diff --git a/lib/bcoin/peer.js b/lib/bcoin/peer.js
index f593a6c8..1598c258 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/peer.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/peer.js
@@ -14,12 +14,6 @@ var assert = utils.assert;
 var constants = bcoin.protocol.constants;
 var network = bcoin.protocol.network;
 
-// Browserify, I'm looking at you
-try {
-  var NodeBuffer = require('buf' + 'fer').Buffer;
-} catch (e) {
-}
-
 /**
  * Peer
  */
@@ -51,18 +45,9 @@ function Peer(pool, createConnection, options) {
   this.challenge = null;
   this.lastPong = 0;
 
-  if (this.options.backoff) {
-    setTimeout(function() {
-      self.socket = createConnection(self, pool, options);
-      if (!self.socket)
-        throw new Error('No socket');
-      self.emit('socket');
-    }, this.options.backoff);
-  } else {
-    this.socket = createConnection(this, pool, options);
-    if (!this.socket)
-      throw new Error('No socket');
-  }
+  this.socket = createConnection.call(pool, this, options);
+  if (!this.socket)
+    throw new Error('No socket');
 
   this._broadcast = {
     timeout: this.options.broadcastTimeout || 30000,
@@ -90,10 +75,7 @@ function Peer(pool, createConnection, options) {
 
   this.setMaxListeners(10000);
 
-  if (this.socket)
-    this._init();
-  else
-    this.once('socket', this._init);
+  this._init();
 }
 
 inherits(Peer, EventEmitter);
@@ -254,9 +236,6 @@ Peer.prototype.destroy = function destroy() {
   if (this.destroyed)
     return;
 
-  if (!this.socket)
-    return this.once('socket', this.destroy);
-
   this.destroyed = true;
   this.socket.destroy();
   this.socket = null;
@@ -275,33 +254,13 @@ Peer.prototype.destroy = function destroy() {
     clearTimeout(this._request.queue[i].timer);
 };
 
-// Private APIs
-
 Peer.prototype._write = function write(chunk) {
   var self = this;
 
   if (this.destroyed)
     return;
 
-  if (!this.socket) {
-    if (!this._bchunks) {
-      this._bchunks = [];
-      this.once('socket', function() {
-        var chunks = self._bchunks;
-        delete self._bchunks;
-        chunks.forEach(function(chunk) {
-          self._write(chunk);
-        });
-      });
-    }
-    this._bchunks.push(chunk);
-    return;
-  }
-
-  if (NodeBuffer)
-    this.socket.write(new NodeBuffer(chunk));
-  else
-    this.socket.write(chunk);
+  this.socket.write(new Buffer(chunk));
 };
 
 Peer.prototype._error = function error(err) {
diff --git a/lib/bcoin/pool.js b/lib/bcoin/pool.js
index adbae8ae..d2115e0a 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/pool.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/pool.js
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ function Pool(options) {
   this.destroyed = false;
   this.size = options.size || 32;
 
-  this._createConnection = options.createConnection;
   this._createSocket = options.createSocket;
 
   if (!this.options.fullNode) {
@@ -78,11 +77,6 @@ function Pool(options) {
   this.syncing = false;
   this.synced = false;
 
-  this.backoff = {
-    delta: options.backoffDelta || 500,
-    max: options.backoffMax || 5000
-  };
-
   this.load = {
     timeout: options.loadTimeout || 30000,
     interval: options.loadInterval || 5000
@@ -176,7 +170,7 @@ Pool.prototype._init = function _init() {
     this._addLoader();
 
     for (i = 0; i < this.size; i++)
-      this._addPeer(0);
+      this._addPeer();
   }
 
   this.chain.on('block', function(block, peer) {
@@ -294,13 +288,10 @@ Pool.prototype._stopInterval = function _stopInterval() {
   delete this._interval;
 };
 
-Pool.prototype.createConnection = function createConnection(peer, pool, options) {
+Pool.prototype.createConnection = function createConnection(peer, options) {
   var addr, net, socket;
 
