diff --git a/src/PolykeyAgent.ts b/src/PolykeyAgent.ts
index 83fe9072e..997010d21 100644
--- a/src/PolykeyAgent.ts
+++ b/src/PolykeyAgent.ts
@@ -700,10 +700,10 @@ class PolykeyAgent {
       await this.notificationsManager?.stop();
       await this.vaultManager?.stop();
       await this.discovery?.stop();
-      await this.taskManager?.stop();
       await this.nodeGraph?.stop();
       await this.nodeConnectionManager?.stop();
       await this.nodeManager?.stop();
+      await this.taskManager?.stop();
       await this.proxy?.stop();
       await this.grpcServerAgent?.stop();
       await this.grpcServerClient?.stop();
diff --git a/src/nodes/NodeConnectionManager.ts b/src/nodes/NodeConnectionManager.ts
index f5a67eeee..9861e2445 100644
--- a/src/nodes/NodeConnectionManager.ts
+++ b/src/nodes/NodeConnectionManager.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import GRPCClientAgent from '../agent/GRPCClientAgent';
 import * as validationUtils from '../validation/utils';
 import * as networkUtils from '../network/utils';
 import * as nodesPB from '../proto/js/polykey/v1/nodes/nodes_pb';
-import { timerStart } from '../utils';
+import { timerStart, never } from '../utils';
 
 type ConnectionAndTimer = {
   connection: NodeConnection<GRPCClientAgent>;
@@ -119,7 +119,8 @@ class NodeConnectionManager {
     this.nodeManager = nodeManager;
     // Adding seed nodes
     for (const nodeIdEncoded in this.seedNodes) {
-      const nodeId = nodesUtils.decodeNodeId(nodeIdEncoded)!;
+      const nodeId = nodesUtils.decodeNodeId(nodeIdEncoded);
+      if (nodeId == null) never();
       await this.nodeManager.setNode(
         nodeId,
         this.seedNodes[nodeIdEncoded],
@@ -224,7 +225,8 @@ class NodeConnectionManager {
     const [release, conn] = await acquire();
     let caughtError;
     try {
-      return yield* g(conn!);
+      if (conn == null) never();
+      return yield* g(conn);
     } catch (e) {
       caughtError = e;
       throw e;
@@ -701,9 +703,11 @@ class NodeConnectionManager {
    */
   @ready(new nodesErrors.ErrorNodeConnectionManagerNotRunning())
   public getSeedNodes(): Array<NodeId> {
-    return Object.keys(this.seedNodes).map(
-      (nodeIdEncoded) => nodesUtils.decodeNodeId(nodeIdEncoded)!,
-    );
+    return Object.keys(this.seedNodes).map((nodeIdEncoded) => {
+      const nodeId = nodesUtils.decodeNodeId(nodeIdEncoded);
+      if (nodeId == null) never();
+      return nodeId;
+    });
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/nodes/NodeManager.ts b/src/nodes/NodeManager.ts
index 82d7eebff..7d313f62c 100644
--- a/src/nodes/NodeManager.ts
+++ b/src/nodes/NodeManager.ts
@@ -92,7 +92,13 @@ class NodeManager {
     host: Host,
     port: Port,
   ) => {
-    const nodeId = nodesUtils.decodeNodeId(nodeIdEncoded)!;
+    const nodeId = nodesUtils.decodeNodeId(nodeIdEncoded);
+    if (nodeId == null) {
+      this.logger.error(
+        `pingAndSetNodeHandler received invalid NodeId: ${nodeIdEncoded}`,
+      );
+      never();
+    }
     const host_ = await networkUtils.resolveHost(host);
     if (
       await this.pingNode(nodeId, { host: host_, port }, { signal: ctx.signal })
@@ -569,7 +575,8 @@ class NodeManager {
         // We just add the new node anyway without checking the old one
         const oldNodeId = (
           await this.nodeGraph.getOldestNode(bucketIndex, 1, tran)
-        ).pop()!;
+        ).pop();
+        if (oldNodeId == null) never();
         this.logger.debug(
           `Force was set, removing ${nodesUtils.encodeNodeId(
             oldNodeId,
@@ -1013,10 +1020,13 @@ class NodeManager {
         }
       }
       // Refreshing every bucket above the closest node
-      let closestNodeInfo = closestNodes.pop()!;
-      if (this.keyManager.getNodeId().equals(closestNodeInfo[0])) {
+      let closestNodeInfo = closestNodes.pop();
+      if (
+        closestNodeInfo != null &&
+        this.keyManager.getNodeId().equals(closestNodeInfo[0])
+      ) {
         // Skip our nodeId if it exists
-        closestNodeInfo = closestNodes.pop()!;
+        closestNodeInfo = closestNodes.pop();
       }
       let index = this.nodeGraph.nodeIdBits;
       if (closestNodeInfo != null) {
diff --git a/tests/discovery/Discovery.test.ts b/tests/discovery/Discovery.test.ts
index 3a5ebf34e..f99c45ee9 100644
--- a/tests/discovery/Discovery.test.ts
+++ b/tests/discovery/Discovery.test.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import * as nodesUtils from '@/nodes/utils';
 import * as claimsUtils from '@/claims/utils';
 import * as discoveryErrors from '@/discovery/errors';
 import * as keysUtils from '@/keys/utils';
+import * as grpcUtils from '@/grpc/utils/index';
 import * as testNodesUtils from '../nodes/utils';
 import TestProvider from '../identities/TestProvider';
 import { globalRootKeyPems } from '../fixtures/globalRootKeyPems';
@@ -59,6 +60,8 @@ describe('Discovery', () => {
   let nodeB: PolykeyAgent;
   let identityId: IdentityId;
   beforeEach(async () => {
+    // Sets the global GRPC logger to the logger
+    grpcUtils.setLogger(logger);
     dataDir = await fs.promises.mkdtemp(
       path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'polykey-test-'),
     );