diff --git a/p2p/security/noise/crypto.go b/p2p/security/noise/crypto.go
index 3048f8c3..86e206aa 100644
--- a/p2p/security/noise/crypto.go
+++ b/p2p/security/noise/crypto.go
@@ -3,20 +3,20 @@ package noise
 import "errors"
 
 func (s *secureSession) encrypt(plaintext []byte) (ciphertext []byte, err error) {
-	if s.ns.enc == nil {
+	if s.enc == nil {
 		return nil, errors.New("cannot encrypt, handshake incomplete")
 	}
 
 	// TODO: use pre-allocated buffers
-	ciphertext = s.ns.enc.Encrypt(nil, nil, plaintext)
+	ciphertext = s.enc.Encrypt(nil, nil, plaintext)
 	return ciphertext, nil
 }
 
 func (s *secureSession) decrypt(ciphertext []byte) (plaintext []byte, err error) {
-	if s.ns.dec == nil {
+	if s.dec == nil {
 		return nil, errors.New("cannot decrypt, handshake incomplete")
 	}
 
 	// TODO: use pre-allocated buffers
-	return s.ns.dec.Decrypt(nil, nil, ciphertext)
+	return s.dec.Decrypt(nil, nil, ciphertext)
 }
diff --git a/p2p/security/noise/handshake.go b/p2p/security/noise/handshake.go
index cbe5c94f..23c6d637 100644
--- a/p2p/security/noise/handshake.go
+++ b/p2p/security/noise/handshake.go
@@ -41,62 +41,57 @@ func (s *secureSession) runHandshake(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error initializing handshake state: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	s.ns.hs = hs
-	s.ns.localStatic = kp
-
-	payload, err := s.generateHandshakePayload()
+	payload, err := s.generateHandshakePayload(kp)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
 	if s.initiator {
 		// stage 0 //
-		err = s.sendHandshakeMessage(nil)
+		err = s.sendHandshakeMessage(hs, nil)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("error sending handshake message: %s", err)
 		}
 
 		// stage 1 //
-		plaintext, err := s.readHandshakeMessage()
+		plaintext, err := s.readHandshakeMessage(hs)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("error reading handshake message: %s", err)
 		}
-		err = s.handleRemoteHandshakePayload(plaintext)
+		err = s.handleRemoteHandshakePayload(plaintext, hs.PeerStatic())
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
 		// stage 2 //
-		err = s.sendHandshakeMessage(payload)
+		err = s.sendHandshakeMessage(hs, payload)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("error sending handshake message: %s", err)
 		}
 	} else {
 		// stage 0 //
-		plaintext, err := s.readHandshakeMessage()
+		plaintext, err := s.readHandshakeMessage(hs)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("error reading handshake message: %s", err)
 		}
 
 		// stage 1 //
-		err = s.sendHandshakeMessage(payload)
+		err = s.sendHandshakeMessage(hs, payload)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("error sending handshake message: %s", err)
 		}
 
 		// stage 2 //
-		plaintext, err = s.readHandshakeMessage()
+		plaintext, err = s.readHandshakeMessage(hs)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("error reading handshake message: %s", err)
 		}
-		err = s.handleRemoteHandshakePayload(plaintext)
+		err = s.handleRemoteHandshakePayload(plaintext, hs.PeerStatic())
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
 
-	// we can discard the handshake state once the handshake completes
-	s.ns.hs = nil
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -105,21 +100,20 @@ func (s *secureSession) runHandshake(ctx context.Context) error {
 // It sets the initial cipher states that will be used to protect traffic after the handshake.
 func (s *secureSession) setCipherStates(cs1, cs2 *noise.CipherState) {
 	if s.initiator {
-		s.ns.enc = cs1
-		s.ns.dec = cs2
+		s.enc = cs1
+		s.dec = cs2
 	} else {
-		s.ns.enc = cs2
-		s.ns.dec = cs1
+		s.enc = cs2
+		s.dec = cs1
 	}
 }
 
