diff --git a/src/avalanche/processor.cpp b/src/avalanche/processor.cpp
--- a/src/avalanche/processor.cpp
+++ b/src/avalanche/processor.cpp
@@ -152,14 +152,6 @@
     // Make sure we get notified of chain state changes.
     chainNotificationsHandler =
         chain.handleNotifications(std::make_shared<NotificationsHandler>(this));
-
-    scheduler.scheduleEvery(
-        [this]() -> bool {
-            WITH_LOCK(cs_peerManager,
-                      peerManager->cleanupDanglingProofs(getLocalProof()));
-            return true;
-        },
-        5min);
 }
 
 Processor::~Processor() {
diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <addrman.h>
 #include <amount.h>
 #include <avalanche/avalanche.h>
+#include <avalanche/peermanager.h>
 #include <avalanche/processor.h>
 #include <avalanche/proof.h> // For AVALANCHE_LEGACY_PROOF_DEFAULT
 #include <avalanche/validation.h>
@@ -2577,6 +2578,16 @@
         return false;
     }
 
+    avalanche::Processor *processor = g_avalanche.get();
+    node.scheduler->scheduleEvery(
+        [processor]() -> bool {
+            processor->withPeerManager([&](avalanche::PeerManager &pm) {
+                pm.cleanupDanglingProofs(processor->getLocalProof());
+            });
+            return true;
+        },
+        5min);
+
     if (isAvalancheEnabled(args) &&
         g_avalanche->isAvalancheServiceAvailable()) {
         nLocalServices = ServiceFlags(nLocalServices | NODE_AVALANCHE);