diff --git a/nano/core_test/peer_container.cpp b/nano/core_test/peer_container.cpp
index c0f04d9d..b55150d5 100644
--- a/nano/core_test/peer_container.cpp
+++ b/nano/core_test/peer_container.cpp
@@ -68,10 +68,13 @@ TEST (peer_container, tcp_channel_cleanup_works)
 	// Disable the confirm_req messages avoiding them to affect the last_packet_set time
 	node_flags.disable_rep_crawler = true;
 	auto & node1 = *system.add_node (node_config, node_flags);
-	auto outer_node1 = nano::test::add_outer_node (system, node_flags);
-	outer_node1->config.network_params.network.keepalive_period = std::chrono::minutes (10);
-	auto outer_node2 = nano::test::add_outer_node (system, node_flags);
-	outer_node2->config.network_params.network.keepalive_period = std::chrono::minutes (10);
+
+	auto config1 = node_config;
+	config1.network_params.network.keepalive_period = std::chrono::minutes (10);
+	auto outer_node1 = nano::test::add_outer_node (system, config1, node_flags);
+	auto config2 = config1;
+	config2.network_params.network.keepalive_period = std::chrono::minutes (10);
+	auto outer_node2 = nano::test::add_outer_node (system, config2, node_flags);
 	auto now = std::chrono::steady_clock::now ();
 	auto channel1 = nano::test::establish_tcp (system, node1, outer_node1->network.endpoint ());
 	ASSERT_NE (nullptr, channel1);
diff --git a/nano/test_common/network.cpp b/nano/test_common/network.cpp
index 80ec2065..5ca9bcf4 100644
--- a/nano/test_common/network.cpp
+++ b/nano/test_common/network.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,14 @@ std::shared_ptr<nano::transport::channel_tcp> nano::test::establish_tcp (nano::t
 	return result;
 }
 
+std::shared_ptr<nano::node> nano::test::add_outer_node (nano::test::system & system_a, nano::node_config const & config_a, nano::node_flags flags_a)
+{
+	auto outer_node = std::make_shared<nano::node> (system_a.io_ctx, nano::unique_path (), config_a, system_a.work, flags_a);
+	outer_node->start ();
+	system_a.nodes.push_back (outer_node);
+	return outer_node;
+}
+
 std::shared_ptr<nano::node> nano::test::add_outer_node (nano::test::system & system_a, nano::node_flags flags_a)
 {
 	auto outer_node = std::make_shared<nano::node> (system_a.io_ctx, system_a.get_available_port (), nano::unique_path (), system_a.work, flags_a);
@@ -55,4 +63,4 @@ uint16_t nano::test::speculatively_choose_a_free_tcp_bind_port ()
 	acceptor.close ();
 
 	return port;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/nano/test_common/network.hpp b/nano/test_common/network.hpp
index c8835139..db90344f5 100644
--- a/nano/test_common/network.hpp
+++ b/nano/test_common/network.hpp
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ namespace test
 	/** Waits until a TCP connection is established and returns the TCP channel on success*/
 	std::shared_ptr<nano::transport::channel_tcp> establish_tcp (nano::test::system &, nano::node &, nano::endpoint const &);
 
+	/** Adds a node to the system without establishing connections */
+	std::shared_ptr<nano::node> add_outer_node (nano::test::system & system, nano::node_config const & config_a, nano::node_flags = nano::node_flags ());
+
 	/** Adds a node to the system without establishing connections */
 	std::shared_ptr<nano::node> add_outer_node (nano::test::system & system, nano::node_flags = nano::node_flags ());