diff --git a/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/api/XmrConnectionService.java b/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/api/XmrConnectionService.java
index efd5158d12..8284e01fc8 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/api/XmrConnectionService.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/api/XmrConnectionService.java
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ public final class XmrConnectionService {
     private final MoneroConnectionManager connectionManager;
     private final EncryptedConnectionList connectionList;
     private final ObjectProperty<List<MoneroRpcConnection>> connections = new SimpleObjectProperty<>();
-    private final IntegerProperty numConnections = new SimpleIntegerProperty(0);
+    private final IntegerProperty numConnections = new SimpleIntegerProperty(-1);
     private final ObjectProperty<MoneroRpcConnection> connectionProperty = new SimpleObjectProperty<>();
     private final LongProperty chainHeight = new SimpleLongProperty(0);
     private final DownloadListener downloadListener = new DownloadListener();
@@ -845,6 +845,9 @@ public final class XmrConnectionService {
                     return;
                 }
 
+                // get the number of connections, which is only available if not restricted
+                int numOutgoingConnections = Boolean.TRUE.equals(lastInfo.isRestricted()) ? -1 : lastInfo.getNumOutgoingConnections();
+
                 // update properties on user thread
                 UserThread.execute(() -> {
 
@@ -870,12 +873,19 @@ public final class XmrConnectionService {
                         }
                     }
                     connections.set(availableConnections);
-                    numConnections.set(availableConnections.size());
+                    numConnections.set(numOutgoingConnections);
 
                     // notify update
                     numUpdates.set(numUpdates.get() + 1);
                 });
 
+                // invoke error handling if no connections
+                if (numOutgoingConnections == 0) {
+                    String errorMsg = "The Monero node has no connected peers. It may be experiencing a network connectivity issue.";
+                    log.warn(errorMsg);
+                    throw new RuntimeException(errorMsg);
+                }
+
                 // handle error recovery
                 if (lastLogPollErrorTimestamp != null) {
                     log.info("Successfully fetched monerod info after previous error");
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/app/P2PNetworkSetup.java b/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/app/P2PNetworkSetup.java
index 69609a4bba..18a26bdb5e 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/app/P2PNetworkSetup.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/app/P2PNetworkSetup.java
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public class P2PNetworkSetup {
                     if (warning != null && p2pPeers == 0) {
                         result = warning;
                     } else {
-                        String p2pInfo = ((int) numXmrPeers > 0 ? Res.get("mainView.footer.xmrPeers", numXmrPeers) + " / " : "") + Res.get("mainView.footer.p2pPeers", numP2pPeers);
+                        String p2pInfo = ((int) numXmrPeers >= 0 ? Res.get("mainView.footer.xmrPeers", numXmrPeers) + " / " : "") + Res.get("mainView.footer.p2pPeers", numP2pPeers);
                         if (dataReceived && hiddenService) {
                             result = p2pInfo;
                         } else if (p2pPeers == 0)
diff --git a/desktop/src/main/java/haveno/desktop/main/MainView.java b/desktop/src/main/java/haveno/desktop/main/MainView.java
index 99e75b2a69..96bb796e2c 100644
--- a/desktop/src/main/java/haveno/desktop/main/MainView.java
+++ b/desktop/src/main/java/haveno/desktop/main/MainView.java
@@ -126,7 +126,6 @@ public class MainView extends InitializableView<StackPane, MainViewModel>  {
     private Label splashP2PNetworkLabel;
     private ProgressBar xmrSyncIndicator;
     private Label xmrSplashInfo;
-    private Popup p2PNetworkWarnMsgPopup, xmrNetworkWarnMsgPopup;
     private final TorNetworkSettingsWindow torNetworkSettingsWindow;
     private final Preferences preferences;
     private static final int networkIconSize = 20;
@@ -713,15 +712,10 @@ public class MainView extends InitializableView<StackPane, MainViewModel>  {
             if (newValue != null) {
                 xmrInfoLabel.setId("splash-error-state-msg");
                 xmrInfoLabel.getStyleClass().add("error-text");
-                if (xmrNetworkWarnMsgPopup == null) {
-                    xmrNetworkWarnMsgPopup = new Popup().warning(newValue);
-                    xmrNetworkWarnMsgPopup.show();
-                }
+                new Popup().warning(newValue).show();
             } else {
                 xmrInfoLabel.setId("footer-pane");
                 xmrInfoLabel.getStyleClass().remove("error-text");
-                if (xmrNetworkWarnMsgPopup != null)
-                    xmrNetworkWarnMsgPopup.hide();
             }
         });
 
@@ -804,10 +798,7 @@ public class MainView extends InitializableView<StackPane, MainViewModel>  {
         p2PNetworkLabel.idProperty().bind(model.getP2pNetworkLabelId());
         model.getP2pNetworkWarnMsg().addListener((ov, oldValue, newValue) -> {
             if (newValue != null) {
-                p2PNetworkWarnMsgPopup = new Popup().warning(newValue);
-                p2PNetworkWarnMsgPopup.show();
-            } else if (p2PNetworkWarnMsgPopup != null) {
-                p2PNetworkWarnMsgPopup.hide();
+                new Popup().warning(newValue).show();
             }
         });
         p2PNetworkIcon.setOnMouseClicked(e -> {