diff --git a/libp2p/crypto/secp.nim b/libp2p/crypto/secp.nim
index b69661d46..e4739c576 100644
--- a/libp2p/crypto/secp.nim
+++ b/libp2p/crypto/secp.nim
@@ -201,14 +201,18 @@ proc verify*[T: byte|char](sig: SkSignature, msg: openarray[T],
   let h = sha256.digest(msg)
   verify(secp256k1.SkSignature(sig), SkMessage(h.data), secp256k1.SkPublicKey(key))
 
-func clear*(key: var SkPrivateKey) {.borrow.}
+func clear*(key: var SkPrivateKey) = clear(secp256k1.SkSecretKey(key))
 
-proc `$`*(key: SkPrivateKey): string {.borrow.}
-proc `$`*(key: SkPublicKey): string {.borrow.}
-proc `$`*(key: SkSignature): string {.borrow.}
-proc `$`*(key: SkKeyPair): string {.borrow.}
+func `$`*(key: SkPrivateKey): string = $secp256k1.SkSecretKey(key)
+func `$`*(key: SkPublicKey): string = $secp256k1.SkPublicKey(key)
+func `$`*(key: SkSignature): string = $secp256k1.SkSignature(key)
+func `$`*(key: SkKeyPair): string = $secp256k1.SkKeyPair(key)
 
-proc `==`*(a, b: SkPrivateKey): bool {.borrow.}
-proc `==`*(a, b: SkPublicKey): bool {.borrow.}
-proc `==`*(a, b: SkSignature): bool {.borrow.}
-proc `==`*(a, b: SkKeyPair): bool {.borrow.}
+func `==`*(a, b: SkPrivateKey): bool =
+  secp256k1.SkSecretKey(a) == secp256k1.SkSecretKey(b)
+func `==`*(a, b: SkPublicKey): bool =
+  secp256k1.SkPublicKey(a) == secp256k1.SkPublicKey(b)
+func `==`*(a, b: SkSignature): bool =
+  secp256k1.SkSignature(a) == secp256k1.SkSignature(b)
+func `==`*(a, b: SkKeyPair): bool =
+  secp256k1.SkKeyPair(a) == secp256k1.SkKeyPair(b)
diff --git a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub/behavior.nim b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub/behavior.nim
index c9d8081e4..83be2af35 100644
--- a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub/behavior.nim
+++ b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub/behavior.nim
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ proc handleGraft*(g: GossipSub,
     # It is an error to GRAFT on a explicit peer
     if peer.peerId in g.parameters.directPeers:
       # receiving a graft from a direct peer should yield a more prominent warning (protocol violation)
-      warn "attempt to graft an explicit peer, peering agreements should be reciprocal",
+      warn "an explicit peer attempted to graft us, peering agreements should be reciprocal",
         peer, topic
       # and such an attempt should be logged and rejected with a PRUNE
       prunes.add(ControlPrune(
@@ -105,10 +105,14 @@ proc handleGraft*(g: GossipSub,
 
       continue
 
+    # Check backingOff
+    # Ignore BackoffSlackTime here, since this only for outbound activity
+    # and subtract a second time to avoid race conditions
+    # (peers may wait to graft us as the exact instant they're allowed to)
     if  g.backingOff
           .getOrDefault(topic)
-          .getOrDefault(peer.peerId) > Moment.now():
-      debug "attempt to graft a backingOff peer", peer, topic
+          .getOrDefault(peer.peerId) - (BackoffSlackTime * 2).seconds > Moment.now():
+      debug "a backingOff peer attempted to graft us", peer, topic
       # and such an attempt should be logged and rejected with a PRUNE
       prunes.add(ControlPrune(
         topicID: topic,
@@ -162,13 +166,11 @@ proc handlePrune*(g: GossipSub, peer: PubSubPeer, prunes: seq[ControlPrune]) {.r
     # add peer backoff
     if prune.backoff > 0:
       let
-        # avoid overflows and follow params
-        # worst case if the remote thinks we are wrong we get penalized
-        # but we won't end up with ghost peers
+        # avoid overflows and clamp to reasonable value
         backoffSeconds = clamp(
           prune.backoff + BackoffSlackTime,
           0'u64,
-          g.parameters.pruneBackoff.seconds.uint64 + BackoffSlackTime
+          1.days.seconds.uint64
         )
         backoff = Moment.fromNow(backoffSeconds.int64.seconds)
         current = g.backingOff.getOrDefault(topic).getOrDefault(peer.peerId)
diff --git a/libp2p/switch.nim b/libp2p/switch.nim
index 1f887e37c..3d9b22a4b 100644
--- a/libp2p/switch.nim
+++ b/libp2p/switch.nim
@@ -205,20 +205,6 @@ proc accept(s: Switch, transport: Transport) {.async.} = # noraises
         await conn.close()
       return
 
-proc start*(s: Switch): Future[seq[Future[void]]] {.async, gcsafe.} =
-  trace "starting switch for peer", peerInfo = s.peerInfo
-  var startFuts: seq[Future[void]]
-  for t in s.transports: # for each transport
-    for i, a in s.peerInfo.addrs:
-      if t.handles(a): # check if it handles the multiaddr
-        var server = t.start(a)
-        s.peerInfo.addrs[i] = t.ma # update peer's address
-        s.acceptFuts.add(s.accept(t))
-        startFuts.add(server)
-
-  debug "Started libp2p node", peer = s.peerInfo
-  return startFuts # listen for incoming connections
-
 proc stop*(s: Switch) {.async.} =
   trace "Stopping switch"
 
@@ -247,6 +233,28 @@ proc stop*(s: Switch) {.async.} =
 
   trace "Switch stopped"
 
+proc start*(s: Switch): Future[seq[Future[void]]] {.async, gcsafe.} =
+  trace "starting switch for peer", peerInfo = s.peerInfo
+  var startFuts: seq[Future[void]]
+  for t in s.transports: # for each transport
+    for i, a in s.peerInfo.addrs:
+      if t.handles(a): # check if it handles the multiaddr
+        let transpStart = t.start(a)
+        startFuts.add(transpStart)
+        try:
+          await transpStart
+          s.peerInfo.addrs[i] = t.ma # update peer's address
+          s.acceptFuts.add(s.accept(t))
+        except CancelledError as exc:
+          await s.stop()
+          raise exc
+        except CatchableError as exc:
+          debug "Failed to start one transport", address = $a, err = exc.msg
+          continue
+
+  debug "Started libp2p node", peer = s.peerInfo
+  return startFuts # listen for incoming connections
+
 proc newSwitch*(peerInfo: PeerInfo,
                 transports: seq[Transport],
                 identity: Identify,