diff --git a/network/default.go b/network/default.go
index ab8905c7..2da925eb 100644
--- a/network/default.go
+++ b/network/default.go
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ func (n *network) processNetChan(client transport.Client, listener tunnel.Listen
 				}
 				n.Unlock()
 				// get all the node peers down to MaxDepth encoded in protobuf
-				msg := n.node.getProtoTopology(MaxDepth)
+				msg := PeersToProto(n.node, n.Peers(), MaxDepth)
 				// advertise yourself to the network
 				if err := n.sendMsg("peer", msg, NetworkChannel); err != nil {
 					log.Debugf("Network failed to advertise peers: %v", err)
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ func (n *network) announce(client transport.Client) {
 		case <-n.closed:
 			return
 		case <-announce.C:
-			msg := n.node.getProtoTopology(MaxDepth)
+			msg := PeersToProto(n.node, n.Peers(), MaxDepth)
 			// advertise yourself to the network
 			if err := n.sendMsg("peer", msg, NetworkChannel); err != nil {
 				log.Debugf("Network failed to advertise peers: %v", err)
diff --git a/network/handler/handler.go b/network/handler/handler.go
index 486b3fa5..759e21a4 100644
--- a/network/handler/handler.go
+++ b/network/handler/handler.go
@@ -15,35 +15,6 @@ type Network struct {
 	Network network.Network
 }
 
-// toplogyToProto recursively traverses node topology and returns it
-func peerTopology(peer network.Node, depth uint) *pbNet.Peer {
-	node := &pbNet.Node{
-		Id:      peer.Id(),
-		Address: peer.Address(),
-	}
-
-	pbPeers := &pbNet.Peer{
-		Node:  node,
-		Peers: make([]*pbNet.Peer, 0),
-	}
-
-	// return if we reached the end of topology or depth
-	if depth == 0 || len(peer.Peers()) == 0 {
-		return pbPeers
-	}
-
-	// decrement the depth
-	depth--
-
-	// iterate through peers of peers aka pops
-	for _, pop := range peer.Peers() {
-		peer := peerTopology(pop, depth)
-		pbPeers.Peers = append(pbPeers.Peers, peer)
-	}
-
-	return pbPeers
-}
-
 // ListPeers returns a list of all the nodes the node has a direct link with
 func (n *Network) ListPeers(ctx context.Context, req *pbNet.PeerRequest, resp *pbNet.PeerResponse) error {
 	depth := uint(req.Depth)
@@ -54,21 +25,8 @@ func (n *Network) ListPeers(ctx context.Context, req *pbNet.PeerRequest, resp *p
 	// get node peers
 	nodePeers := n.Network.Peers()
 
-	// network node aka root node
-	node := &pbNet.Node{
-		Id:      n.Network.Id(),
-		Address: n.Network.Address(),
-	}
-	// we will build proto topology into this
-	peers := &pbNet.Peer{
-		Node:  node,
-		Peers: make([]*pbNet.Peer, 0),
-	}
-
-	for _, nodePeer := range nodePeers {
-		peer := peerTopology(nodePeer, depth)
-		peers.Peers = append(peers.Peers, peer)
-	}
+	// get peers encoded into protobuf
+	peers := network.PeersToProto(n.Network, nodePeers, depth)
 
 	resp.Peers = peers
 
diff --git a/network/node.go b/network/node.go
index dad609e5..b5a318ee 100644
--- a/network/node.go
+++ b/network/node.go
@@ -128,42 +128,22 @@ func (n *node) Peers() []Node {
 	return peers
 }
 
-// getProtoTopology returns node topology down to the given depth encoded in protobuf
-func (n *node) getProtoTopology(depth uint) *pb.Peer {
-	n.RLock()
-	defer n.RUnlock()
+// updateTopology updates node peer topology down to given depth
+func (n *node) updatePeerTopology(pbPeer *pb.Peer, depth uint) error {
+	n.Lock()
+	defer n.Unlock()
 
-	node := &pb.Node{
-		Id:      n.id,
-		Address: n.address,
+	if pbPeer == nil {
+		return errors.New("peer not initialized")
 	}
 
-	pbPeers := &pb.Peer{
-		Node:  node,
-		Peers: make([]*pb.Peer, 0),
-	}
+	// unpack Peer topology into *node
+	peer := unpackPeer(pbPeer, depth)
 
