diff --git a/iroh/src/magicsock/relay_actor.rs b/iroh/src/magicsock/relay_actor.rs
index f624d2804a..28d2331901 100644
--- a/iroh/src/magicsock/relay_actor.rs
+++ b/iroh/src/magicsock/relay_actor.rs
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ impl ActiveRelayActor {
         // When this future has an inner, it is a future which is currently sending
         // something to the relay server.  Nothing else can be sent to the relay server at
         // the same time.
-        let mut relay_send_fut = MaybeFuture::none();
+        let mut relay_send_fut = std::pin::pin!(MaybeFuture::none());
 
         loop {
             // If a read error occurred on the connection it might have been lost.  But we
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ impl ActiveRelayActor {
                 }
                 // Only poll relay_send_fut if it is sending to the relay.
                 _ = &mut relay_send_fut, if relay_send_fut.is_some() => {
-                    relay_send_fut = MaybeFuture::none();
+                    relay_send_fut.as_mut().set_none();
                 }
                 // Only poll for new datagrams if relay_send_fut is not busy.
                 Some(msg) = self.relay_datagrams_send.recv(), if relay_send_fut.is_none() => {
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ impl ActiveRelayActor {
                     let fut = async move {
                         relay_client.send(msg.node_id, msg.packet).await
                     };
-                    relay_send_fut = MaybeFuture::with_future(Box::pin(fut));
+                    relay_send_fut.as_mut().set_future(fut);
                     self.last_write = Instant::now();
 
                 }
diff --git a/iroh/src/util.rs b/iroh/src/util.rs
index ee777da8fb..4c80f4c551 100644
--- a/iroh/src/util.rs
+++ b/iroh/src/util.rs
@@ -6,54 +6,58 @@ use std::{
     task::{Context, Poll},
 };
 
+use pin_project::pin_project;
+
 /// A future which may not be present.
 ///
 /// This is a single type which may optionally contain a future.  If there is no inner
 /// future polling will always return [`Poll::Pending`].
 ///
 /// The [`Default`] impl will create a [`MaybeFuture`] without an inner.
-#[derive(Debug)]
-pub(crate) struct MaybeFuture<T> {
+#[derive(Default, Debug)]
+#[pin_project(project = MaybeFutureProj, project_replace = MaybeFutureProjReplace)]
+pub(crate) enum MaybeFuture<T> {
     /// Future to be polled.
-    pub inner: Option<T>,
+    Some(#[pin] T),
+    #[default]
+    None,
 }
 
 impl<T> MaybeFuture<T> {
     /// Creates a [`MaybeFuture`] without an inner future.
     pub(crate) fn none() -> Self {
-        Self { inner: None }
+        Self::default()
+    }
+
+    /// Clears the value
+    pub(crate) fn set_none(mut self: Pin<&mut Self>) {
+        self.as_mut().project_replace(Self::None);
     }
 
-    /// Creates a [`MaybeFuture`] with an inner future.
-    pub(crate) fn with_future(fut: T) -> Self {
-        Self { inner: Some(fut) }
+    /// Sets a new future.
+    pub(crate) fn set_future(mut self: Pin<&mut Self>, fut: T) {
+        self.as_mut().project_replace(Self::Some(fut));
     }
 
     /// Returns `true` if the inner is empty.
     pub(crate) fn is_none(&self) -> bool {
-        self.inner.is_none()
+        matches!(self, Self::None)
     }
 
     /// Returns `true` if the inner contains a future.
     pub(crate) fn is_some(&self) -> bool {
-        self.inner.is_some()
-    }
-}
-
-// NOTE: explicit implementation to bypass derive unnecessary bounds
-impl<T> Default for MaybeFuture<T> {
-    fn default() -> Self {
-        Self::none()
+        matches!(self, Self::Some(_))
     }
 }
 
-impl<T: Future + Unpin> Future for MaybeFuture<T> {
+impl<T: Future> Future for MaybeFuture<T> {
     type Output = T::Output;
 
-    fn poll(mut self: Pin<&mut Self>, cx: &mut Context<'_>) -> Poll<Self::Output> {
-        match self.inner {
-            Some(ref mut t) => Pin::new(t).poll(cx),
-            None => Poll::Pending,
+    fn poll(self: Pin<&mut Self>, cx: &mut Context<'_>) -> Poll<Self::Output> {
+        let this = self.project();
+        match this {
+            MaybeFutureProj::Some(t) => t.poll(cx),
+            MaybeFutureProj::None => Poll::Pending,
         }
     }
 }