diff --git a/src/Hash2Pub/FediChord.hs b/src/Hash2Pub/FediChord.hs
index ce8b5b9..95617fc 100644
--- a/src/Hash2Pub/FediChord.hs
+++ b/src/Hash2Pub/FediChord.hs
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ cacheVerifyThread nsSTM = forever $ do
         forkIO $ sendQueryIdMessages targetID latestNs (Just (1 + jEntriesPerSlice latestNs)) (nodesToQuery targetID) >> pure () -- ask for 1 entry more than j because of querying the middle
                                                              )
     
-    threadDelay $ toEnum (fromEnum maxEntryAge `div` 20)
+    threadDelay $ 10^6 * round maxEntryAge `div` 20
 
 
 -- | Checks the invariant of at least @jEntries@ per cache slice.
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ stabiliseThread nsSTM = forever $ do
                                                                      )
 
     -- TODO: make delay configurable
-    threadDelay (60 * 1000)
+    threadDelay (60 * 10^6)
   where
     -- | send a stabilise request to the n-th neighbour
     -- (specified by the provided getter function) and on failure retr
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ requestMapPurge mapVar = forever $ do
     putMVar mapVar $ Map.filter (\entry@(RequestMapEntry _ _ ts)  ->
         now - ts < responsePurgeAge
                                 ) rMapState
-    threadDelay $ fromEnum responsePurgeAge * 2000
+    threadDelay $ round responsePurgeAge * 2 * 10^6
 
 
 -- | Wait for messages, deserialise them, manage parts and acknowledgement status,
diff --git a/src/Hash2Pub/FediChordTypes.hs b/src/Hash2Pub/FediChordTypes.hs
index 459837f..6c5d357 100644
--- a/src/Hash2Pub/FediChordTypes.hs
+++ b/src/Hash2Pub/FediChordTypes.hs
@@ -243,19 +243,19 @@ instance Typeable a => Show (TQueue a) where
 
 -- | convenience function that replaces the predecessors of a 'LocalNodeState' with the k closest nodes from the provided list
 setPredecessors :: [RemoteNodeState] -> LocalNodeState -> LocalNodeState
-setPredecessors preds ns = ns {predecessors = takeRMapPredecessors (getNid ns) (kNeighbours ns) . rMapFromList $ preds}
+setPredecessors preds ns = ns {predecessors = takeRMapPredecessors (getNid ns) (kNeighbours ns) . rMapFromList . filter ((/=) (getNid ns) . getNid) $ preds}
 
 -- | convenience function that replaces the successors of a 'LocalNodeState' with the k closest nodes from the provided list
 setSuccessors :: [RemoteNodeState] -> LocalNodeState -> LocalNodeState
-setSuccessors succs ns = ns {successors = takeRMapSuccessors (getNid ns) (kNeighbours ns) . rMapFromList $ succs}
+setSuccessors succs ns = ns {successors = takeRMapSuccessors (getNid ns) (kNeighbours ns) . rMapFromList . filter ((/=) (getNid ns) . getNid) $ succs}
 
 -- | sets the predecessors of a 'LocalNodeState' to the closest k nodes of the current predecessors and the provided list, combined
 addPredecessors :: [RemoteNodeState] -> LocalNodeState -> LocalNodeState
-addPredecessors preds ns = ns {predecessors = takeRMapPredecessors (getNid ns) (kNeighbours ns) . addRMapEntries preds . rMapFromList $ predecessors ns}
+addPredecessors preds ns = ns {predecessors = takeRMapPredecessors (getNid ns) (kNeighbours ns) . addRMapEntries preds . rMapFromList . filter ((/=) (getNid ns) . getNid) $ predecessors ns}
 
 -- | sets the successors of a 'LocalNodeState' to the closest k nodes of the current successors and the provided list, combined
 addSuccessors :: [RemoteNodeState] -> LocalNodeState -> LocalNodeState
-addSuccessors succs ns = ns {successors = takeRMapSuccessors (getNid ns) (kNeighbours ns) . addRMapEntries succs . rMapFromList $ successors ns}
+addSuccessors succs ns = ns {successors = takeRMapSuccessors (getNid ns) (kNeighbours ns) . addRMapEntries succs . rMapFromList . filter ((/=) (getNid ns) . getNid) $ successors ns}
 
 -- | Class for all types that can be identified via an EpiChord key.
 -- Used for restricting the types a 'RingMap' can store