diff --git a/client/internal/routemanager/client.go b/client/internal/routemanager/client.go
index 137e00d31..3ceb15eb6 100644
--- a/client/internal/routemanager/client.go
+++ b/client/internal/routemanager/client.go
@@ -7,10 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"runtime"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/hashicorp/go-multierror"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 
-	nberrors "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/errors"
 	nbdns "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/dns"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/peer"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/peerstore"
@@ -36,6 +34,7 @@ const (
 	reasonRouteUpdate
 	reasonPeerUpdate
 	reasonShutdown
+	reasonHA
 )
 
 type routerPeerStatus struct {
@@ -141,11 +140,11 @@ func (c *clientNetwork) getRouterPeerStatuses() map[route.ID]routerPeerStatus {
 //
 // It returns the ID of the selected optimal route.
 func (c *clientNetwork) getBestRouteFromStatuses(routePeerStatuses map[route.ID]routerPeerStatus) route.ID {
-	chosen := route.ID("")
+	var chosen route.ID
 	chosenScore := float64(0)
 	currScore := float64(0)
 
-	currID := route.ID("")
+	var currID route.ID
 	if c.currentChosen != nil {
 		currID = c.currentChosen.ID
 	}
@@ -254,45 +253,47 @@ func (c *clientNetwork) startPeersStatusChangeWatcher() {
 	}
 }
 
-func (c *clientNetwork) removeRouteFromWireGuardPeer() error {
-	if err := c.statusRecorder.RemovePeerStateRoute(c.currentChosen.Peer, c.handler.String()); err != nil {
+// addAllowedIPs adds the allowed IPs for the current chosen route to the handler.
+func (c *clientNetwork) addAllowedIPs(route *route.Route) error {
+	if err := c.handler.AddAllowedIPs(route.Peer); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("add allowed IPs for peer %s: %w", route.Peer, err)
+	}
+
+	if err := c.statusRecorder.AddPeerStateRoute(route.Peer, c.handler.String(), route.GetResourceID()); err != nil {
+		log.Warnf("Failed to update peer state: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	c.connectEvent(route)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (c *clientNetwork) removeAllowedIPs(route *route.Route, rsn reason) error {
+	if err := c.statusRecorder.RemovePeerStateRoute(route.Peer, c.handler.String()); err != nil {
 		log.Warnf("Failed to update peer state: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	if err := c.handler.RemoveAllowedIPs(); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("remove allowed IPs: %w", err)
 	}
+
+	c.disconnectEvent(route, rsn)
+
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (c *clientNetwork) removeRouteFromPeerAndSystem(rsn reason) error {
-	if c.currentChosen == nil {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	var merr *multierror.Error
-
-	if err := c.removeRouteFromWireGuardPeer(); err != nil {
-		merr = multierror.Append(merr, fmt.Errorf("remove allowed IPs for peer %s: %w", c.currentChosen.Peer, err))
-	}
-	if err := c.handler.RemoveRoute(); err != nil {
-		merr = multierror.Append(merr, fmt.Errorf("remove route: %w", err))
-	}
-
-	c.disconnectEvent(rsn)
-
-	return nberrors.FormatErrorOrNil(merr)
-}
-
-func (c *clientNetwork) recalculateRouteAndUpdatePeerAndSystem(rsn reason) error {
+func (c *clientNetwork) recalculateRoutes(rsn reason) error {
 	routerPeerStatuses := c.getRouterPeerStatuses()
 
 	newChosenID := c.getBestRouteFromStatuses(routerPeerStatuses)
 
-	// If no route is chosen, remove the route from the peer and system
+	// If no route is chosen, remove the route from the peer
 	if newChosenID == "" {
-		if err := c.removeRouteFromPeerAndSystem(rsn); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("remove route for peer %s: %w", c.currentChosen.Peer, err)
+		if c.currentChosen == nil {
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		if err := c.removeAllowedIPs(c.currentChosen, rsn); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("remove obsolete: %w", err)
 		}
 
 		c.currentChosen = nil
@@ -306,38 +307,24 @@ func (c *clientNetwork) recalculateRouteAndUpdatePeerAndSystem(rsn reason) error
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	var isNew bool
-	if c.currentChosen == nil {
-		// If they were not previously assigned to another peer, add routes to the system first
-		if err := c.handler.AddRoute(c.ctx); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("add route: %w", err)
-		}
-		isNew = true
-	} else {
-		// Otherwise, remove the allowed IPs from the previous peer first
-		if err := c.removeRouteFromWireGuardPeer(); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("remove allowed IPs for peer %s: %w", c.currentChosen.Peer, err)
+	// If the chosen route was assigned to a different peer, remove the allowed IPs first
+	if isNew := c.currentChosen == nil; !isNew {
+		if err := c.removeAllowedIPs(c.currentChosen, reasonHA); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("remove old: %w", err)
 		}
 	}
 
-	c.currentChosen = c.routes[newChosenID]
-
-	if err := c.handler.AddAllowedIPs(c.currentChosen.Peer); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("add allowed IPs for peer %s: %w", c.currentChosen.Peer, err)
+	newChosenRoute := c.routes[newChosenID]
+	if err := c.addAllowedIPs(newChosenRoute); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("add new: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	if isNew {
-		c.connectEvent()
-	}
+	c.currentChosen = newChosenRoute
 
