diff --git a/gui/BezierConnectionPainter.cpp b/gui/BezierConnectionPainter.cpp
index 93e3414..423d48e 100644
--- a/gui/BezierConnectionPainter.cpp
+++ b/gui/BezierConnectionPainter.cpp
@@ -43,8 +43,9 @@ void BezierConnectionPainter::paint(
     auto *model = dynamic_cast<WarpGraphModel *>(&scene->graphModel());
     if (model) {
       auto cId = cgo.connectionId();
-      peakLevel = std::max(model->nodePeakLevel(cId.outNodeId),
-                           model->nodePeakLevel(cId.inNodeId));
+      if (model->connectionExists(cId)) {
+        peakLevel = model->nodePeakLevel(cId.outNodeId);
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/gui/SquareConnectionPainter.cpp b/gui/SquareConnectionPainter.cpp
index 5139e3e..8d449a8 100644
--- a/gui/SquareConnectionPainter.cpp
+++ b/gui/SquareConnectionPainter.cpp
@@ -66,16 +66,17 @@ QPainterPath SquareConnectionPainter::orthogonalPath(
   constexpr double kNodePad = 15.0;
 
   auto const cId = cgo.connectionId();
+  auto *sceneForChannel = cgo.nodeScene();
+  auto *mdl = sceneForChannel
+                  ? dynamic_cast<WarpGraphModel *>(&sceneForChannel->graphModel())
+                  : nullptr;
+  bool connectionAlive = mdl ? mdl->connectionExists(cId) : true;
 
   double spread = static_cast<double>(cId.outPortIndex) * kSpacing;
-  auto *sceneForChannel = cgo.nodeScene();
-  if (sceneForChannel) {
-    auto *mdl = dynamic_cast<WarpGraphModel *>(&sceneForChannel->graphModel());
-    if (mdl) {
-      auto ch = mdl->connectionChannel(cId);
-      spread = (static_cast<double>(ch.index) - (ch.count - 1) / 2.0)
-               * kSpacing;
-    }
+  if (mdl && connectionAlive) {
+    auto ch = mdl->connectionChannel(cId);
+    spread = (static_cast<double>(ch.index) - (ch.count - 1) / 2.0)
+             * kSpacing;
   }
 
   double const dy = in.y() - out.y();
@@ -125,12 +126,9 @@ QPainterPath SquareConnectionPainter::orthogonalPath(
   //
 
   double railOffset = 0.0;
-  if (sceneForChannel) {
-    auto *mdl2 = dynamic_cast<WarpGraphModel *>(&sceneForChannel->graphModel());
-    if (mdl2) {
-      auto ch = mdl2->connectionChannel(cId);
-      railOffset = static_cast<double>(ch.index) * kSpacing;
-    }
+  if (mdl && connectionAlive) {
+    auto ch = mdl->connectionChannel(cId);
+    railOffset = static_cast<double>(ch.index) * kSpacing;
   }
 
   double rightX = out.x() + kMinStub + railOffset;
@@ -205,8 +203,9 @@ void SquareConnectionPainter::paint(
     auto *model = dynamic_cast<WarpGraphModel *>(&scene->graphModel());
     if (model) {
       auto cId = cgo.connectionId();
-      peakLevel = std::max(model->nodePeakLevel(cId.outNodeId),
-                           model->nodePeakLevel(cId.inNodeId));
+      if (model->connectionExists(cId)) {
+        peakLevel = model->nodePeakLevel(cId.outNodeId);
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/gui/WarpGraphModel.cpp b/gui/WarpGraphModel.cpp
index addf025..101e97e 100644
--- a/gui/WarpGraphModel.cpp
+++ b/gui/WarpGraphModel.cpp
@@ -343,6 +343,8 @@ bool WarpGraphModel::deleteConnection(
   }
 
   m_connections.erase(it);
+  m_connectionChannels.erase(connectionId);
+  recomputeConnectionChannels();
   Q_EMIT connectionDeleted(connectionId);
   return true;
 }
@@ -374,6 +376,7 @@ bool WarpGraphModel::deleteNode(QtNodes::NodeId const nodeId) {
   m_positions.erase(nodeId);
   m_sizes.erase(nodeId);
   m_volumeStates.erase(nodeId);
+  m_peakLevels.erase(nodeId);
   m_styleCache.erase(nodeId);
   m_volumeWidgets.erase(nodeId);
   Q_EMIT nodeDeleted(nodeId);
diff --git a/src/warppipe.cpp b/src/warppipe.cpp
index ac92d3e..b8d6806 100644
--- a/src/warppipe.cpp
+++ b/src/warppipe.cpp
@@ -329,10 +329,12 @@ void NodeMeterProcess(void* data) {
     had_data = true;
     pw_stream_queue_buffer(meter->stream, buf);
   }
-  if (had_data) {
-    meter->peak_left.store(left, std::memory_order_relaxed);
-    meter->peak_right.store(right, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+  if (!had_data) {
+    left = 0.0f;
+    right = 0.0f;
   }
+  meter->peak_left.store(left, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+  meter->peak_right.store(right, std::memory_order_relaxed);
 }
 
 static const pw_stream_events kNodeMeterEvents = {