diff --git a/protocol/connections/engine.go b/protocol/connections/engine.go
index 419a381..959e719 100644
--- a/protocol/connections/engine.go
+++ b/protocol/connections/engine.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ type engine struct {
 	authorizations sync.Map // string(onion) => model.Authorization
 
 	// Block Unknown Contacts
-	blockUnknownContacts bool
+	blockUnknownContacts atomic.Bool
 
 	// Pointer to the Global Event Manager
 	eventManager event.Manager
@@ -240,10 +240,10 @@ func (e *engine) eventHandler() {
 			}
 		case event.AllowUnknownPeers:
 			log.Debugf("%v now allows unknown connections", e.identity.Hostname())
-			e.blockUnknownContacts = false
+			e.blockUnknownContacts.Store(false)
 		case event.BlockUnknownPeers:
 			log.Debugf("%v now forbids unknown connections", e.identity.Hostname())
-			e.blockUnknownContacts = true
+			e.blockUnknownContacts.Store(true)
 		case event.ProtocolEngineStartListen:
 			go e.listenFn()
 		case event.ShareManifest:
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ func (e *engine) isBlocked(onion string) bool {
 	authorization, known := e.authorizations.Load(onion)
 	if !known {
 		// if we block unknown peers we will block this contact
-		return e.blockUnknownContacts
+		return e.blockUnknownContacts.Load()
 	}
 	return authorization.(model.Authorization) == model.AuthBlocked
 }
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ func (e *engine) isAllowed(onion string) bool {
 		log.Errorf("attempted to lookup authorization of onion not in map...that should never happen")
 		return false
 	}
-	if e.blockUnknownContacts {
+	if e.blockUnknownContacts.Load() {
 		return authorization.(model.Authorization) == model.AuthApproved
 	}
 	return authorization.(model.Authorization) != model.AuthBlocked