diff --git a/commonspace/space.go b/commonspace/space.go
index 9a22f453..70bf6e0c 100644
--- a/commonspace/space.go
+++ b/commonspace/space.go
@@ -337,11 +337,13 @@ func (s *space) BuildTree(ctx context.Context, id string, opts BuildTreeOpts) (t
 		PeerGetter:         s.peerManager,
 		BuildObjectTree:    treeBuilder,
 	}
-	if t, err = synctree.BuildSyncTreeOrGetRemote(ctx, id, deps); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
 	s.treesUsed.Add(1)
 	log.Debug("incrementing counter", zap.String("id", id), zap.Int32("trees", s.treesUsed.Load()), zap.String("spaceId", s.id))
+	if t, err = synctree.BuildSyncTreeOrGetRemote(ctx, id, deps); err != nil {
+		s.treesUsed.Add(-1)
+		log.Debug("decrementing counter, load failed", zap.String("id", id), zap.Int32("trees", s.treesUsed.Load()), zap.String("spaceId", s.id), zap.Error(err))
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	return
 }
 
diff --git a/net/peer/peer.go b/net/peer/peer.go
index 99304ebe..5bb8022a 100644
--- a/net/peer/peer.go
+++ b/net/peer/peer.go
@@ -63,14 +63,14 @@ func (p *peer) NewStream(ctx context.Context, rpc string, enc drpc.Encoding) (dr
 }
 
 func (p *peer) Read(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
-	if n, err = p.sc.Read(b); err != nil {
+	if n, err = p.sc.Read(b); err == nil {
 		p.UpdateLastUsage()
 	}
 	return
 }
 
 func (p *peer) Write(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
-	if n, err = p.sc.Write(b); err != nil {
+	if n, err = p.sc.Write(b); err == nil {
 		p.UpdateLastUsage()
 	}
 	return