diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 4f021e5..c401479 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -51,10 +51,9 @@ class Channel {
   }
 
   async open(handshake) {
-    if (this._mux._slave) {
-      await this._mux.pullLocal();
-      await this._mux.pullFree();
-    }
+    await this._mux.pullLocal();
+    await this._mux.pullFree();
+
     const freeLen = this._mux._free.length;
     const id =
       this._mux._free.length > 0
@@ -65,12 +64,10 @@ class Channel {
     this._localId = id + 1;
     this._mux._local[id] = this;
 
-    if (this._mux._slave) {
-      if (freeLen > 0) {
-        await this._mux.popFree(id);
-      } else {
-        await this._mux.pushLocal(id);
-      }
+    if (freeLen > 0) {
+      await this._mux.popFree(id);
+    } else {
+      await this._mux.pushLocal(id);
     }
 
     if (this._remoteId === 0) {
@@ -157,16 +154,12 @@ class Channel {
     if (this._remoteId > 0) {
       this._mux._remote[this._remoteId - 1] = null;
       this._remoteId = 0;
-      if (this._mux._slave) {
-        await this._mux.pullFree();
-      }
+      await this._mux.pullFree();
       // If remote has acked, we can reuse the local id now
       // otherwise, we need to wait for the "ack" to arrive
       this._mux._free.push(this._localId - 1);
 
-      if (this._mux._slave) {
-        await this._mux.pushFree(this._localId - 1);
-      }
+      await this._mux.pushFree(this._localId - 1);
     }
 
     this._mux._local[this._localId - 1] = null;
@@ -623,16 +616,13 @@ module.exports = class Protomux {
     const rid = remoteId - 1;
     const info = await this._get(protocol, id);
 
-    if (this._slave) {
-      await this.pullRemote();
-    }
+    await this.pullRemote();
 
     // allow the remote to grow the ids by one
     if (this._remote.length === rid) {
       this._remote.push(null);
-      if (this._slave) {
-        await this.pushRemote(this._remote.length - 1);
-      }
+
+      await this.pushRemote(this._remote.length - 1);
     }
 
     if (rid >= this._remote.length || this._remote[rid] !== null) {
@@ -647,22 +637,18 @@ module.exports = class Protomux {
       await this.pushInfos();
 
       if (session === null) {
-        if (this._slave) {
-          await this.pullFree();
-        }
+        await this.pullFree();
         // we already closed the channel - ignore
         this._free.push(localId - 1);
-        if (this._slave) {
-          await this.pushFree(localId - 1);
-        }
+
+        await this.pushFree(localId - 1);
+
         return;
       }
 
       this._remote[rid] = { state, pending: null, session: null };
 
-      if (this._slave) {
-        await this.pushRemote(remoteId);
-      }
+      await this.pushRemote(remoteId);
 
       session._remoteId = remoteId;
       session._fullyOpen();
@@ -686,10 +672,7 @@ module.exports = class Protomux {
     info.incoming.push(remoteId);
 
     await this.pushInfos();
-
-    if (this._slave) {
-      await this.pushRemote(remoteId);
-    }
+    await this.pushRemote(remoteId);
 
     this._requestSession(protocol, id, info).catch(this._safeDestroyBound);
   }
@@ -710,14 +693,11 @@ module.exports = class Protomux {
 
       const session = this._local[localId - 1];
 
-      if (this._slave) {
-        await this.pullFree(localId - 1);
-      }
+      await this.pullFree(localId - 1);
 
       this._free.push(localId - 1);
-      if (this._slave) {
-        await this.pushFree(localId - 1);
-      }
+
+      await this.pushFree(localId - 1);
 
       if (session !== null) session._close(true);
 
@@ -821,15 +801,27 @@ module.exports = class Protomux {
   }
 
   async popFree(id) {
+    if (!this._slave) {
+      return;
+    }
     await this.stream.syncProtomux("popFree", id);
   }
   async pushFree(id) {
+    if (!this._slave) {
+      return;
+    }
     await this.stream.syncProtomux("pushFree", id);
   }
   async pushLocal(id) {
+    if (!this._slave) {
+      return;
+    }
     await this.stream.syncProtomux("pushLocal", id);
   }
   async pushRemote(id) {
+    if (!this._slave) {
+      return;
+    }
     await this.stream.syncProtomux("pushRemote", id);
   }
   async pushInfos() {
@@ -843,6 +835,9 @@ module.exports = class Protomux {
   }
 
   async pullLocal() {
+    if (!this._slave) {
+      return;
+    }
     const ids = await this.stream.syncProtomux("pullLocal");
 
     ids.forEach((item) => {
@@ -853,12 +848,18 @@ module.exports = class Protomux {
     });
   }
   async pullFree() {
+    if (!this._slave) {
+      return;
+    }
     const ids = await this.stream.syncProtomux("pullFree");
 
     this._free = Array.from(new Set([...this._free, ...ids]));
     this._free = this._free.filter((item) => item !== null);
   }
   async pullRemote() {
+    if (!this._slave) {
+      return;
+    }
     const ids = await this.stream.syncProtomux("pullRemote");
 
     ids.forEach((item) => {