-  if (pool._createConnection)
-    return pool._createConnection(peer, pool);
-
-  addr = pool.usableSeed(options.priority, true);
+  addr = this.getSeed(options.priority, true);
 
   assert(addr);
   assert(addr.host);
@@ -308,8 +299,8 @@ Pool.prototype.createConnection = function createConnection(peer, pool, options)
   peer.host = addr.host;
   peer.port = addr.port;
 
-  if (pool._createSocket) {
-    socket = pool._createSocket(addr.port, addr.host);
+  if (this._createSocket) {
+    socket = this._createSocket(addr.port, addr.host);
   } else {
     net = require('net');
     socket = net.connect(addr.port, addr.host);
@@ -338,11 +329,9 @@ Pool.prototype._addLoader = function _addLoader() {
   if (this.peers.load != null)
     return;
 
-  peer = this._createPeer(750 * Math.random(), true);
+  peer = this._createPeer(true);
 
-  peer.once('socket', function() {
-    utils.debug('Added loader peer: %s', peer.host);
-  });
+  utils.debug('Added loader peer: %s', peer.host);
 
   this.peers.load = peer;
   this.peers.all.push(peer);
@@ -734,11 +723,10 @@ Pool.prototype.loadMempool = function loadMempool() {
   });
 };
 
-Pool.prototype._createPeer = function _createPeer(backoff, priority) {
+Pool.prototype._createPeer = function _createPeer(priority) {
   var self = this;
 
   var peer = new bcoin.peer(this, this.createConnection, {
-    backoff: backoff,
     startHeight: this.options.startHeight,
     relay: this.options.relay,
     priority: priority
@@ -815,7 +803,7 @@ Pool.prototype._createPeer = function _createPeer(backoff, priority) {
   return peer;
 };
 
-Pool.prototype._addPeer = function _addPeer(backoff) {
+Pool.prototype._addPeer = function _addPeer() {
   var self = this;
   var peer;
 
@@ -825,12 +813,12 @@ Pool.prototype._addPeer = function _addPeer(backoff) {
   if (this.peers.block.length + this.peers.pending.length >= this.size)
     return;
 
-  if (!this._createConnection && !this.usableSeed()) {
-    setTimeout(this._addPeer.bind(this, 0), this.backoff.max);
+  if (!this.getSeed()) {
+    setTimeout(this._addPeer.bind(this), 5000);
     return;
   }
 
-  peer = this._createPeer(backoff, false);
+  peer = this._createPeer(false);
 
   this.peers.pending.push(peer);
   this.peers.all.push(peer);
@@ -839,7 +827,7 @@ Pool.prototype._addPeer = function _addPeer(backoff) {
     self._removePeer(peer);
     if (self.destroyed)
       return;
-    self._addPeer(Math.min(backoff + self.backoff.delta, self.backoff.max));
+    self._addPeer();
   });
 
   peer.once('ack', function() {
@@ -874,12 +862,10 @@ Pool.prototype._addPeer = function _addPeer(backoff) {
   });
 
   peer.on('merkleblock', function(block) {
-    backoff = 0;
     self._handleBlock(block, peer);
   });
 
   peer.on('block', function(block) {
-    backoff = 0;
     self._handleBlock(block, peer);
   });
 
@@ -1558,14 +1544,14 @@ Pool.prototype.getPeer = function getPeer(addr) {
   }
 };
 
-Pool.prototype.usableSeed = function usableSeed(priority, connecting) {
+Pool.prototype.getSeed = function getSeed(priority, connecting) {
   var i, addr;
   var original = this.originalSeeds;
   var seeds = this.seeds;
   var all = original.concat(seeds);
 
   // Hang back if we don't have a loader peer yet.
-  if (!connecting && !priority && (!this.peers.load || !this.peers.load.socket))
+  if (!connecting && !priority && !this.peers.load)
     return;
 
   // Randomize the non-original peers.