diff --git a/ethereum/p2p/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/p2p/discovery/internal/PeerDiscoveryTableRefreshTest.java b/ethereum/p2p/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/p2p/discovery/internal/PeerDiscoveryTableRefreshTest.java
index 2355defcb0..cd6a308ab1 100644
--- a/ethereum/p2p/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/p2p/discovery/internal/PeerDiscoveryTableRefreshTest.java
+++ b/ethereum/p2p/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/p2p/discovery/internal/PeerDiscoveryTableRefreshTest.java
@@ -15,8 +15,10 @@
 package org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.discovery.internal;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.eq;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.atLeast;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.doAnswer;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.spy;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
@@ -32,6 +34,7 @@ import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.function.Consumer;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 import org.apache.tuweni.bytes.Bytes;
@@ -47,11 +50,14 @@ public class PeerDiscoveryTableRefreshTest {
     final List<NodeKey> nodeKeys = PeerDiscoveryTestHelper.generateNodeKeys(2);
     final List<DiscoveryPeer> peers = helper.createDiscoveryPeers(nodeKeys);
     final DiscoveryPeer localPeer = peers.get(0);
+    final DiscoveryPeer remotePeer = peers.get(1);
     final NodeKey localKeyPair = nodeKeys.get(0);
+    final NodeKey remoteKeyPair = nodeKeys.get(1);
 
     // Create and start the PeerDiscoveryController
     final OutboundMessageHandler outboundMessageHandler = mock(OutboundMessageHandler.class);
     final MockTimerUtil timer = new MockTimerUtil();
+
     final PeerDiscoveryController controller =
         spy(
             PeerDiscoveryController.builder()
@@ -67,45 +73,44 @@ public class PeerDiscoveryTableRefreshTest {
                 .build());
     controller.start();
 
-    // Send a PING, so as to add a Peer in the controller.
-    final PingPacketData ping =
-        PingPacketData.create(peers.get(1).getEndpoint(), peers.get(0).getEndpoint());
-    final Packet pingPacket = Packet.create(PacketType.PING, ping, nodeKeys.get(1));
-    controller.onMessage(pingPacket, peers.get(1));
+    final PingPacketData mockPing =
+        PingPacketData.create(localPeer.getEndpoint(), remotePeer.getEndpoint());
+    final Packet mockPingPacket = Packet.create(PacketType.PING, mockPing, localKeyPair);
 
-    final PingPacketData data =
-        PingPacketData.create(peers.get(0).getEndpoint(), peers.get(1).getEndpoint());
-    final Packet packet = Packet.create(PacketType.PING, data, nodeKeys.get(0));
+    doAnswer(
+            invocation -> {
+              final Consumer<Packet> handler = invocation.getArgument(2);
+              handler.accept(mockPingPacket);
+              return null;
+            })
+        .when(controller)
+        .createPacket(eq(PacketType.PING), any(), any());
 
-    // Simulate a PONG message from peer 0.
-    final PongPacketData pong = PongPacketData.create(peers.get(0).getEndpoint(), packet.getHash());
-    final Packet pongPacket = Packet.create(PacketType.PONG, pong, nodeKeys.get(1));
+    // Send a PING, so as to add a Peer in the controller.
+    final PingPacketData ping =
+        PingPacketData.create(remotePeer.getEndpoint(), localPeer.getEndpoint());
+    final Packet pingPacket = Packet.create(PacketType.PING, ping, remoteKeyPair);
+    controller.onMessage(pingPacket, remotePeer);
 
-    controller.onMessage(pongPacket, peers.get(1));
+    // Answer localPeer PING to complete bonding
+    final PongPacketData pong =
+        PongPacketData.create(localPeer.getEndpoint(), mockPingPacket.getHash());
+    final Packet pongPacket = Packet.create(PacketType.PONG, pong, remoteKeyPair);
+    controller.onMessage(pongPacket, remotePeer);
 
     // Wait until the controller has added the newly found peer.
     assertThat(controller.streamDiscoveredPeers()).hasSize(1);
 
     final ArgumentCaptor<Packet> captor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(Packet.class);
     for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
-      controller.onMessage(pingPacket, peers.get(1));
-
-      final PingPacketData refreshData =
-          PingPacketData.create(peers.get(0).getEndpoint(), peers.get(1).getEndpoint());
-      final Packet refreshPacket = Packet.create(PacketType.PING, refreshData, nodeKeys.get(0));
-
-      final PongPacketData refreshPong =
-          PongPacketData.create(peers.get(0).getEndpoint(), refreshPacket.getHash());
-      final Packet refreshPongPacket = Packet.create(PacketType.PONG, refreshPong, nodeKeys.get(1));
-
-      controller.onMessage(refreshPongPacket, peers.get(1));
-
       controller.getRecursivePeerRefreshState().cancel();
       timer.runPeriodicHandlers();
       controller.streamDiscoveredPeers().forEach(p -> p.setStatus(PeerDiscoveryStatus.KNOWN));
+      controller.onMessage(pingPacket, remotePeer);
+      controller.onMessage(pongPacket, remotePeer);
     }
 
-    verify(outboundMessageHandler, atLeast(5)).send(eq(peers.get(1)), captor.capture());
+    verify(outboundMessageHandler, atLeast(5)).send(eq(remotePeer), captor.capture());
     final List<Packet> capturedFindNeighborsPackets =
         captor.getAllValues().stream()
             .filter(p -> p.getType().equals(PacketType.FIND_NEIGHBORS))
@@ -122,8 +127,6 @@ public class PeerDiscoveryTableRefreshTest {
       targets.add(neighborsData.getTarget());
     }
 
-    assertThat(targets.size()).isEqualTo(5);
-
     // All targets are unique.
     assertThat(targets.size()).isEqualTo(new HashSet<>(targets).size());
   }