diff --git a/p2p/net/swarm/swarm.go b/p2p/net/swarm/swarm.go
index 52fac831c4..b5ca654462 100644
--- a/p2p/net/swarm/swarm.go
+++ b/p2p/net/swarm/swarm.go
@@ -385,12 +385,7 @@ func (s *Swarm) addConn(tc transport.CapableConn, dir network.Direction) (*Conn,
 	// If we do this in the Upgrader, we will not be able to do this.
 	if s.gater != nil {
 		if allow, _ := s.gater.InterceptUpgraded(c); !allow {
-			var err error
-			if tcc, ok := tc.(network.CloseWithErrorer); ok {
-				err = tcc.CloseWithError(network.ConnGated)
-			} else {
-				err = tc.Close()
-			}
+			err := tc.CloseWithError(network.ConnGated)
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Warnf("failed to close connection with peer %s and addr %s; err: %s", p, addr, err)
 			}
@@ -852,10 +847,7 @@ func (c *connWithMetrics) Close() error {
 func (c *connWithMetrics) CloseWithError(errCode network.ConnErrorCode) error {
 	c.once.Do(func() {
 		c.metricsTracer.ClosedConnection(c.dir, time.Since(c.opened), c.ConnState(), c.LocalMultiaddr())
-		if ce, ok := c.CapableConn.(network.CloseWithErrorer); ok {
-			c.closeErr = ce.CloseWithError(errCode)
-		}
-		c.closeErr = c.CapableConn.Close()
+		c.closeErr = c.CapableConn.CloseWithError(errCode)
 	})
 	return c.closeErr
 }
diff --git a/p2p/net/swarm/swarm_conn.go b/p2p/net/swarm/swarm_conn.go
index 38a7355128..1d6cf96b4e 100644
--- a/p2p/net/swarm/swarm_conn.go
+++ b/p2p/net/swarm/swarm_conn.go
@@ -81,11 +81,7 @@ func (c *Conn) doClose(errCode network.ConnErrorCode) {
 	c.streams.Unlock()
 
 	if errCode != 0 {
-		if ce, ok := c.conn.(network.CloseWithErrorer); ok {
-			c.err = ce.CloseWithError(errCode)
-		} else {
-			c.err = c.conn.Close()
-		}
+		c.err = c.conn.CloseWithError(errCode)
 	} else {
 		c.err = c.conn.Close()
 	}
diff --git a/p2p/net/upgrader/conn.go b/p2p/net/upgrader/conn.go
index cdeab3b07d..2cc4dcfbb6 100644
--- a/p2p/net/upgrader/conn.go
+++ b/p2p/net/upgrader/conn.go
@@ -66,8 +66,5 @@ func (t *transportConn) ConnState() network.ConnectionState {
 
 func (t *transportConn) CloseWithError(errCode network.ConnErrorCode) error {
 	defer t.scope.Done()
-	if ce, ok := t.MuxedConn.(network.CloseWithErrorer); ok {
-		return ce.CloseWithError(errCode)
-	}
-	return t.Close()
+	return t.MuxedConn.CloseWithError(errCode)
 }
diff --git a/p2p/net/upgrader/listener.go b/p2p/net/upgrader/listener.go
index f2230e5619..55783f0154 100644
--- a/p2p/net/upgrader/listener.go
+++ b/p2p/net/upgrader/listener.go
@@ -162,11 +162,7 @@ func (l *listener) handleIncoming() {
 				// if we stop accepting connections for some reason,
 				// we'll eventually close all the open ones
 				// instead of hanging onto them.
-				if cc, ok := conn.(network.CloseWithErrorer); ok {
-					cc.CloseWithError(network.ConnRateLimited)
-				} else {
-					conn.Close()
-				}
+				conn.CloseWithError(network.ConnRateLimited)
 			}
 		}()
 	}
diff --git a/p2p/transport/quic/virtuallistener.go b/p2p/transport/quic/virtuallistener.go
index ceee530b7d..5b23e4c507 100644
--- a/p2p/transport/quic/virtuallistener.go
+++ b/p2p/transport/quic/virtuallistener.go
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ func (r *acceptLoopRunner) innerAccept(l *listener, expectedVersion quic.Version
 	select {
 	case ch <- acceptVal{conn: conn}:
 	default:
-		conn.(network.CloseWithErrorer).CloseWithError(network.ConnRateLimited)
+		conn.CloseWithError(network.ConnRateLimited)
 		// accept queue filled up, drop the connection
 		log.Warn("Accept queue filled. Dropping connection.")
 	}
diff --git a/p2p/transport/websocket/conn.go b/p2p/transport/websocket/conn.go
index eca2262c58..ce51611703 100644
--- a/p2p/transport/websocket/conn.go
+++ b/p2p/transport/websocket/conn.go
@@ -203,11 +203,3 @@ func (c *capableConn) ConnState() network.ConnectionState {
 	cs.Transport = "websocket"
 	return cs
 }
-
-// CloseWithError implements network.CloseWithErrorer
-func (c *capableConn) CloseWithError(errCode network.ConnErrorCode) error {
-	if ce, ok := c.CapableConn.(network.CloseWithErrorer); ok {
-		return ce.CloseWithError(errCode)
-	}
-	return c.Close()
-}