diff --git a/gateway/src/listener.rs b/gateway/src/listener.rs
index a98f7dbc83..cb915667bc 100644
--- a/gateway/src/listener.rs
+++ b/gateway/src/listener.rs
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ pub async fn handle_connection(
     while let Some(msg) = ws_stream.next().await {
         let msg = msg?;
         if msg.is_binary() {
-            mixnet_client::forward_to_mixnode(msg.into_data(), client_ref.clone()).await;
+            mixnet_client::forward_to_mixnode(msg.into_data(), Arc::clone(&client_ref)).await;
         }
     }
     Ok(())
diff --git a/gateway/src/main.rs b/gateway/src/main.rs
index 53966634cd..b4ee2b4f8e 100644
--- a/gateway/src/main.rs
+++ b/gateway/src/main.rs
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ async fn main() {
             .expect("connected streams should have a peer address");
         info!("Peer address: {}", peer);
 
-        tokio::spawn(accept_connection(peer, stream, client_ref.clone()));
+        tokio::spawn(accept_connection(peer, stream, Arc::clone(&client_ref)));
     }
 }