diff --git a/lbry/dht/protocol/protocol.py b/lbry/dht/protocol/protocol.py
index c34c129c3..813fc5813 100644
--- a/lbry/dht/protocol/protocol.py
+++ b/lbry/dht/protocol/protocol.py
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ class PingQueue:
         async def ping_task():
             try:
                 if self._protocol.peer_manager.peer_is_good(peer):
-                    if peer not in self._protocol.routing_table.get_peers():
+                    if not self._protocol.routing_table.get_peer(peer.node_id):
                         self._protocol.add_peer(peer)
                     return
                 await self._protocol.get_rpc_peer(peer).ping()
@@ -419,9 +419,8 @@ class KademliaProtocol(DatagramProtocol):
         # This is an RPC method request
         self.received_request_metric.labels(method=request_datagram.method).inc()
         self.peer_manager.report_last_requested(address[0], address[1])
-        try:
-            peer = self.routing_table.get_peer(request_datagram.node_id)
-        except IndexError:
+        peer = self.routing_table.get_peer(request_datagram.node_id)
+        if not peer:
             try:
                 peer = make_kademlia_peer(request_datagram.node_id, address[0], address[1])
             except ValueError as err:
diff --git a/lbry/dht/protocol/routing_table.py b/lbry/dht/protocol/routing_table.py
index 676b488d8..4db26cc22 100644
--- a/lbry/dht/protocol/routing_table.py
+++ b/lbry/dht/protocol/routing_table.py
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ class KBucket:
         for peer in self.peers:
             if peer.node_id == node_id:
                 return peer
-        raise IndexError(node_id)
 
     def get_peers(self, count=-1, exclude_contact=None, sort_distance_to=None) -> typing.List['KademliaPeer']:
         """ Returns a list containing up to the first count number of contacts
@@ -225,11 +224,7 @@ class TreeRoutingTable:
         return []
 
     def get_peer(self, contact_id: bytes) -> 'KademliaPeer':
-        """
-        @raise IndexError: No contact with the specified contact ID is known
-                           by this node
-        """
-        return self.buckets[self.kbucket_index(contact_id)].get_peer(contact_id)
+        return self.buckets[self._kbucket_index(contact_id)].get_peer(contact_id)
 
     def get_refresh_list(self, start_index: int = 0, force: bool = False) -> typing.List[bytes]:
         bucket_index = start_index