diff --git a/exchange/bitswap/bitswap_test.go b/exchange/bitswap/bitswap_test.go
index a66ff452c..c0b13cabe 100644
--- a/exchange/bitswap/bitswap_test.go
+++ b/exchange/bitswap/bitswap_test.go
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ func TestLargeSwarm(t *testing.T) {
 	if detectrace.WithRace() {
 		// when running with the race detector, 500 instances launches
 		// well over 8k goroutines. This hits a race detector limit.
-		numInstances = 100
+		numInstances = 75
 	} else if travis.IsRunning() {
 		numInstances = 200
 	} else {
@@ -292,23 +292,22 @@ func TestEmptyKey(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func assertStat(st *Stat, sblks, rblks, sdata, rdata uint64) error {
+func assertStat(t *testing.T, st *Stat, sblks, rblks, sdata, rdata uint64) {
 	if sblks != st.BlocksSent {
-		return fmt.Errorf("mismatch in blocks sent: %d vs %d", sblks, st.BlocksSent)
+		t.Errorf("mismatch in blocks sent: %d vs %d", sblks, st.BlocksSent)
 	}
 
 	if rblks != st.BlocksReceived {
-		return fmt.Errorf("mismatch in blocks recvd: %d vs %d", rblks, st.BlocksReceived)
+		t.Errorf("mismatch in blocks recvd: %d vs %d", rblks, st.BlocksReceived)
 	}
 
 	if sdata != st.DataSent {
-		return fmt.Errorf("mismatch in data sent: %d vs %d", sdata, st.DataSent)
+		t.Errorf("mismatch in data sent: %d vs %d", sdata, st.DataSent)
 	}
 
 	if rdata != st.DataReceived {
-		return fmt.Errorf("mismatch in data recvd: %d vs %d", rdata, st.DataReceived)
+		t.Errorf("mismatch in data recvd: %d vs %d", rdata, st.DataReceived)
 	}
-	return nil
 }
 
 func TestBasicBitswap(t *testing.T) {
@@ -355,12 +354,20 @@ func TestBasicBitswap(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	if err := assertStat(st0, 1, 0, 1, 0); err != nil {
+	st2, err := instances[2].Exchange.Stat()
+	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	if err := assertStat(st1, 0, 1, 0, 1); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
+	t.Log("stat node 0")
+	assertStat(t, st0, 1, 0, uint64(len(blk.RawData())), 0)
+	t.Log("stat node 1")
+	assertStat(t, st1, 0, 1, 0, uint64(len(blk.RawData())))
+	t.Log("stat node 2")
+	assertStat(t, st2, 0, 0, 0, 0)
+
+	if !bytes.Equal(blk.RawData(), blocks[0].RawData()) {
+		t.Errorf("blocks aren't equal: expected %v, actual %v", blocks[0].RawData(), blk.RawData())
 	}
 
 	t.Log(blk)
diff --git a/exchange/bitswap/testnet/virtual.go b/exchange/bitswap/testnet/virtual.go
index c3debc90d..97d251992 100644
--- a/exchange/bitswap/testnet/virtual.go
+++ b/exchange/bitswap/testnet/virtual.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package bitswap
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"sync"
 
 	bsmsg "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/exchange/bitswap/message"
 	bsnet "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/exchange/bitswap/network"
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ func VirtualNetwork(rs mockrouting.Server, d delay.D) Network {
 }
 
 type network struct {
+	mu            sync.Mutex
 	clients       map[peer.ID]bsnet.Receiver
 	routingserver mockrouting.Server
 	delay         delay.D
@@ -36,6 +38,9 @@ type network struct {
 }
 
 func (n *network) Adapter(p testutil.Identity) bsnet.BitSwapNetwork {
+	n.mu.Lock()
+	defer n.mu.Unlock()
+
 	client := &networkClient{
 		local:   p.ID(),
 		network: n,
@@ -46,6 +51,9 @@ func (n *network) Adapter(p testutil.Identity) bsnet.BitSwapNetwork {
 }
 
 func (n *network) HasPeer(p peer.ID) bool {
+	n.mu.Lock()
+	defer n.mu.Unlock()
+
 	_, found := n.clients[p]
 	return found
 }
@@ -58,6 +66,9 @@ func (n *network) SendMessage(
 	to peer.ID,
 	message bsmsg.BitSwapMessage) error {
 
+	n.mu.Lock()
+	defer n.mu.Unlock()
+
 	receiver, ok := n.clients[to]
 	if !ok {
 		return errors.New("Cannot locate peer on network")
@@ -161,18 +172,26 @@ func (nc *networkClient) SetDelegate(r bsnet.Receiver) {
 }
 
 func (nc *networkClient) ConnectTo(_ context.Context, p peer.ID) error {
-	if !nc.network.HasPeer(p) {
+	nc.network.mu.Lock()
+
+	otherClient, ok := nc.network.clients[p]
+	if !ok {
+		nc.network.mu.Unlock()
 		return errors.New("no such peer in network")
 	}
+
 	tag := tagForPeers(nc.local, p)
 	if _, ok := nc.network.conns[tag]; ok {
+		nc.network.mu.Unlock()
 		log.Warning("ALREADY CONNECTED TO PEER (is this a reconnect? test lib needs fixing)")
 		return nil
 	}
 	nc.network.conns[tag] = struct{}{}
+	nc.network.mu.Unlock()
+
 	// TODO: add handling for disconnects
 
-	nc.network.clients[p].PeerConnected(nc.local)
+	otherClient.PeerConnected(nc.local)
 	nc.Receiver.PeerConnected(p)
 	return nil
 }