diff --git a/src/net_processing.cpp b/src/net_processing.cpp
index 3f8c221734a..17f8192cb5c 100644
--- a/src/net_processing.cpp
+++ b/src/net_processing.cpp
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ public:
     ServiceFlags GetDesirableServiceFlags(ServiceFlags services) const override;
 
 private:
-    void ProcessMessage(CNode& pfrom, const std::string& msg_type, DataStream& vRecv, std::chrono::microseconds time_received,
+    void ProcessMessage(Peer& peer, CNode& pfrom, const std::string& msg_type, DataStream& vRecv, std::chrono::microseconds time_received,
                         const std::atomic<bool>& interruptMsgProc)
         EXCLUSIVE_LOCKS_REQUIRED(!m_peer_mutex, !m_most_recent_block_mutex, !m_headers_presync_mutex, g_msgproc_mutex, !m_tx_download_mutex);
 
@@ -3544,7 +3544,7 @@ void PeerManagerImpl::PushPrivateBroadcastTx(CNode& node)
     MakeAndPushMessage(node, NetMsgType::INV, std::vector<CInv>{{CInv{MSG_TX, tx->GetHash().ToUint256()}}});
 }
 
-void PeerManagerImpl::ProcessMessage(CNode& pfrom, const std::string& msg_type, DataStream& vRecv,
+void PeerManagerImpl::ProcessMessage(Peer& peer_alias_removed_in_later_commit, CNode& pfrom, const std::string& msg_type, DataStream& vRecv,
                                      const std::chrono::microseconds time_received,
                                      const std::atomic<bool>& interruptMsgProc)
 {
@@ -3552,8 +3552,7 @@ void PeerManagerImpl::ProcessMessage(CNode& pfrom, const std::string& msg_type,
 
     LogDebug(BCLog::NET, "received: %s (%u bytes) peer=%d\n", SanitizeString(msg_type), vRecv.size(), pfrom.GetId());
 
-    PeerRef peer = GetPeerRef(pfrom.GetId());
-    if (peer == nullptr) return;
+    Peer* peer{&peer_alias_removed_in_later_commit};
 
     if (msg_type == NetMsgType::VERSION) {
         if (pfrom.nVersion != 0) {
@@ -5241,7 +5240,7 @@ bool PeerManagerImpl::ProcessMessages(CNode& node, std::atomic<bool>& interruptM
     }
 
     try {
-        ProcessMessage(*pfrom, msg.m_type, msg.m_recv, msg.m_time, interruptMsgProc);
+        ProcessMessage(*peer, *pfrom, msg.m_type, msg.m_recv, msg.m_time, interruptMsgProc);
         if (interruptMsgProc) return false;
         {
             LOCK(peer->m_getdata_requests_mutex);