diff --git a/tests/host/test_basic_host.py b/tests/host/test_basic_host.py
index 4d22222..f25f4e7 100644
--- a/tests/host/test_basic_host.py
+++ b/tests/host/test_basic_host.py
@@ -11,4 +11,6 @@ def test_default_protocols():
 
     mux = host.get_mux()
     handlers = mux.handlers
-    assert handlers == get_default_protocols(host)
+    # NOTE: comparing keys for equality as handlers may be closures that do not compare in the way
+    # this test is concerned with
+    assert handlers.keys() == get_default_protocols(host).keys()
diff --git a/tests/host/test_ping.py b/tests/host/test_ping.py
index d6f0244..a5296f1 100644
--- a/tests/host/test_ping.py
+++ b/tests/host/test_ping.py
@@ -3,28 +3,16 @@ import secrets
 
 import pytest
 
-from libp2p.host.ping import ID, PING_LENGTH, handle_ping
+from libp2p.host.ping import ID, PING_LENGTH
 from libp2p.peer.peerinfo import info_from_p2p_addr
 from tests.utils import set_up_nodes_by_transport_opt
 
 
-def _add_ping_to(host):
-    host.set_stream_handler(ID, handle_ping)
-
-
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_ping_once():
     transport_opt_list = [["/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/0"], ["/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/0"]]
     (host_a, host_b) = await set_up_nodes_by_transport_opt(transport_opt_list)
 
-    # NOTE: this will fail after we add ping as a default handler
-    # as a forced reminder to fix this test by removing the calls to
-    # `_add_ping_to`
-    assert host_a.get_mux().handlers == {}
-    assert host_b.get_mux().handlers == {}
-    _add_ping_to(host_a)
-    _add_ping_to(host_b)
-
     addr = host_a.get_addrs()[0]
     info = info_from_p2p_addr(addr)
     await host_b.connect(info)
@@ -45,14 +33,6 @@ async def test_ping_several():
     transport_opt_list = [["/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/0"], ["/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/0"]]
     (host_a, host_b) = await set_up_nodes_by_transport_opt(transport_opt_list)
 
-    # NOTE: this will fail after we add ping as a default handler
-    # as a forced reminder to fix this test by removing the calls to
-    # `_add_ping_to`
-    assert host_a.get_mux().handlers == {}
-    assert host_b.get_mux().handlers == {}
-    _add_ping_to(host_a)
-    _add_ping_to(host_b)
-
     addr = host_a.get_addrs()[0]
     info = info_from_p2p_addr(addr)
     await host_b.connect(info)