diff --git a/client/server/capture.go b/client/server/capture.go
index 308c00338..3d3a2854e 100644
--- a/client/server/capture.go
+++ b/client/server/capture.go
@@ -344,9 +344,6 @@ func (s *Server) clearCaptureIfOwner(sess *capture.Session, engine *internal.Eng
 }
 
 func (s *Server) getCaptureEngineLocked() (*internal.Engine, error) {
-	if s.connectClient == nil {
-		return nil, status.Error(codes.FailedPrecondition, "client not connected")
-	}
 	engine := s.connectClient.Engine()
 	if engine == nil {
 		return nil, status.Error(codes.FailedPrecondition, "engine not initialized")
diff --git a/client/server/debug.go b/client/server/debug.go
index 14dcaba33..c425c58b8 100644
--- a/client/server/debug.go
+++ b/client/server/debug.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ package server
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"runtime/pprof"
 
@@ -28,11 +27,9 @@ func (s *Server) DebugBundle(_ context.Context, req *proto.DebugBundleRequest) (
 	}
 
 	var clientMetrics debug.MetricsExporter
-	if s.connectClient != nil {
-		if engine := s.connectClient.Engine(); engine != nil {
-			if cm := engine.GetClientMetrics(); cm != nil {
-				clientMetrics = cm
-			}
+	if engine := s.connectClient.Engine(); engine != nil {
+		if cm := engine.GetClientMetrics(); cm != nil {
+			clientMetrics = cm
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -48,13 +45,10 @@ func (s *Server) DebugBundle(_ context.Context, req *proto.DebugBundleRequest) (
 	defer s.cleanupBundleCapture()
 
 	var refreshStatus func()
-	if s.connectClient != nil {
-		engine := s.connectClient.Engine()
-		if engine != nil {
-			refreshStatus = func() {
-				log.Debug("refreshing system health status for debug bundle")
-				engine.RunHealthProbes(true)
-			}
+	if engine := s.connectClient.Engine(); engine != nil {
+		refreshStatus = func() {
+			log.Debug("refreshing system health status for debug bundle")
+			engine.RunHealthProbes(true)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -118,9 +112,7 @@ func (s *Server) SetLogLevel(_ context.Context, req *proto.SetLogLevelRequest) (
 
 	log.SetLevel(level)
 
-	if s.connectClient != nil {
-		s.connectClient.SetLogLevel(level)
-	}
+	s.connectClient.SetLogLevel(level)
 
 	log.Infof("Log level set to %s", level.String())
 
@@ -134,20 +126,13 @@ func (s *Server) SetSyncResponsePersistence(_ context.Context, req *proto.SetSyn
 
 	enabled := req.GetEnabled()
 	s.persistSyncResponse = enabled
-	if s.connectClient != nil {
-		s.connectClient.SetSyncResponsePersistence(enabled)
-	}
+	s.connectClient.SetSyncResponsePersistence(enabled)
 
 	return &proto.SetSyncResponsePersistenceResponse{}, nil
 }
 
 func (s *Server) getLatestSyncResponse() (*mgmProto.SyncResponse, error) {
-	cClient := s.connectClient
-	if cClient == nil {
-		return nil, errors.New("connect client is not initialized")
-	}
-
-	return cClient.GetLatestSyncResponse()
+	return s.connectClient.GetLatestSyncResponse()
 }
 
 // StartCPUProfile starts CPU profiling in the daemon.
diff --git a/client/server/network.go b/client/server/network.go
index 7a3c08f2e..46c95c6cf 100644
--- a/client/server/network.go
+++ b/client/server/network.go
@@ -34,10 +34,6 @@ func (s *Server) ListNetworks(context.Context, *proto.ListNetworksRequest) (*pro
 		return nil, gstatus.Errorf(codes.Unavailable, errNetworksDisabled)
 	}
 
-	if s.connectClient == nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("not connected")
-	}
-
 	engine := s.connectClient.Engine()
 	if engine == nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("not connected")
@@ -147,10 +143,6 @@ func (s *Server) SelectNetworks(_ context.Context, req *proto.SelectNetworksRequ
 		return nil, gstatus.Errorf(codes.Unavailable, errNetworksDisabled)
 	}
 
-	if s.connectClient == nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("not connected")
-	}
-
 	engine := s.connectClient.Engine()
 	if engine == nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("not connected")
@@ -199,10 +191,6 @@ func (s *Server) DeselectNetworks(_ context.Context, req *proto.SelectNetworksRe
 		return nil, gstatus.Errorf(codes.Unavailable, errNetworksDisabled)
 	}
 
-	if s.connectClient == nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("not connected")
-	}
-
 	engine := s.connectClient.Engine()
 	if engine == nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("not connected")
diff --git a/client/server/server.go b/client/server/server.go
index 30c46e4ef..2004d0710 100644
--- a/client/server/server.go
+++ b/client/server/server.go
@@ -887,10 +887,8 @@ func (s *Server) cleanupConnection() error {
 	// until the in-flight run has fully unwound (a clean, synchronous teardown).
 	// It must run before actCancel: cancelling the context first would make
 	// Stop observe a dead context and return early without waiting.
-	if s.connectClient != nil {
-		if err := s.connectClient.Stop(); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+	if err := s.connectClient.Stop(); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// Stop the retry goroutine so it does not start a fresh run. The client
diff --git a/client/server/state.go b/client/server/state.go
index f2d823465..ec11cdc4f 100644
--- a/client/server/state.go
+++ b/client/server/state.go
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/status"
 
 	nberrors "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/errors"
-	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/routemanager/systemops"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/statemanager"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/proto"
@@ -38,7 +37,7 @@ func (s *Server) ListStates(_ context.Context, _ *proto.ListStatesRequest) (*pro
 
 // CleanState handles cleaning of states (performing cleanup operations)
 func (s *Server) CleanState(ctx context.Context, req *proto.CleanStateRequest) (*proto.CleanStateResponse, error) {
-	if s.connectClient != nil && (s.connectClient.Status() == internal.StatusConnected || s.connectClient.Status() == internal.StatusConnecting) {
+	if s.connectClient.ConnectionRunning() {
 		return nil, status.Errorf(codes.FailedPrecondition, "cannot clean state while connecting or connected, run 'netbird down' first.")
 	}
 
@@ -81,7 +80,7 @@ func (s *Server) CleanState(ctx context.Context, req *proto.CleanStateRequest) (
 
 // DeleteState handles deletion of states without cleanup
 func (s *Server) DeleteState(ctx context.Context, req *proto.DeleteStateRequest) (*proto.DeleteStateResponse, error) {
-	if s.connectClient != nil && (s.connectClient.Status() == internal.StatusConnected || s.connectClient.Status() == internal.StatusConnecting) {
+	if s.connectClient.ConnectionRunning() {
 		return nil, status.Errorf(codes.FailedPrecondition, "cannot clean state while connecting or connected, run 'netbird down' first.")
 	}
 
diff --git a/client/server/trace.go b/client/server/trace.go
index 7fea31c49..026117c69 100644
--- a/client/server/trace.go
+++ b/client/server/trace.go
@@ -62,10 +62,6 @@ func (s *Server) TracePacket(_ context.Context, req *proto.TracePacketRequest) (
 }
 
 func (s *Server) getPacketTracer() (packetTracer, *internal.Engine, error) {
-	if s.connectClient == nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("connect client not initialized")
-	}
-
 	engine := s.connectClient.Engine()
 	if engine == nil {
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("engine not initialized")