Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method performed by a network node, the method including: receiving a connection request from a peer network node including a peer identifier; determining that the received peer identifier matches an identifier of an existing peer; sending a verification message to the existing peer; setting a timer; when a response the verification message is received before the timer expires: cancelling the timer; and rejecting the received connection request; when the timer expires: closing a connection to the existing peer; and accepting the new connection from the new peer.