diff --git a/pkg/pushsync/pushsync.go b/pkg/pushsync/pushsync.go
index 4d1094dabe8..85b8710fe46 100644
--- a/pkg/pushsync/pushsync.go
+++ b/pkg/pushsync/pushsync.go
@@ -169,9 +169,7 @@ func (ps *PushSync) handler(ctx context.Context, p p2p.Peer, stream p2p.Stream)
 
 	// if the peer is closer to the chunk, AND it's a full node, we were selected for replication. Return early.
 	if p.FullNode {
-		bytes := chunkAddress.Bytes()
-		if dcmp, _ := swarm.DistanceCmp(bytes, p.Address.Bytes(), ps.address.Bytes()); dcmp == 1 {
-			ps.metrics.TotalReplication.Inc()
+		if closer, _ := p.Address.Closer(chunkAddress, ps.address); closer {
 			if ps.topologyDriver.IsWithinDepth(chunkAddress) {
 
 				ctxd, canceld := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), timeToWaitForPushsyncToNeighbor)
@@ -211,12 +209,12 @@ func (ps *PushSync) handler(ctx context.Context, p p2p.Peer, stream p2p.Stream)
 				defer debit.Cleanup()
 
 				// return back receipt
-				signature, err := ps.signer.Sign(bytes)
+				signature, err := ps.signer.Sign(chunkAddress.Bytes())
 				if err != nil {
 					ps.metrics.HandlerReplicationErrors.Inc()
 					return fmt.Errorf("receipt signature: %w", err)
 				}
-				receipt := pb.Receipt{Address: bytes, Signature: signature, BlockHash: ps.blockHash}
+				receipt := pb.Receipt{Address: chunkAddress.Bytes(), Signature: signature, BlockHash: ps.blockHash}
 				if err := w.WriteMsgWithContext(ctxd, &receipt); err != nil {
 					ps.metrics.HandlerReplicationErrors.Inc()
 					return fmt.Errorf("send receipt to peer %s: %w", p.Address.String(), err)
@@ -368,7 +366,7 @@ func (ps *PushSync) pushToClosest(ctx context.Context, ch swarm.Chunk, retryAllo
 
 					// here we skip the peer if the peer is closer to the chunk than us
 					// we replicate with peers that are further away than us because we are the storer
-					if dcmp, _ := swarm.DistanceCmp(ch.Address().Bytes(), peer.Bytes(), ps.address.Bytes()); dcmp == 1 {
+					if closer, _ := peer.Closer(ch.Address(), ps.address); closer {
 						return false, false, nil
 					}
 
diff --git a/pkg/retrieval/retrieval.go b/pkg/retrieval/retrieval.go
index a60c3eee2b3..8e999c57584 100644
--- a/pkg/retrieval/retrieval.go
+++ b/pkg/retrieval/retrieval.go
@@ -362,19 +362,12 @@ func (s *Service) closestPeer(addr swarm.Address, skipPeers []swarm.Address, all
 			closest = peer
 			return false, false, nil
 		}
-		dcmp, err := swarm.DistanceCmp(addr.Bytes(), closest.Bytes(), peer.Bytes())
+		closer, err := peer.Closer(addr, closest)
 		if err != nil {
 			return false, false, fmt.Errorf("distance compare error. addr %s closest %s peer %s: %w", addr.String(), closest.String(), peer.String(), err)
 		}
-		switch dcmp {
-		case 0:
-			// do nothing
-		case -1:
-			// current peer is closer
+		if closer {
 			closest = peer
-		case 1:
-			// closest is already closer to chunk
-			// do nothing
 		}
 		return false, false, nil
 	})
@@ -390,11 +383,11 @@ func (s *Service) closestPeer(addr swarm.Address, skipPeers []swarm.Address, all
 		return closest, nil
 	}
 
-	dcmp, err := swarm.DistanceCmp(addr.Bytes(), closest.Bytes(), s.addr.Bytes())
+	closer, err := closest.Closer(addr, s.addr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return swarm.Address{}, fmt.Errorf("distance compare addr %s closest %s base address %s: %w", addr.String(), closest.String(), s.addr.String(), err)
 	}
-	if dcmp != 1 {
+	if closer {
 		return swarm.Address{}, topology.ErrNotFound
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/swarm/swarm.go b/pkg/swarm/swarm.go
index 6f2367d45de..957aef0bd86 100644
--- a/pkg/swarm/swarm.go
+++ b/pkg/swarm/swarm.go
@@ -119,6 +119,12 @@ func (a Address) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 	return json.Marshal(a.String())
 }
 
+// Closer returns if x is closer to a than y
+func (x Address) Closer(a Address, y Address) (bool, error) {
+	cmp, err := DistanceCmp(a.b, x.b, y.b)
+	return cmp == 1, err
+}
+
 // ZeroAddress is the address that has no value.
 var ZeroAddress = NewAddress(nil)
 
diff --git a/pkg/swarm/swarm_test.go b/pkg/swarm/swarm_test.go
index 54cadd015f6..5da1a653a0c 100644
--- a/pkg/swarm/swarm_test.go
+++ b/pkg/swarm/swarm_test.go
@@ -99,3 +99,13 @@ func TestAddress_MemberOf(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 }
+
+func TestCloser(t *testing.T) {
+	a := swarm.MustParseHexAddress("9100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000")
+	x := swarm.MustParseHexAddress("8200000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000")
+	y := swarm.MustParseHexAddress("1200000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000")
+
+	if cmp, _ := x.Closer(a, y); !cmp {
+		t.Fatal("x is closer")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/topology/kademlia/kademlia.go b/pkg/topology/kademlia/kademlia.go
index 6c5b281143e..d69f9ccc102 100644
--- a/pkg/topology/kademlia/kademlia.go
+++ b/pkg/topology/kademlia/kademlia.go
@@ -1058,19 +1058,13 @@ func closestPeerFunc(closest *swarm.Address, addr swarm.Address, spf sanctionedP
 			*closest = peer
 			return false, false, nil
 		}
-		dcmp, err := swarm.DistanceCmp(addr.Bytes(), closest.Bytes(), peer.Bytes())
+
+		closer, err := peer.Closer(addr, *closest)
 		if err != nil {
 			return false, false, err
 		}
-		switch dcmp {
-		case 0:
-			// do nothing
-		case -1:
-			// current peer is closer
+		if closer {
 			*closest = peer
-		case 1:
-			// closest is already closer to chunk
-			// do nothing
 		}
 		return false, false, nil
 	}
@@ -1100,19 +1094,12 @@ func (k *Kad) ClosestPeer(addr swarm.Address, includeSelf bool, skipPeers ...swa
 			closest = peer
 		}
 
-		dcmp, err := swarm.DistanceCmp(addr.Bytes(), closest.Bytes(), peer.Bytes())
+		closer, err := peer.Closer(addr, closest)
 		if err != nil {
 			return false, false, err
 		}
-		switch dcmp {
-		case 0:
-			// do nothing
-		case -1:
-			// current peer is closer
+		if closer {
 			closest = peer
-		case 1:
-			// closest is already closer to chunk
-			// do nothing
 		}
 		return false, false, nil
 	})