diff --git a/p2p/message.go b/p2p/message.go
index 3ab56ee35018..9cc6fac70bb6 100644
--- a/p2p/message.go
+++ b/p2p/message.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/event"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/enode"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rlp"
 )
@@ -64,9 +65,11 @@ func (msg Msg) String() string {
 }
 
 // Discard reads any remaining payload data into a black hole.
-func (msg Msg) Discard() error {
+func (msg Msg) Discard() {
 	_, err := io.Copy(io.Discard, msg.Payload)
-	return err
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Error("[p2p] discard msg", "code", msg.Code, "size", msg.Size, "err", err)
+	}
 }
 
 func (msg Msg) Time() time.Time {
@@ -233,7 +236,8 @@ func ExpectMsg(r MsgReader, code uint64, content interface{}) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("message code mismatch: got %d, expected %d", msg.Code, code)
 	}
 	if content == nil {
-		return msg.Discard()
+		msg.Discard()
+		return nil
 	}
 	contentEnc, err := rlp.EncodeToBytes(content)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/p2p/peer.go b/p2p/peer.go
index 5521889f30d0..a4978e40af32 100644
--- a/p2p/peer.go
+++ b/p2p/peer.go
@@ -379,7 +379,8 @@ func (p *Peer) handle(msg Msg) error {
 		return decodeDisconnectMessage(msg.Payload)
 	case msg.Code < baseProtocolLength:
 		// ignore other base protocol messages
-		return msg.Discard()
+		msg.Discard()
+		return nil
 	default:
 		// it's a subprotocol message
 		proto, err := p.getProto(msg.Code)
diff --git a/p2p/peer_test.go b/p2p/peer_test.go
index dea72875fe73..d8955fad9096 100644
--- a/p2p/peer_test.go
+++ b/p2p/peer_test.go
@@ -43,9 +43,7 @@ var discard = Protocol{
 				return err
 			}
 			fmt.Printf("discarding %d\n", msg.Code)
-			if err = msg.Discard(); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
+			msg.Discard()
 		}
 	},
 }