diff --git a/eth/p2p/rlpx.nim b/eth/p2p/rlpx.nim
index a0f1ced..488fc50 100644
--- a/eth/p2p/rlpx.nim
+++ b/eth/p2p/rlpx.nim
@@ -1175,12 +1175,14 @@ proc postHelloSteps(peer: Peer, h: DevP2P.hello) {.async.} =
   #
   var messageProcessingLoop = peer.dispatchMessages()
 
-  messageProcessingLoop.callback = proc(p: pointer) {.gcsafe.} =
+  let cb = proc(p: pointer) {.gcsafe.} =
     if messageProcessingLoop.failed:
       debug "Ending dispatchMessages loop", peer,
             err = messageProcessingLoop.error.msg
       traceAsyncErrors peer.disconnect(ClientQuitting)
 
+  messageProcessingLoop.addCallback(cb)
+
   # The handshake may involve multiple async steps, so we wait
   # here for all of them to finish.
   #