-	err := c.statusRecorder.AddPeerStateRoute(c.currentChosen.Peer, c.handler.String(), c.currentChosen.GetResourceID())
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("add peer state route: %w", err)
-	}
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (c *clientNetwork) connectEvent() {
+func (c *clientNetwork) connectEvent(route *route.Route) {
 	var defaultRoute bool
 	for _, r := range c.routes {
 		if r.Network.Bits() == 0 {
@@ -353,9 +340,9 @@ func (c *clientNetwork) connectEvent() {
 	meta := map[string]string{
 		"network": c.handler.String(),
 	}
-	if c.currentChosen != nil {
-		meta["id"] = string(c.currentChosen.NetID)
-		meta["peer"] = c.currentChosen.Peer
+	if route != nil {
+		meta["id"] = string(route.NetID)
+		meta["peer"] = route.Peer
 	}
 	c.statusRecorder.PublishEvent(
 		proto.SystemEvent_INFO,
@@ -366,7 +353,7 @@ func (c *clientNetwork) connectEvent() {
 	)
 }
 
-func (c *clientNetwork) disconnectEvent(rsn reason) {
+func (c *clientNetwork) disconnectEvent(route *route.Route, rsn reason) {
 	var defaultRoute bool
 	for _, r := range c.routes {
 		if r.Network.Bits() == 0 {
@@ -384,9 +371,9 @@ func (c *clientNetwork) disconnectEvent(rsn reason) {
 	var userMessage string
 	meta := make(map[string]string)
 
-	if c.currentChosen != nil {
-		meta["id"] = string(c.currentChosen.NetID)
-		meta["peer"] = c.currentChosen.Peer
+	if route != nil {
+		meta["id"] = string(route.NetID)
+		meta["peer"] = route.Peer
 	}
 	meta["network"] = c.handler.String()
 	switch rsn {
@@ -401,6 +388,10 @@ func (c *clientNetwork) disconnectEvent(rsn reason) {
 		severity = proto.SystemEvent_WARNING
 		message = "Default route disconnected due to peer unreachability"
 		userMessage = "Exit node connection lost. Your internet access might be affected."
+	case reasonHA:
+		severity = proto.SystemEvent_INFO
+		message = "Default route disconnected due to high availability change"
+		userMessage = "Exit node disconnected due to high availability change."
 	default:
 		severity = proto.SystemEvent_ERROR
 		message = "Default route disconnected for unknown reasons"
@@ -458,12 +449,12 @@ func (c *clientNetwork) peersStateAndUpdateWatcher() {
 		select {
 		case <-c.ctx.Done():
 			log.Debugf("Stopping watcher for network [%v]", c.handler)
-			if err := c.removeRouteFromPeerAndSystem(reasonShutdown); err != nil {
+			if err := c.removeAllowedIPs(c.currentChosen, reasonShutdown); err != nil {
 				log.Errorf("Failed to remove routes for [%v]: %v", c.handler, err)
 			}
 			return
 		case <-c.peerStateUpdate:
-			err := c.recalculateRouteAndUpdatePeerAndSystem(reasonPeerUpdate)
+			err := c.recalculateRoutes(reasonPeerUpdate)
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Errorf("Failed to recalculate routes for network [%v]: %v", c.handler, err)
 			}
@@ -482,7 +473,7 @@ func (c *clientNetwork) peersStateAndUpdateWatcher() {
 
 			if isTrueRouteUpdate {
 				log.Debug("Client network update contains different routes, recalculating routes")
-				err := c.recalculateRouteAndUpdatePeerAndSystem(reasonRouteUpdate)
+				err := c.recalculateRoutes(reasonRouteUpdate)
 				if err != nil {
 					log.Errorf("Failed to recalculate routes for network [%v]: %v", c.handler, err)
 				}
diff --git a/client/internal/routemanager/static/route.go b/client/internal/routemanager/static/route.go
index 98c34dbee..ea8991c12 100644
--- a/client/internal/routemanager/static/route.go
+++ b/client/internal/routemanager/static/route.go
@@ -30,13 +30,17 @@ func (r *Route) String() string {
 }
 
 func (r *Route) AddRoute(context.Context) error {
-	_, err := r.routeRefCounter.Increment(r.route.Network, struct{}{})
-	return err
+	if _, err := r.routeRefCounter.Increment(r.route.Network, struct{}{}); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (r *Route) RemoveRoute() error {
-	_, err := r.routeRefCounter.Decrement(r.route.Network)
-	return err
+	if _, err := r.routeRefCounter.Decrement(r.route.Network); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (r *Route) AddAllowedIPs(peerKey string) error {
@@ -52,6 +56,8 @@ func (r *Route) AddAllowedIPs(peerKey string) error {
 }
 
 func (r *Route) RemoveAllowedIPs() error {
-	_, err := r.allowedIPsRefcounter.Decrement(r.route.Network)
-	return err
+	if _, err := r.allowedIPsRefcounter.Decrement(r.route.Network); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
 }