diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/util.py b/test/functional/test_framework/util.py
index f00c11eb56..ac0133cbbf 100644
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/util.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/util.py
@@ -489,9 +489,12 @@ def sync_blocks(rpc_connections, *, wait=1, timeout=60):
         best_hash = [x.getbestblockhash() for x in rpc_connections]
         if best_hash.count(best_hash[0]) == len(rpc_connections):
             return
+        # Check that each peer has at least one connection
+        assert (all([len(x.getpeerinfo()) for x in rpc_connections]))
         time.sleep(wait)
     raise AssertionError("Block sync timed out:{}".format("".join("\n  {!r}".format(b) for b in best_hash)))
 
+
 def sync_mempools(rpc_connections, *, wait=1, timeout=60, flush_scheduler=True, wait_func=None):
     """
     Wait until everybody has the same transactions in their memory
@@ -506,6 +509,8 @@ def sync_mempools(rpc_connections, *, wait=1, timeout=60, flush_scheduler=True,
                 for r in rpc_connections:
                     r.syncwithvalidationinterfacequeue()
             return
+        # Check that each peer has at least one connection
+        assert (all([len(x.getpeerinfo()) for x in rpc_connections]))
         if wait_func is not None:
             wait_func()
         time.sleep(wait)