diff --git a/p2p/dial.go b/p2p/dial.go
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/p2p/dial.go
+++ b/p2p/dial.go
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ func (s *dialstate) removeStatic(n *discover.Node) {
 }
 
 func (s *dialstate) newTasks(nRunning int, peers map[discover.NodeID]*Peer, now time.Time) []task {
-	if s.start == (time.Time{}) {
+	if s.start.IsZero() {
 		s.start = now
 	}
 
diff --git a/swarm/network/kademlia/kaddb.go b/swarm/network/kademlia/kaddb.go
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/swarm/network/kademlia/kaddb.go
+++ b/swarm/network/kademlia/kaddb.go
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ func (self *KadDb) load(path string, cb func(*NodeRecord, Node) error) (err erro
 				}
 			}
 			n++
-			if (node.After == time.Time{}) {
+			if node.After.IsZero() {
 				node.After = time.Now()
 			}
 			self.index[node.Addr] = node
p2p, swarm/network/kademlia: use IsZero to check for zero time (#<I>)