diff --git a/include/ircd/net/socket.h b/include/ircd/net/socket.h
index c2232061b..8440face4 100644
--- a/include/ircd/net/socket.h
+++ b/include/ircd/net/socket.h
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ struct ircd::net::socket
 	bool handle_verify(bool, asio::ssl::verify_context &, const open_opts &) noexcept;
 	void handle_disconnect(std::shared_ptr<socket>, eptr_handler, error_code) noexcept;
 	void handle_handshake(std::weak_ptr<socket>, eptr_handler, error_code) noexcept;
-	void handle_connect(std::weak_ptr<socket>, open_opts, eptr_handler, error_code) noexcept;
+	void handle_connect(std::weak_ptr<socket>, const open_opts &, eptr_handler, error_code) noexcept;
 	void handle_timeout(std::weak_ptr<socket>, ec_handler, error_code) noexcept;
 	void handle_ready(std::weak_ptr<socket>, ready, ec_handler, error_code, size_t) noexcept;
 
diff --git a/ircd/net.cc b/ircd/net.cc
index 4e4c07b6e..06dc044d0 100644
--- a/ircd/net.cc
+++ b/ircd/net.cc
@@ -2556,6 +2556,8 @@ void
 ircd::net::socket::handshake(const open_opts &opts,
                              eptr_handler callback)
 {
+	assert(!fini && sd.is_open());
+
 	log::debug
 	{
 		log, "%s handshaking to '%s' for '%s' to:%ld$ms",
@@ -3086,7 +3088,7 @@ catch(const std::exception &e)
 
 void
 ircd::net::socket::handle_connect(std::weak_ptr<socket> wp,
-                                  const open_opts opts,
+                                  const open_opts &opts,
                                   eptr_handler callback,
                                   error_code ec)
 noexcept try