diff --git a/beacon_node/eth2_libp2p/src/behaviour/mod.rs b/beacon_node/eth2_libp2p/src/behaviour/mod.rs
index 46a53c7ca..f39fcb768 100644
--- a/beacon_node/eth2_libp2p/src/behaviour/mod.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/eth2_libp2p/src/behaviour/mod.rs
@@ -589,6 +589,17 @@ impl<TSpec: EthSpec> Behaviour<TSpec> {
 
     fn on_rpc_event(&mut self, message: RPCMessage<TSpec>) {
         let peer_id = message.peer_id;
+
+        if !self.peer_manager.is_connected(&peer_id) {
+            //ignore this event
+            debug!(
+                self.log,
+                "Ignoring rpc message of disconnected peer";
+                "peer" => peer_id.to_string()
+            );
+            return;
+        }
+
         let handler_id = message.conn_id;
         // The METADATA and PING RPC responses are handled within the behaviour and not propagated
         match message.event {
diff --git a/beacon_node/eth2_libp2p/src/peer_manager/mod.rs b/beacon_node/eth2_libp2p/src/peer_manager/mod.rs
index 182f7a204..5a8fb92d7 100644
--- a/beacon_node/eth2_libp2p/src/peer_manager/mod.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/eth2_libp2p/src/peer_manager/mod.rs
@@ -316,6 +316,10 @@ impl<TSpec: EthSpec> PeerManager<TSpec> {
         self.network_globals.peers.read().is_banned(peer_id)
     }
 
+    pub fn is_connected(&self, peer_id: &PeerId) -> bool {
+        self.network_globals.peers.read().is_connected(peer_id)
+    }
+
     /// Reports whether the peer limit is reached in which case we stop allowing new incoming
     /// connections.
     pub fn peer_limit_reached(&self) -> bool {
diff --git a/beacon_node/eth2_libp2p/src/peer_manager/peerdb.rs b/beacon_node/eth2_libp2p/src/peer_manager/peerdb.rs
index 7b805b0a1..97dd6a43e 100644
--- a/beacon_node/eth2_libp2p/src/peer_manager/peerdb.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/eth2_libp2p/src/peer_manager/peerdb.rs
@@ -537,16 +537,15 @@ impl<TSpec: EthSpec> PeerDB<TSpec> {
     pub fn shrink_to_fit(&mut self) {
         // Remove excess banned peers
         while self.banned_peers_count.banned_peers() > MAX_BANNED_PEERS {
-            if let Some(to_drop) = if let Some((id, info)) = self
+            if let Some(to_drop) = if let Some((id, info, _)) = self
                 .peers
                 .iter()
-                .filter(|(_, info)| info.is_banned())
-                .min_by(|(_, info_a), (_, info_b)| {
-                    info_a
-                        .score()
-                        .partial_cmp(&info_b.score())
-                        .unwrap_or(std::cmp::Ordering::Equal)
-                }) {
+                .filter_map(|(id, info)| match info.connection_status() {
+                    PeerConnectionStatus::Banned { since } => Some((id, info, since)),
+                    _ => None,
+                })
+                .min_by_key(|(_, _, since)| *since)
+            {
                 self.banned_peers_count
                     .remove_banned_peer(info.seen_addresses());
                 Some(id.clone())
@@ -571,12 +570,11 @@ impl<TSpec: EthSpec> PeerDB<TSpec> {
                 .peers
                 .iter()
                 .filter(|(_, info)| info.is_disconnected())
-                .min_by(|(_, info_a), (_, info_b)| {
-                    info_a
-                        .score()
-                        .partial_cmp(&info_b.score())
-                        .unwrap_or(std::cmp::Ordering::Equal)
+                .filter_map(|(id, info)| match info.connection_status() {
+                    PeerConnectionStatus::Disconnected { since } => Some((id, since)),
+                    _ => None,
                 })
+                .min_by_key(|(_, since)| *since)
                 .map(|(id, _)| id.clone())
             {
                 debug!(self.log, "Removing old disconnected peer"; "peer_id" => to_drop.to_string());