diff --git a/routing/dht/dht.go b/routing/dht/dht.go
index c8b3bdaba..da58089f3 100644
--- a/routing/dht/dht.go
+++ b/routing/dht/dht.go
@@ -159,8 +159,37 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) HandleMessage(ctx context.Context, mes msg.NetMessage) (msg.
 	return rmes, nil
 }
 
-func (dht *IpfsDHT) getValueOrPeers(p *peer.Peer, key u.Key, timeout time.Duration, level int) ([]byte, []*peer.Peer, error) {
-	pmes, err := dht.getValueSingle(p, key, timeout, level)
+// sendRequest sends out a request using dht.sender, but also makes sure to
+// measure the RTT for latency measurements.
+func (dht *IpfsDHT) sendRequest(ctx context.Context, p *peer.Peer, pmes *Message) (*Message, error) {
+
+	mes, err := msg.FromObject(p, pmes)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	start := time.Now()
+
+	rmes, err := dht.sender.SendRequest(ctx, mes)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	rtt := time.Since(start)
+	rmes.Peer().SetLatency(rtt)
+
+	rpmes := new(Message)
+	if err := proto.Unmarshal(rmes.Data(), rpmes); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return rpmes, nil
+}
+
+func (dht *IpfsDHT) getValueOrPeers(ctx context.Context, p *peer.Peer,
+	key u.Key, level int) ([]byte, []*peer.Peer, error) {
+
+	pmes, err := dht.getValueSingle(ctx, p, key, level)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
@@ -202,39 +231,15 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) getValueOrPeers(p *peer.Peer, key u.Key, timeout time.Durati
 }
 
 // getValueSingle simply performs the get value RPC with the given parameters
-func (dht *IpfsDHT) getValueSingle(p *peer.Peer, key u.Key, timeout time.Duration, level int) (*Message, error) {
-	pmes := Message{
-		Type:  Message_GET_VALUE,
-		Key:   string(key),
-		Value: []byte{byte(level)},
-		ID:    swarm.GenerateMessageID(),
-	}
-	responseChan := dht.listener.Listen(pmes.ID, 1, time.Minute)
+func (dht *IpfsDHT) getValueSingle(ctx context.Context, p *peer.Peer,
+	key u.Key, level int) (*Message, error) {
 
-	mes := swarm.NewMessage(p, pmes.ToProtobuf())
-	t := time.Now()
-	dht.netChan.Outgoing <- mes
+	typ := Message_GET_VALUE
+	skey := string(key)
+	pmes := &Message{Type: &typ, Key: &skey}
+	pmes.SetClusterLevel(int32(level))
 
-	// Wait for either the response or a timeout
-	timeup := time.After(timeout)
-	select {
-	case <-timeup:
-		dht.listener.Unlisten(pmes.ID)
-		return nil, u.ErrTimeout
-	case resp, ok := <-responseChan:
-		if !ok {
-			u.PErr("response channel closed before timeout, please investigate.\n")
-			return nil, u.ErrTimeout
-		}
-		roundtrip := time.Since(t)
-		resp.Peer.SetLatency(roundtrip)
-		pmesOut := new(Message)
-		err := proto.Unmarshal(resp.Data, pmesOut)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		return pmesOut, nil
-	}
+	return dht.sendRequest(ctx, p, pmes)
 }
 
 // TODO: Im not certain on this implementation, we get a list of peers/providers