diff --git a/test/functional/p2p_dos_header_tree.py b/test/functional/p2p_dos_header_tree.py
--- a/test/functional/p2p_dos_header_tree.py
+++ b/test/functional/p2p_dos_header_tree.py
@@ -55,8 +55,7 @@
         self.log.info(
             "Feed all non-fork headers, including and up to the first checkpoint")
         self.nodes[0].add_p2p_connection(P2PInterface())
-        self.nodes[0].p2p.send_message(msg_headers(self.headers))
-        self.nodes[0].p2p.sync_with_ping()
+        self.nodes[0].p2p.send_and_ping(msg_headers(self.headers))
         assert {
             'height': 546,
             'hash': '000000002a936ca763904c3c35fce2f3556c559c0214345d31b1bcebf76acb70',
@@ -73,8 +72,7 @@
         # On node 0 it succeeds because checkpoints are disabled
         self.restart_node(0, extra_args=['-nocheckpoints'])
         self.nodes[0].add_p2p_connection(P2PInterface())
-        self.nodes[0].p2p.send_message(msg_headers(self.headers_fork))
-        self.nodes[0].p2p.sync_with_ping()
+        self.nodes[0].p2p.send_and_ping(msg_headers(self.headers_fork))
         assert {
             "height": 2,
             "hash": "00000000b0494bd6c3d5ff79c497cfce40831871cbf39b1bc28bd1dac817dc39",
@@ -85,8 +83,7 @@
         # On node 1 it succeeds because no checkpoint has been reached yet by a
         # chain tip
         self.nodes[1].add_p2p_connection(P2PInterface())
-        self.nodes[1].p2p.send_message(msg_headers(self.headers_fork))
-        self.nodes[1].p2p.sync_with_ping()
+        self.nodes[1].p2p.send_and_ping(msg_headers(self.headers_fork))
         assert {
             "height": 2,
             "hash": "00000000b0494bd6c3d5ff79c497cfce40831871cbf39b1bc28bd1dac817dc39",
diff --git a/test/functional/p2p_invalid_messages.py b/test/functional/p2p_invalid_messages.py
--- a/test/functional/p2p_invalid_messages.py
+++ b/test/functional/p2p_invalid_messages.py
@@ -141,7 +141,6 @@
 
         # Node is still up.
         conn = node.add_p2p_connection(P2PDataStore())
-        conn.sync_with_ping()
 
     def test_magic_bytes(self):
         conn = self.nodes[0].add_p2p_connection(P2PDataStore())