diff --git a/peer.go b/peer.go
index d3e653a5..4fa3600c 100644
--- a/peer.go
+++ b/peer.go
@@ -394,6 +394,9 @@ func (p *peer) readNextMessage() (lnwire.Message, []byte, error) {
 //
 // NOTE: This method MUST be run as a goroutine.
 func (p *peer) readHandler() {
+	var activeChanMtx sync.Mutex
+	activeChanStreams := make(map[lnwire.ChannelID]struct{})
+
 out:
 	for atomic.LoadInt32(&p.disconnect) == 0 {
 		nextMsg, _, err := p.readNextMessage()
@@ -481,18 +484,51 @@ out:
 		}
 
 		if isChanUpdate {
-			p.server.fundingMgr.waitUntilChannelOpen(targetChan)
-			// Dispatch the commitment update message to the proper
-			// active goroutine dedicated to this channel.
-			p.htlcManMtx.Lock()
-			channel, ok := p.htlcManagers[targetChan]
-			p.htlcManMtx.Unlock()
-			if !ok {
-				peerLog.Errorf("recv'd update for unknown "+
-					"channel %v from %v", targetChan, p)
+			sendUpdate := func() {
+				// Dispatch the commitment update message to
+				// the proper active goroutine dedicated to
+				// this channel.
+				p.htlcManMtx.RLock()
+				channel, ok := p.htlcManagers[targetChan]
+				p.htlcManMtx.RUnlock()
+				if !ok {
+					peerLog.Errorf("recv'd update for unknown "+
+						"channel %v from %v", targetChan, p)
+					return
+				}
+
+				channel <- nextMsg
+			}
+
+			// Check the map of active channel streams, if this map
+			// has an entry, then this means the channel is fully
+			// open. In this case, we can send the channel update
+			// directly without any further waiting.
+			activeChanMtx.Lock()
+			_, ok := activeChanStreams[targetChan]
+			activeChanMtx.Unlock()
+			if ok {
+				sendUpdate()
 				continue
 			}
-			channel <- nextMsg
+
+			// Otherwise, we'll launch a goroutine to synchronize
+			// the processing of this message, with the opening of
+			// the channel as marked by the funding manage.
+			go func() {
+				// Block until the channel is marked open.
+				p.server.fundingMgr.waitUntilChannelOpen(targetChan)
+
+				// Once the channel is open, we'll mark the
+				// stream as active and send the update to the
+				// channel. Marking the stream lets us take the
+				// fast path above, skipping the check to the
+				// funding manager.
+				activeChanMtx.Lock()
+				activeChanStreams[targetChan] = struct{}{}
+				sendUpdate()
+				activeChanMtx.Unlock()
+			}()
 		}
 	}