diff --git a/lbrynet/dht/protocol.py b/lbrynet/dht/protocol.py
index 365360339..829c02e9b 100644
--- a/lbrynet/dht/protocol.py
+++ b/lbrynet/dht/protocol.py
@@ -28,12 +28,12 @@ class PingQueue(object):
         self._semaphore = defer.DeferredSemaphore(1)
         self._ping_semaphore = defer.DeferredSemaphore(constants.alpha)
         self._process_lc = node.get_looping_call(self._semaphore.run, self._process)
-        self._delay = 300
 
-    def _add_contact(self, contact):
+    def _add_contact(self, contact, delay=None):
         if contact in self._enqueued_contacts:
             return defer.succeed(None)
-        self._enqueued_contacts[contact] = self._get_time() + self._delay
+        delay = delay or constants.checkRefreshInterval
+        self._enqueued_contacts[contact] = self._get_time() + delay
         self._queue.append(contact)
         return defer.succeed(None)
 
@@ -49,11 +49,6 @@ class PingQueue(object):
             self._queue.appendleft(contact)
             defer.returnValue(None)
 
-        def _ping(contact):
-            d = contact.ping()
-            d.addErrback(lambda err: err.trap(TimeoutError))
-            return d
-
         pinged = []
         checked = []
         while now > self._enqueued_contacts[contact]:
@@ -65,9 +60,17 @@ class PingQueue(object):
             contact = self._queue.popleft()
             if not now > self._enqueued_contacts[contact]:
                 checked.append(contact)
-        # log.info("ping %i/%i peers", len(pinged), len(checked))
 
-        yield defer.DeferredList([self._ping_semaphore.run(_ping, contact) for contact in pinged])
+        @defer.inlineCallbacks
+        def _ping(contact):
+            try:
+                yield contact.ping()
+            except TimeoutError:
+                pass
+            except Exception as err:
+                log.warning("unexpected error: %s", err)
+
+        yield defer.DeferredList([_ping(contact) for contact in pinged])
 
         for contact in checked:
             if contact in self._enqueued_contacts:
@@ -81,8 +84,8 @@ class PingQueue(object):
     def stop(self):
         return self._node.safe_stop_looping_call(self._process_lc)
 
-    def enqueue_maybe_ping(self, contact):
-        return self._semaphore.run(self._add_contact, contact)
+    def enqueue_maybe_ping(self, contact, delay=None):
+        return self._semaphore.run(self._add_contact, contact, delay)
 
 
 class KademliaProtocol(protocol.DatagramProtocol):