diff --git a/net/service/service.go b/net/service/service.go
index c43b10ffa..27dc6f1b1 100644
--- a/net/service/service.go
+++ b/net/service/service.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ type Service interface {
 
 	// SetHandler assigns the request Handler for this service.
 	SetHandler(Handler)
+	GetHandler() Handler
 }
 
 // Service is a networking component that protocols can use to multiplex
@@ -246,3 +247,8 @@ func (s *service) handleIncomingMessage(ctx context.Context, m msg.NetMessage) {
 func (s *service) SetHandler(h Handler) {
 	s.Handler = h
 }
+
+// GetHandler returns the request Handler for this service.
+func (s *service) GetHandler() Handler {
+	return s.Handler
+}
diff --git a/net/service/service_test.go b/net/service/service_test.go
index 251be311e..e28f5654a 100644
--- a/net/service/service_test.go
+++ b/net/service/service_test.go
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ func TestServiceHandler(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	m1 := msg.New(peer1, d)
-	s.Incoming <- m1
-	m2 := <-s.Outgoing
+	s.GetPipe().Incoming <- m1
+	m2 := <-s.GetPipe().Outgoing
 
 	d, rid, err := unwrapData(m2.Data())
 	if err != nil {
@@ -87,10 +87,10 @@ func TestServiceRequest(t *testing.T) {
 	go func() {
 		for {
 			select {
-			case m := <-s1.Outgoing:
-				s2.Incoming <- m
-			case m := <-s2.Outgoing:
-				s1.Incoming <- m
+			case m := <-s1.GetPipe().Outgoing:
+				s2.GetPipe().Incoming <- m
+			case m := <-s2.GetPipe().Outgoing:
+				s1.GetPipe().Incoming <- m
 			case <-ctx.Done():
 				return
 			}
@@ -127,10 +127,10 @@ func TestServiceRequestTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 		for {
 			<-time.After(time.Millisecond)
 			select {
-			case m := <-s1.Outgoing:
-				s2.Incoming <- m
-			case m := <-s2.Outgoing:
-				s1.Incoming <- m
+			case m := <-s1.GetPipe().Outgoing:
+				s2.GetPipe().Incoming <- m
+			case m := <-s2.GetPipe().Outgoing:
+				s1.GetPipe().Incoming <- m
 			case <-ctx.Done():
 				return
 			}
diff --git a/routing/dht/dht_test.go b/routing/dht/dht_test.go
index 23bdb88e7..1d7413fd5 100644
--- a/routing/dht/dht_test.go
+++ b/routing/dht/dht_test.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func setupDHT(t *testing.T, p *peer.Peer) *IpfsDHT {
 	}
 
 	d := NewDHT(p, peerstore, net, dhts, ds.NewMapDatastore())
-	dhts.Handler = d
+	dhts.SetHandler(d)
 	return d
 }