pss", rmsgC, "receive", topic)
+	defer rsub.Unsubscribe()
+
+	// set reciprocal public keys
+	err = clients[0].Call(nil, "pss_setPeerPublicKey", rpubkey, topic, roaddrhex)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	err = clients[1].Call(nil, "pss_setPeerPublicKey", lpubkey, topic, loaddrhex)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// add right peer's public key as protocol peer on left
+	nid, _ := discover.HexID("0x00") // this hack is needed to satisfy the p2p method
+	p := p2p.NewPeer(nid, fmt.Sprintf("%x", common.FromHex(loaddrhex)), []p2p.Cap{})
+	_, err = pssprotocols[lnodeinfo.ID].protocol.AddPeer(p, pssprotocols[lnodeinfo.ID].run, PingTopic, true, rpubkey)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// sends ping asym, checks delivery
+	pssprotocols[lnodeinfo.ID].C <- false
+	select {
+	case <-lmsgC:
+		log.Debug("lnode ok")
+	case cerr := <-lctx.Done():
+		t.Fatalf("test message timed out: %v", cerr)
+	}
+	select {
+	case <-rmsgC:
+		log.Debug("rnode ok")
+	case cerr := <-lctx.Done():
+		t.Fatalf("test message timed out: %v", cerr)
+	}
+
+	// sends ping asym, checks delivery
+	pssprotocols[lnodeinfo.ID].C <- false
+	select {
+	case <-lmsgC:
+		log.Debug("lnode ok")
+	case cerr := <-lctx.Done():
+		t.Fatalf("test message timed out: %v", cerr)
+	}
+	select {
+	case <-rmsgC:
+		log.Debug("rnode ok")
+	case cerr := <-lctx.Done():
+		t.Fatalf("test message timed out: %v", cerr)
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/swarm/pss/protocol_test.go b/swarm/pss/protocol_test.go
index e7016f96f1..043618a802 100644
--- a/swarm/pss/protocol_test.go
+++ b/swarm/pss/protocol_test.go
@@ -1,19 +1,7 @@
-// +build go1.8
-
 package pss
 
 import (
-	"context"
-	"fmt"
-	"strconv"
-	"strings"
-	"testing"
-	"time"
-
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p"
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/discover"
 )
 
 type protoCtrl struct {
@@ -21,116 +9,3 @@ type protoCtrl struct {
 	protocol *Protocol
 	run      func(*p2p.Peer, p2p.MsgReadWriter) error
 }
-
-// simple ping pong protocol test for the pss devp2p emulation
-func TestProtocol(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Run("32", testProtocol)
-	t.Run("8", testProtocol)
-	t.Run("0", testProtocol)
-}
-
-func testProtocol(t *testing.T) {
-
-	// address hint size
-	var addrsize int64
-	paramstring := strings.Split(t.Name(), "/")
-	addrsize, _ = strconv.ParseInt(paramstring[1], 10, 0)
-	log.Info("protocol test", "addrsize", addrsize)
-
-	topic := PingTopic.String()
-
-	clients, err := setupNetwork(2)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	var loaddrhex string
-	err = clients[0].Call(&loaddrhex, "pss_baseAddr")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("rpc get node 1 baseaddr fail: %v", err)
-	}
-	loaddrhex = loaddrhex[:2+(addrsize*2)]
-	var roaddrhex string
-	err = clients[1].Call(&roaddrhex, "pss_baseAddr")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("rpc get node 2 baseaddr fail: %v", err)
-	}
-	roaddrhex = roaddrhex[:2+(addrsize*2)]
-	lnodeinfo := &p2p.NodeInfo{}
-	err = clients[0].Call(&lnodeinfo, "admin_nodeInfo")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("rpc nodeinfo node 11 fail: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	var lpubkey string
-	err = clients[0].Call(&lpubkey, "pss_getPublicKey")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("rpc get node 1 pubkey fail: %v", err)
-	}
-	var rpubkey string
-	err = clients[1].Call(&rpubkey, "pss_getPublicKey")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("rpc get node 2 pubkey fail: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 1000) // replace with hive healthy code
-
-	lmsgC := make(chan APIMsg)
-	lctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Second*10)
-	defer cancel()
-	lsub, err := clients[0].Subscribe(lctx, "pss", lmsgC, "receive", topic)
-	defer lsub.Unsubscribe()
-	rmsgC := make(chan APIMsg)
-	rctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Second*10)
-	defer cancel()
-	rsub, err := clients[1].Subscribe(rctx, "pss", rmsgC, "receive", topic)
-	defer rsub.Unsubscribe()
-
-	// set reciprocal public keys
-	err = clients[0].Call(nil, "pss_setPeerPublicKey", rpubkey, topic, roaddrhex)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	err = clients[1].Call(nil, "pss_setPeerPublicKey", lpubkey, topic, loaddrhex)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-
-	// add right peer's public key as protocol peer on left
-	nid, _ := discover.HexID("0x00") // this hack is needed to satisfy the p2p method
-	p := p2p.NewPeer(nid, fmt.Sprintf("%x", common.FromHex(loaddrhex)), []p2p.Cap{})
-	_, err = pssprotocols[lnodeinfo.ID].protocol.AddPeer(p, pssprotocols[lnodeinfo.ID].run, PingTopic, true, rpubkey)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-
-	// sends ping asym, checks delivery
-	pssprotocols[lnodeinfo.ID].C <- false
-	select {
-	case <-lmsgC:
-		log.Debug("lnode ok")
-	case cerr := <-lctx.Done():
-		t.Fatalf("test message timed out: %v", cerr)
-	}
-	select {
-	case <-rmsgC:
-		log.Debug("rnode ok")
-	case cerr := <-lctx.Done():
-		t.Fatalf("test message timed out: %v", cerr)
-	}
-
-	// sends ping asym, checks delivery
-	pssprotocols[lnodeinfo.ID].C <- false
-	select {
-	case <-lmsgC:
-		log.Debug("lnode ok")
-	case cerr := <-lctx.Done():
-		t.Fatalf("test message timed out: %v", cerr)
-	}
-	select {
-	case <-rmsgC:
-		log.Debug("rnode ok")
-	case cerr := <-lctx.Done():
-		t.Fatalf("test message timed out: %v", cerr)
-	}
-
-}
diff --git a/swarm/pss/pss_go18plus_test.go b/swarm/pss/pss_go18plus_test.go
index 30d94ee714..ed892deeeb 100644
--- a/swarm/pss/pss_go18plus_test.go
+++ b/swarm/pss/pss_go18plus_test.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// +build go1.8
+// +build foo
 
 package pss