diff --git a/libraries/net/include/graphene/net/peer_connection.hpp b/libraries/net/include/graphene/net/peer_connection.hpp
index 5c5f40d5..61f1cef5 100644
--- a/libraries/net/include/graphene/net/peer_connection.hpp
+++ b/libraries/net/include/graphene/net/peer_connection.hpp
@@ -261,13 +261,13 @@ namespace graphene { namespace net
       fc::future<void> accept_or_connect_task_done;
 
       firewall_check_state_data *firewall_check_state = nullptr;
-#ifndef NDEBUG
+
     private:
+#ifndef NDEBUG
       fc::thread* _thread = nullptr;
       unsigned _send_message_queue_tasks_running = 0; // temporary debugging
 #endif
       bool _currently_handling_message = false; // true while we're in the middle of handling a message from the remote system
-    private:
       peer_connection(peer_connection_delegate* delegate);
       void destroy();
     public:
diff --git a/libraries/net/message_oriented_connection.cpp b/libraries/net/message_oriented_connection.cpp
index 5dea08d4..1bc1832e 100644
--- a/libraries/net/message_oriented_connection.cpp
+++ b/libraries/net/message_oriented_connection.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ namespace graphene { namespace net {
       fc::time_point _last_message_received_time;
       fc::time_point _last_message_sent_time;
 
-      bool _send_message_in_progress;
+      std::atomic_bool _send_message_in_progress;
+      std::atomic_bool _read_loop_in_progress;
 #ifndef NDEBUG
       fc::thread* _thread;
 #endif
@@ -98,7 +99,8 @@ namespace graphene { namespace net {
       _delegate(delegate),
       _bytes_received(0),
       _bytes_sent(0),
-      _send_message_in_progress(false)
+      _send_message_in_progress(false),
+      _read_loop_in_progress(false)
 #ifndef NDEBUG
       ,_thread(&fc::thread::current())
 #endif
@@ -138,6 +140,21 @@ namespace graphene { namespace net {
       _sock.bind(local_endpoint);
     }
 
+    class no_parallel_execution_guard final
+    {
+      std::atomic_bool* _flag;
+    public:
+      explicit no_parallel_execution_guard(std::atomic_bool* flag) : _flag(flag)
+      {
+          bool expected = false;
+          FC_ASSERT( flag->compare_exchange_strong( expected, true ), "Only one thread at time can visit it");
+      }
+      ~no_parallel_execution_guard()
+      {
+          *_flag = false;
+      }
+    };
+
     void message_oriented_connection_impl::read_loop()
     {
       VERIFY_CORRECT_THREAD();
@@ -145,6 +162,7 @@ namespace graphene { namespace net {
       const int LEFTOVER = BUFFER_SIZE - sizeof(message_header);
       static_assert(BUFFER_SIZE >= sizeof(message_header), "insufficient buffer");
 
+      no_parallel_execution_guard guard( &_read_loop_in_progress );
       _connected_time = fc::time_point::now();
 
       fc::oexception exception_to_rethrow;
@@ -241,17 +259,7 @@ namespace graphene { namespace net {
       } send_message_scope_logger(remote_endpoint);
 #endif
 #endif
-      struct verify_no_send_in_progress {
-        bool& var;
-        verify_no_send_in_progress(bool& var) : var(var)
-        {
-          if (var)
-            elog("Error: two tasks are calling message_oriented_connection::send_message() at the same time");
-          assert(!var);
-          var = true;
-        }
-        ~verify_no_send_in_progress() { var = false; }
-      } _verify_no_send_in_progress(_send_message_in_progress);
+      no_parallel_execution_guard guard( &_send_message_in_progress );
 
       try
       {