diff --git a/comms/core/src/connection_manager/peer_connection.rs b/comms/core/src/connection_manager/peer_connection.rs
index d5a127cdca9..b1e1435d2c0 100644
--- a/comms/core/src/connection_manager/peer_connection.rs
+++ b/comms/core/src/connection_manager/peer_connection.rs
@@ -532,7 +532,6 @@ impl PeerConnectionActor {
                         self.peer_node_id.short_str(),
                         e
                     );
-                    return Ok(());
                 },
                 e => trace!(target: LOG_TARGET, "On disconnect: ({})", e),
             }
diff --git a/comms/core/src/connectivity/connection_pool.rs b/comms/core/src/connectivity/connection_pool.rs
index 6242ad33796..fbbaf47f3dd 100644
--- a/comms/core/src/connectivity/connection_pool.rs
+++ b/comms/core/src/connectivity/connection_pool.rs
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ pub enum ConnectionStatus {
     Disconnected(Minimized),
 }
 
+impl ConnectionStatus {
+    pub fn is_connected(&self) -> bool {
+        matches!(self, ConnectionStatus::Connected)
+    }
+}
+
 impl fmt::Display for ConnectionStatus {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
         write!(f, "{:?}", self)
@@ -58,7 +64,7 @@ impl PeerConnectionState {
 
     /// Return true if the underlying connection exists and is connected, otherwise false
     pub fn is_connected(&self) -> bool {
-        self.connection().filter(|c| c.is_connected()).is_some()
+        self.status.is_connected() && self.connection().map_or(false, |c| c.is_connected())
     }
 
     pub fn connection_mut(&mut self) -> Option<&mut PeerConnection> {
diff --git a/comms/core/src/connectivity/manager.rs b/comms/core/src/connectivity/manager.rs
index 30eced00d46..c916a2ec0fb 100644
--- a/comms/core/src/connectivity/manager.rs
+++ b/comms/core/src/connectivity/manager.rs
@@ -188,11 +188,9 @@ impl ConnectivityManagerActor {
                     self.handle_request(req).await;
                 },
 
-                event = connection_manager_events.recv() => {
-                    if let Ok(event) = event {
-                        if let Err(err) = self.handle_connection_manager_event(&event).await {
-                            error!(target:LOG_TARGET, "Error handling connection manager event: {:?}", err);
-                        }
+                Ok(event) = connection_manager_events.recv() => {
+                    if let Err(err) = self.handle_connection_manager_event(&event).await {
+                        error!(target:LOG_TARGET, "Error handling connection manager event: {:?}", err);
                     }
                 },
 
@@ -738,24 +736,37 @@ impl ConnectivityManagerActor {
     }
 
     async fn on_new_connection(&mut self, new_conn: &PeerConnection) -> TieBreak {
-        match self.pool.get_connection(new_conn.peer_node_id()).cloned() {
-            Some(existing_conn) if !existing_conn.is_connected() => {
+        match self.pool.get(new_conn.peer_node_id()).cloned() {
+            Some(existing_state) if !existing_state.is_connected() => {
                 debug!(
                     target: LOG_TARGET,
                     "Tie break: Existing connection (id: {}, peer: {}, direction: {}) was not connected, resolving \
                      tie break by using the new connection. (New: id: {}, peer: {}, direction: {})",
-                    existing_conn.id(),
-                    existing_conn.peer_node_id(),
-                    existing_conn.direction(),
+                    existing_state.connection().map(|c| c.id()).unwrap_or_default(),
+                    existing_state.node_id(),
+                    existing_state.connection().map(|c| c.direction().as_str()).unwrap_or("--"),
                     new_conn.id(),
                     new_conn.peer_node_id(),
                     new_conn.direction(),
                 );
-                self.pool.remove(existing_conn.peer_node_id());
+                self.pool.remove(existing_state.node_id());
                 TieBreak::UseNew
             },
-            Some(mut existing_conn) => {
-                if self.tie_break_existing_connection(&existing_conn, new_conn) {
+            Some(mut existing_state) => {
+                let Some(existing_conn) = existing_state.connection_mut() else {
+                    error!(
+                        target: LOG_TARGET,
+                        "INVARIANT ERROR in Tie break: PeerConnection is None but state is CONNECTED: Existing connection (id: {}, peer: {}, direction: {}), new connection. (id: {}, peer: {}, direction: {})",
+                        existing_state.connection().map(|c| c.id()).unwrap_or_default(),
+                        existing_state.node_id(),
+                        existing_state.connection().map(|c| c.direction().as_str()).unwrap_or("--"),
+                        new_conn.id(),
+                        new_conn.peer_node_id(),
+                        new_conn.direction(),
+                    );
+                    return TieBreak::UseNew;
+                };
+                if self.tie_break_existing_connection(existing_conn, new_conn) {
                     warn!(
                         target: LOG_TARGET,
                         "Tie break: Keep new connection (id: {}, peer: {}, direction: {}). Disconnect existing \