diff --git a/tests/libp2p/mix/component/test_cover_traffic.nim b/tests/libp2p/mix/component/test_cover_traffic.nim
index e5f2b90719..7109f831e3 100644
--- a/tests/libp2p/mix/component/test_cover_traffic.nim
+++ b/tests/libp2p/mix/component/test_cover_traffic.nim
@@ -77,16 +77,16 @@ suite "Cover Traffic - Integration":
 
   asyncTest "slot exhaustion blocks local send, epoch reset unblocks":
     let nodes = await setupMixNodes(5)
-    startAndDeferStop(nodes)
+    let (destNode, _) = await setupDestNode(NoReplyProtocol.new())
+    await startNodes(nodes)
+    defer:
+      await stopNodes(nodes)
+      await stopDestNode(destNode)
 
     let ct = ConstantRateCoverTraffic.new(totalSlots = 2, useInternalEpochTimer = false)
     ct.onEpochChange(1)
     nodes[0].coverTraffic = Opt.some(CoverTraffic(ct))
 
-    let (destNode, _) = await setupDestNode(NoReplyProtocol.new())
-    defer:
-      await stopDestNode(destNode)
-
     let incoming = newAsyncQueue[seq[byte]]()
 
     # First send succeeds (claims 1 of 2 slots)
diff --git a/tests/libp2p/mix/utils.nim b/tests/libp2p/mix/utils.nim
index 535d534a1a..4eb1bb4e50 100644
--- a/tests/libp2p/mix/utils.nim
+++ b/tests/libp2p/mix/utils.nim
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ proc new*(T: typedesc[NoReplyProtocol]): NoReplyProtocol =
         ReceivedMessage(connPeerId: conn.peerId, data: buffer)
       )
     except LPStreamError:
-      raiseAssert "should not happen"
+      discard
     finally:
       await conn.close()