diff --git a/network/clean.go b/network/clean.go
index efeadce9..3d3a8c23 100644
--- a/network/clean.go
+++ b/network/clean.go
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/safing/portmaster/network/packet"
+
 	"github.com/safing/portmaster/network/state"
 
 	"github.com/safing/portbase/log"
@@ -42,7 +44,7 @@ func cleanConnections() (activePIDs map[int]struct{}) {
 
 		now := time.Now().UTC()
 		nowUnix := now.Unix()
-		deleteOlderThan := time.Now().Add(-deleteConnsAfterEndedThreshold).Unix()
+		deleteOlderThan := now.Add(-deleteConnsAfterEndedThreshold).Unix()
 
 		// lock both together because we cannot fully guarantee in which map a connection lands
 		// of course every connection should land in the correct map, but this increases resilience
@@ -59,12 +61,19 @@ func cleanConnections() (activePIDs map[int]struct{}) {
 			switch {
 			case conn.Ended == 0:
 				// Step 1: check if still active
-				exists := state.Exists(conn.IPVersion, conn.IPProtocol, conn.LocalIP, conn.LocalPort, conn.Entity.IP, conn.Entity.Port, now)
-				if exists {
-					activePIDs[conn.process.Pid] = struct{}{}
-				} else {
+				exists := state.Exists(&packet.Info{
+					Inbound:  false, // src == local
+					Version:  conn.IPVersion,
+					Protocol: conn.IPProtocol,
+					Src:      conn.LocalIP,
+					SrcPort:  conn.LocalPort,
+					Dst:      conn.Entity.IP,
+					DstPort:  conn.Entity.Port,
+				}, now)
+				activePIDs[conn.process.Pid] = struct{}{}
+
+				if !exists {
 					// Step 2: mark end
-					activePIDs[conn.process.Pid] = struct{}{}
 					conn.Ended = nowUnix
 					conn.Save()
 				}
diff --git a/network/state/exists.go b/network/state/exists.go
index 9af6979f..68dd8288 100644
--- a/network/state/exists.go
+++ b/network/state/exists.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package state
 
 import (
-	"net"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/safing/portmaster/network/packet"
@@ -12,49 +11,38 @@ const (
 	UDPConnectionTTL = 10 * time.Minute
 )
 
-func Exists(
-	ipVersion packet.IPVersion,
-	protocol packet.IPProtocol,
-	localIP net.IP,
-	localPort uint16,
-	remoteIP net.IP,
-	remotePort uint16,
-	now time.Time,
-) (exists bool) {
-
+func Exists(pktInfo *packet.Info, now time.Time) (exists bool) {
 	switch {
-	case ipVersion == packet.IPv4 && protocol == packet.TCP:
+	case pktInfo.Version == packet.IPv4 && pktInfo.Protocol == packet.TCP:
 		tcp4Lock.Lock()
 		defer tcp4Lock.Unlock()
-		return existsTCP(tcp4Connections, localIP, localPort, remoteIP, remotePort)
+		return existsTCP(tcp4Connections, pktInfo)
 
-	case ipVersion == packet.IPv6 && protocol == packet.TCP:
+	case pktInfo.Version == packet.IPv6 && pktInfo.Protocol == packet.TCP:
 		tcp6Lock.Lock()
 		defer tcp6Lock.Unlock()
-		return existsTCP(tcp6Connections, localIP, localPort, remoteIP, remotePort)
+		return existsTCP(tcp6Connections, pktInfo)
 
-	case ipVersion == packet.IPv4 && protocol == packet.UDP:
+	case pktInfo.Version == packet.IPv4 && pktInfo.Protocol == packet.UDP:
 		udp4Lock.Lock()
 		defer udp4Lock.Unlock()
-		return existsUDP(udp4Binds, udp4States, localIP, localPort, remoteIP, remotePort, now)
+		return existsUDP(udp4Binds, udp4States, pktInfo, now)
 
-	case ipVersion == packet.IPv6 && protocol == packet.UDP:
+	case pktInfo.Version == packet.IPv6 && pktInfo.Protocol == packet.UDP:
 		udp6Lock.Lock()
 		defer udp6Lock.Unlock()
-		return existsUDP(udp6Binds, udp6States, localIP, localPort, remoteIP, remotePort, now)
+		return existsUDP(udp6Binds, udp6States, pktInfo, now)
 
 	default:
 		return false
 	}
 }
 
-func existsTCP(
-	connections []*socket.ConnectionInfo,
-	localIP net.IP,
-	localPort uint16,
-	remoteIP net.IP,
-	remotePort uint16,
-) (exists bool) {
+func existsTCP(connections []*socket.ConnectionInfo, pktInfo *packet.Info) (exists bool) {
+	localIP := pktInfo.LocalIP()
+	localPort := pktInfo.LocalPort()
+	remoteIP := pktInfo.RemoteIP()
+	remotePort := pktInfo.RemotePort()
 
 	// search connections
 	for _, socketInfo := range connections {
@@ -72,13 +60,15 @@ func existsTCP(
 func existsUDP(
 	binds []*socket.BindInfo,
 	udpStates map[string]map[string]*udpState,
-	localIP net.IP,
-	localPort uint16,
-	remoteIP net.IP,
-	remotePort uint16,
+	pktInfo *packet.Info,
 	now time.Time,
 ) (exists bool) {
 
+	localIP := pktInfo.LocalIP()
+	localPort := pktInfo.LocalPort()
+	remoteIP := pktInfo.RemoteIP()
+	remotePort := pktInfo.RemotePort()
+
 	connThreshhold := now.Add(-UDPConnectionTTL)
 
 	// search binds