-	// return if have either reached the depth or have no more peers
-	if depth == 0 || len(n.peers) == 0 {
-		return pbPeers
-	}
+	// update node peers with new topology
+	n.peers[pbPeer.Node.Id] = peer
 
-	// decrement the depth
-	depth--
-
-	var peers []*pb.Peer
-	for _, peer := range n.peers {
-		// get peers of the node peers
-		// NOTE: this is [not] a recursive call
-		pbPeerPeer := peer.getProtoTopology(depth)
-		// add current peer to explored peers
-		peers = append(peers, pbPeerPeer)
-	}
-
-	// add peers to the parent topology
-	pbPeers.Peers = peers
-
-	return pbPeers
+	return nil
 }
 
 // unpackPeer unpacks pb.Peer into node topology of given depth
@@ -194,20 +174,51 @@ func unpackPeer(pbPeer *pb.Peer, depth uint) *node {
 	return peerNode
 }
 
-// updateTopology updates node peer topology down to given depth
-func (n *node) updatePeerTopology(pbPeer *pb.Peer, depth uint) error {
-	n.Lock()
-	defer n.Unlock()
-
-	if pbPeer == nil {
-		return errors.New("peer not initialized")
+func peerTopology(peer Node, depth uint) *pb.Peer {
+	node := &pb.Node{
+		Id:      peer.Id(),
+		Address: peer.Address(),
 	}
 
-	// unpack Peer topology into *node
-	peer := unpackPeer(pbPeer, depth)
+	pbPeers := &pb.Peer{
+		Node:  node,
+		Peers: make([]*pb.Peer, 0),
+	}
 
-	// update node peers with new topology
-	n.peers[pbPeer.Node.Id] = peer
+	// return if we reached the end of topology or depth
+	if depth == 0 || len(peer.Peers()) == 0 {
+		return pbPeers
+	}
 
-	return nil
+	// decrement the depth
+	depth--
+
+	// iterate through peers of peers aka pops
+	for _, pop := range peer.Peers() {
+		peer := peerTopology(pop, depth)
+		pbPeers.Peers = append(pbPeers.Peers, peer)
+	}
+
+	return pbPeers
+}
+
+// PeersToProto returns node peers graph encoded into protobuf
+func PeersToProto(root Node, peers []Node, depth uint) *pb.Peer {
+	// network node aka root node
+	node := &pb.Node{
+		Id:      root.Id(),
+		Address: root.Address(),
+	}
+	// we will build proto topology into this
+	pbPeers := &pb.Peer{
+		Node:  node,
+		Peers: make([]*pb.Peer, 0),
+	}
+
+	for _, peer := range peers {
+		pbPeer := peerTopology(peer, depth)
+		pbPeers.Peers = append(pbPeers.Peers, pbPeer)
+	}
+
+	return pbPeers
 }
diff --git a/network/node_test.go b/network/node_test.go
index 2a49be11..f5941c1a 100644
--- a/network/node_test.go
+++ b/network/node_test.go
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ func TestUpdatePeerTopology(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestGetProtoTopology(t *testing.T) {
+func TestPeersToProto(t *testing.T) {
 	// single node
 	single := &node{
 		id:      testNodeId,
@@ -266,10 +266,10 @@ func TestGetProtoTopology(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	topCount := 0
 
-	protoTop := single.getProtoTopology(10)
+	protoPeers := PeersToProto(single, single.Peers(), 0)
 
-	if len(protoTop.Peers) != topCount {
-		t.Errorf("Expected to find %d nodes, found: %d", topCount, len(protoTop.Peers))
+	if len(protoPeers.Peers) != topCount {
+		t.Errorf("Expected to find %d nodes, found: %d", topCount, len(protoPeers.Peers))
 	}
 
 	// complicated node graph
@@ -282,9 +282,9 @@ func TestGetProtoTopology(t *testing.T) {
 		peerIds[id] = true
 	}
 	// depth 1 should give us immmediate neighbours only
-	protoTop = node.getProtoTopology(1)
+	protoPeers = PeersToProto(node, node.Peers(), 1)
 
-	if len(protoTop.Peers) != topCount {
-		t.Errorf("Expected to find %d nodes, found: %d", topCount, len(protoTop.Peers))
+	if len(protoPeers.Peers) != topCount {
+		t.Errorf("Expected to find %d nodes, found: %d", topCount, len(protoPeers.Peers))
 	}
 }