diff --git a/routing/dht/dht.go b/routing/dht/dht.go
index 64f28c74e..2f9a6ebe6 100644
--- a/routing/dht/dht.go
+++ b/routing/dht/dht.go
@@ -312,11 +312,7 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) betterPeersToQuery(pmes *pb.Message, p peer.ID, count int) [
 			continue
 		}
 
-		// must all be closer than self
-		key := key.Key(pmes.GetKey())
-		if !kb.Closer(dht.self, clp, key) {
-			filtered = append(filtered, clp)
-		}
+		filtered = append(filtered, clp)
 	}
 
 	// ok seems like closer nodes
diff --git a/routing/dht/handlers.go b/routing/dht/handlers.go
index 1c5d2b1c1..137995bed 100644
--- a/routing/dht/handlers.go
+++ b/routing/dht/handlers.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 // The number of closer peers to send on requests.
-var CloserPeerCount = 4
+var CloserPeerCount = KValue
 
 // dhthandler specifies the signature of functions that handle DHT messages.
 type dhtHandler func(context.Context, peer.ID, *pb.Message) (*pb.Message, error)
diff --git a/routing/dht/lookup.go b/routing/dht/lookup.go
index 76173a615..dc377e8b7 100644
--- a/routing/dht/lookup.go
+++ b/routing/dht/lookup.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ func pointerizePeerInfos(pis []peer.PeerInfo) []*peer.PeerInfo {
 // to the given key
 func (dht *IpfsDHT) GetClosestPeers(ctx context.Context, key key.Key) (<-chan peer.ID, error) {
 	e := log.EventBegin(ctx, "getClosestPeers", &key)
-	tablepeers := dht.routingTable.NearestPeers(kb.ConvertKey(key), AlphaValue)
+	tablepeers := dht.routingTable.NearestPeers(kb.ConvertKey(key), KValue)
 	if len(tablepeers) == 0 {
 		return nil, kb.ErrLookupFailure
 	}
diff --git a/routing/dht/query.go b/routing/dht/query.go
index ab4f28492..b1bec20bb 100644
--- a/routing/dht/query.go
+++ b/routing/dht/query.go
@@ -184,29 +184,28 @@ func (r *dhtQueryRunner) spawnWorkers(proc process.Process) {
 		case <-r.proc.Closing():
 			return
 
-		case p, more := <-r.peersToQuery.DeqChan:
-			if !more {
-				return // channel closed.
-			}
+		case <-r.rateLimit:
+			select {
+			case p, more := <-r.peersToQuery.DeqChan:
+				if !more {
+					return // channel closed.
+				}
 
-			// do it as a child func to make sure Run exits
-			// ONLY AFTER spawn workers has exited.
-			proc.Go(func(proc process.Process) {
-				r.queryPeer(proc, p)
-			})
+				// do it as a child func to make sure Run exits
+				// ONLY AFTER spawn workers has exited.
+				proc.Go(func(proc process.Process) {
+					r.queryPeer(proc, p)
+				})
+			case <-r.proc.Closing():
+				return
+			case <-r.peersRemaining.Done():
+				return
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
 
 func (r *dhtQueryRunner) queryPeer(proc process.Process, p peer.ID) {
-	// make sure we rate limit concurrency.
-	select {
-	case <-r.rateLimit:
-	case <-proc.Closing():
-		r.peersRemaining.Decrement(1)
-		return
-	}
-
 	// ok let's do this!
 
 	// create a context from our proc.
diff --git a/routing/dht/routing.go b/routing/dht/routing.go
index d5854155f..57341e69c 100644
--- a/routing/dht/routing.go
+++ b/routing/dht/routing.go
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) GetValues(ctx context.Context, key key.Key, nvals int) ([]ro
 	}
 
 	// get closest peers in the routing table
-	rtp := dht.routingTable.NearestPeers(kb.ConvertKey(key), AlphaValue)
+	rtp := dht.routingTable.NearestPeers(kb.ConvertKey(key), KValue)
 	log.Debugf("peers in rt: %s", len(rtp), rtp)
 	if len(rtp) == 0 {
 		log.Warning("No peers from routing table!")
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) findProvidersAsyncRoutine(ctx context.Context, key key.Key,
 		return &dhtQueryResult{closerPeers: clpeers}, nil
 	})
 
-	peers := dht.routingTable.NearestPeers(kb.ConvertKey(key), AlphaValue)
+	peers := dht.routingTable.NearestPeers(kb.ConvertKey(key), KValue)
 	_, err := query.Run(ctx, peers)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Debugf("Query error: %s", err)
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) FindPeer(ctx context.Context, id peer.ID) (peer.PeerInfo, er
 		return pi, nil
 	}
 
-	peers := dht.routingTable.NearestPeers(kb.ConvertPeerID(id), AlphaValue)
+	peers := dht.routingTable.NearestPeers(kb.ConvertPeerID(id), KValue)
 	if len(peers) == 0 {
 		return peer.PeerInfo{}, kb.ErrLookupFailure
 	}
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) FindPeersConnectedToPeer(ctx context.Context, id peer.ID) (<
 	peerchan := make(chan peer.PeerInfo, asyncQueryBuffer)
 	peersSeen := peer.Set{}
 
-	peers := dht.routingTable.NearestPeers(kb.ConvertPeerID(id), AlphaValue)
+	peers := dht.routingTable.NearestPeers(kb.ConvertPeerID(id), KValue)
 	if len(peers) == 0 {
 		return nil, kb.ErrLookupFailure
 	}