diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index b529ec1c51..cea8ef1314 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -178,12 +178,9 @@ func (cfg *Config) makeSwarm(eventBus event.Bus, enableMetrics bool) (*swarm.Swa
 	if cfg.MultiaddrResolver != nil {
 		opts = append(opts, swarm.WithMultiaddrResolver(cfg.MultiaddrResolver))
 	}
-
-	dialRanker := cfg.DialRanker
-	if dialRanker == nil {
-		dialRanker = swarm.DefaultDialRanker
+	if cfg.DialRanker != nil {
+		opts = append(opts, swarm.WithDialRanker(cfg.DialRanker))
 	}
-	opts = append(opts, swarm.WithDialRanker(dialRanker))
 
 	if enableMetrics {
 		opts = append(opts,
diff --git a/options.go b/options.go
index 3e072b950c..beb4930f7c 100644
--- a/options.go
+++ b/options.go
@@ -579,6 +579,7 @@ func PrometheusRegisterer(reg prometheus.Registerer) Option {
 // DialRanker configures libp2p to use d as the dial ranker. To enable smart
 // dialing use `swarm.DefaultDialRanker`. use `swarm.NoDelayDialRanker` to
 // disable smart dialing.
+// Deprecated: use SwarmOpts(swarm.WithDialRanker(d)) instead
 func DialRanker(d network.DialRanker) Option {
 	return func(cfg *Config) error {
 		if cfg.DialRanker != nil {
diff --git a/p2p/net/swarm/swarm.go b/p2p/net/swarm/swarm.go
index 9dfab2d9c0..4bc16a7d31 100644
--- a/p2p/net/swarm/swarm.go
+++ b/p2p/net/swarm/swarm.go
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@ func WithResourceManager(m network.ResourceManager) Option {
 // WithDialRanker configures swarm to use d as the DialRanker
 func WithDialRanker(d network.DialRanker) Option {
 	return func(s *Swarm) error {
+		if d == nil {
+			return errors.New("swarm: dial ranker cannot be nil")
+		}
 		s.dialRanker = d
 		return nil
 	}