diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/mininode.py b/test/functional/test_framework/mininode.py
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/mininode.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/mininode.py
@@ -437,6 +437,7 @@
 
     def wait_for_tx(self, txid, timeout=60):
         def test_function():
+            assert self.is_connected
             if not self.last_message.get('tx'):
                 return False
             return self.last_message['tx'].tx.rehash() == txid
@@ -444,12 +445,16 @@
         wait_until(test_function, timeout=timeout, lock=mininode_lock)
 
     def wait_for_block(self, blockhash, timeout=60):
-        def test_function(): return self.last_message.get(
-            "block") and self.last_message["block"].block.rehash() == blockhash
+        def test_function():
+            assert self.is_connected
+            return self.last_message.get(
+                "block") and self.last_message["block"].block.rehash() == blockhash
+
         wait_until(test_function, timeout=timeout, lock=mininode_lock)
 
     def wait_for_header(self, blockhash, timeout=60):
         def test_function():
+            assert self.is_connected
             last_headers = self.last_message.get('headers')
             if not last_headers:
                 return False
@@ -474,7 +479,11 @@
         value must be explicitly cleared before calling this method, or this will return
         immediately with success. TODO: change this method to take a hash value and only
         return true if the correct block/tx has been requested."""
-        def test_function(): return self.last_message.get("getdata")
+
+        def test_function():
+            assert self.is_connected
+            return self.last_message.get("getdata")
+
         wait_until(test_function, timeout=timeout, lock=mininode_lock)
 
     def wait_for_getheaders(self, timeout=60):
@@ -484,7 +493,11 @@
         value must be explicitly cleared before calling this method, or this will return
         immediately with success. TODO: change this method to take a hash value and only
         return true if the correct block header has been requested."""
-        def test_function(): return self.last_message.get("getheaders")
+
+        def test_function():
+            assert self.is_connected
+            return self.last_message.get("getheaders")
+
         wait_until(test_function, timeout=timeout, lock=mininode_lock)
 
     def wait_for_inv(self, expected_inv, timeout=60):
@@ -493,13 +506,18 @@
             raise NotImplementedError(
                 "wait_for_inv() will only verify the first inv object")
 
-        def test_function(): return self.last_message.get("inv") and \
-            self.last_message["inv"].inv[0].type == expected_inv[0].type and \
-            self.last_message["inv"].inv[0].hash == expected_inv[0].hash
+        def test_function():
+            assert self.is_connected
+            return self.last_message.get("inv") and \
+                self.last_message["inv"].inv[0].type == expected_inv[0].type and \
+                self.last_message["inv"].inv[0].hash == expected_inv[0].hash
+
         wait_until(test_function, timeout=timeout, lock=mininode_lock)
 
     def wait_for_verack(self, timeout=60):
-        def test_function(): return self.message_count["verack"]
+        def test_function():
+            return self.message_count["verack"]
+
         wait_until(test_function, timeout=timeout, lock=mininode_lock)
 
     # Message sending helper functions
@@ -513,9 +531,10 @@
         self.send_message(msg_ping(nonce=self.ping_counter))
 
         def test_function():
-            if not self.last_message.get("pong"):
-                return False
-            return self.last_message["pong"].nonce == self.ping_counter
+            assert self.is_connected
+            return self.last_message.get(
+                "pong") and self.last_message["pong"].nonce == self.ping_counter
+
         wait_until(test_function, timeout=timeout, lock=mininode_lock)
         self.ping_counter += 1