diff --git a/geth/peers/peerpool.go b/geth/peers/peerpool.go
index c8ce998b9..6e3e6e043 100644
--- a/geth/peers/peerpool.go
+++ b/geth/peers/peerpool.go
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ var (
 	ErrDiscv5NotRunning = errors.New("Discovery v5 is not running")
 )
 
+// PoolEvent is a type used to for peer pool events.
+type PoolEvent string
+
 const (
 	// expirationPeriod is an amount of time while peer is considered as a connectable
 	expirationPeriod = 60 * time.Minute
@@ -29,6 +32,11 @@ const (
 	DefaultFastSync = 3 * time.Second
 	// DefaultSlowSync is a recommended value for slow (background) peers search.
 	DefaultSlowSync = 30 * time.Minute
+
+	// Discv5Closed is sent when discv5 is closed
+	Discv5Closed PoolEvent = "discv5.closed"
+	// Discv5Started is sent when discv5 is started
+	Discv5Started PoolEvent = "discv5.started"
 )
 
 // NewPeerPool creates instance of PeerPool
@@ -68,6 +76,8 @@ type PeerPool struct {
 	quit               chan struct{}
 
 	wg sync.WaitGroup
+
+	feed event.Feed
 }
 
 // Start creates topic pool for each topic in config and subscribes to server events.
@@ -107,6 +117,7 @@ func (p *PeerPool) restartDiscovery(server *p2p.Server) error {
 		}
 		log.Debug("restarted discovery from peer pool")
 		server.DiscV5 = ntab
+		p.feed.Send(Discv5Started)
 	}
 	for _, t := range p.topics {
 		if !t.BelowMin() || t.SearchRunning() {
@@ -146,6 +157,7 @@ func (p *PeerPool) handleServerPeers(server *p2p.Server, events <-chan *p2p.Peer
 					log.Debug("closing discv5 connection", "server", server.Self())
 					server.DiscV5.Close()
 					server.DiscV5 = nil
+					p.feed.Send(Discv5Closed)
 				}
 			}
 		}
@@ -204,8 +216,10 @@ func (p *PeerPool) Stop() {
 		close(p.quit)
 	}
 	p.serverSubscription.Unsubscribe()
+	// wait before closing topic pools, otherwise there is chance that
+	// they will be concurrently started while we are exiting.
+	p.wg.Wait()
 	for _, t := range p.topics {
 		t.StopSearch()
 	}
-	p.wg.Wait()
 }
diff --git a/geth/peers/peerpool_test.go b/geth/peers/peerpool_test.go
index 37ce65792..28c21e757 100644
--- a/geth/peers/peerpool_test.go
+++ b/geth/peers/peerpool_test.go
@@ -81,6 +81,16 @@ func (s *PeerPoolSimulationSuite) getPeerFromEvent(events <-chan *p2p.PeerEvent,
 	return
 }
 
+func (s *PeerPoolSimulationSuite) getPoolEvent(events <-chan PoolEvent) PoolEvent {
+	select {
+	case ev := <-events:
+		return ev
+	case <-time.After(200 * time.Millisecond):
+		s.Fail("timed out waiting for a peer")
+		return ""
+	}
+}
+
 func (s *PeerPoolSimulationSuite) TestSingleTopicDiscoveryWithFailover() {
 	topic := discv5.Topic("cap=test")
 	// simulation should only rely on fast sync
@@ -98,14 +108,17 @@ func (s *PeerPoolSimulationSuite) TestSingleTopicDiscoveryWithFailover() {
 	defer subscription.Unsubscribe()
 	s.NoError(peerPool.Start(s.peers[1]))
 	defer peerPool.Stop()
+	poolEvents := make(chan PoolEvent)
+	poolSub := peerPool.feed.Subscribe(poolEvents)
+	defer poolSub.Unsubscribe()
 	connected := s.getPeerFromEvent(events, p2p.PeerEventTypeAdd)
 	s.Equal(s.peers[0].Self().ID, connected)
-	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+	s.Equal(Discv5Closed, s.getPoolEvent(poolEvents))
 	s.Require().Nil(s.peers[1].DiscV5)
 	s.peers[0].Stop()
 	disconnected := s.getPeerFromEvent(events, p2p.PeerEventTypeDrop)
 	s.Equal(connected, disconnected)
-	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+	s.Equal(Discv5Started, s.getPoolEvent(poolEvents))
 	s.Require().NotNil(s.peers[1].DiscV5)
 	register = NewRegister(topic)
 	s.Require().NoError(register.Start(s.peers[2]))
diff --git a/geth/peers/topicpool.go b/geth/peers/topicpool.go
index ee22d430a..2c4ede8a4 100644
--- a/geth/peers/topicpool.go
+++ b/geth/peers/topicpool.go
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ func (t *TopicPool) removePeer(server *p2p.Server, info *peerInfo) {
 
 // StopSearch stops the closes stop
 func (t *TopicPool) StopSearch() {
-	if !t.SearchRunning() {
+	if !atomic.CompareAndSwapInt32(&t.running, 1, 0) {
 		return
 	}
 	if t.quit == nil {
@@ -259,7 +259,6 @@ func (t *TopicPool) StopSearch() {
 		close(t.quit)
 	}
 	t.consumerWG.Wait()
-	atomic.StoreInt32(&t.running, 0)
 	close(t.period)
 	t.discWG.Wait()
 }