 // sendHandshakeMessage sends the next handshake message in the sequence.
-// Only safe to call from runHandshake, as it depends on handshake state.
 // If payload is non-empty, it will be included in the handshake message.
 // If this is the final message in the sequence, calls setCipherStates
 // to initialize cipher states.
-func (s *secureSession) sendHandshakeMessage(payload []byte) error {
-	buf, cs1, cs2, err := s.ns.hs.WriteMessage(nil, payload)
+func (s *secureSession) sendHandshakeMessage(hs *noise.HandshakeState, payload []byte) error {
+	buf, cs1, cs2, err := hs.WriteMessage(nil, payload)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -137,16 +131,15 @@ func (s *secureSession) sendHandshakeMessage(payload []byte) error {
 
 // readHandshakeMessage reads a message from the insecure conn and tries to
 // process it as the expected next message in the handshake sequence.
-// Only safe to call from runHandshake, as it depends on handshake state.
 // If the message contains a payload, it will be decrypted and returned.
 // If this is the final message in the sequence, calls setCipherStates
 // to initialize cipher states.
-func (s *secureSession) readHandshakeMessage() ([]byte, error) {
+func (s *secureSession) readHandshakeMessage(hs *noise.HandshakeState) ([]byte, error) {
 	raw, err := s.readMsgInsecure()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	msg, cs1, cs2, err := s.ns.hs.ReadMessage(nil, raw)
+	msg, cs1, cs2, err := hs.ReadMessage(nil, raw)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -158,8 +151,7 @@ func (s *secureSession) readHandshakeMessage() ([]byte, error) {
 
 // generateHandshakePayload creates a libp2p handshake payload with a
 // signature of our static noise key.
-// Must be called after the static key for the session has been generated.
-func (s *secureSession) generateHandshakePayload() ([]byte, error) {
+func (s *secureSession) generateHandshakePayload(localStatic noise.DHKey) ([]byte, error) {
 	// setup libp2p keys
 	localKeyRaw, err := s.LocalPublicKey().Bytes()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -167,7 +159,7 @@ func (s *secureSession) generateHandshakePayload() ([]byte, error) {
 	}
 
 	// sign noise data for payload
-	toSign := append([]byte(payloadSigPrefix), s.ns.localStatic.Public...)
+	toSign := append([]byte(payloadSigPrefix), localStatic.Public...)
 	signedPayload, err := s.localKey.Sign(toSign)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error sigining handshake payload: %s", err)
@@ -186,8 +178,7 @@ func (s *secureSession) generateHandshakePayload() ([]byte, error) {
 
 // handleRemoteHandshakePayload unmarshals the handshake payload object sent
 // by the remote peer and validates the signature against the peer's static Noise key.
-// Only safe to call from runHandshake, as it depends on handshake state.
-func (s *secureSession) handleRemoteHandshakePayload(payload []byte) error {
+func (s *secureSession) handleRemoteHandshakePayload(payload []byte, remoteStatic []byte) error {
 	// unmarshal payload
 	nhp := new(pb.NoiseHandshakePayload)
 	err := proto.Unmarshal(payload, nhp)
@@ -212,7 +203,6 @@ func (s *secureSession) handleRemoteHandshakePayload(payload []byte) error {
 
 	// verify payload is signed by libp2p key
 	sig := nhp.GetIdentitySig()
-	remoteStatic := s.ns.hs.PeerStatic()
 	msg := append([]byte(payloadSigPrefix), remoteStatic...)
 	ok, err := remotePubKey.Verify(msg, sig)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/p2p/security/noise/session.go b/p2p/security/noise/session.go
index fe176551..a88619af 100644
--- a/p2p/security/noise/session.go
+++ b/p2p/security/noise/session.go
@@ -7,21 +7,13 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/flynn/noise"
+
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/crypto"
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/peer"
 )
 
-type noiseState struct {
-	localStatic noise.DHKey
-
-	hs  *noise.HandshakeState
-	enc *noise.CipherState
-	dec *noise.CipherState
-}
-
 type secureSession struct {
 	initiator bool
-	ns        noiseState
 
 	localID   peer.ID
 	localKey  crypto.PrivKey
@@ -32,6 +24,9 @@ type secureSession struct {
 	msgBuffer []byte
 	readLock  sync.Mutex
 	writeLock sync.Mutex
+
+	enc *noise.CipherState
+	dec *noise.CipherState
 }
 
 // newSecureSession creates a noise session over the given insecure Conn, using the