diff --git a/network/src/network.rs b/network/src/network.rs
index 9fb5a14cc8..5824c0e141 100644
--- a/network/src/network.rs
+++ b/network/src/network.rs
@@ -105,7 +105,9 @@ impl NetworkState {
             .chain(config.public_addresses.iter())
             .map(|addr| (addr.to_owned(), std::u8::MAX))
             .collect();
-        let peer_store = Mutex::new(PeerStore::load_from_dir(config.peer_store_path())?);
+        let peer_store = Mutex::new(PeerStore::load_from_dir_or_default(
+            config.peer_store_path(),
+        ));
         let bootnodes = config.bootnodes()?;
 
         let whitelist_peers = config
diff --git a/network/src/peer_store/peer_store_db.rs b/network/src/peer_store/peer_store_db.rs
index 54ca837d18..bfa19627e2 100644
--- a/network/src/peer_store/peer_store_db.rs
+++ b/network/src/peer_store/peer_store_db.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use crate::{
         PeerStore,
     },
 };
-use ckb_logger::debug;
+use ckb_logger::{debug, error};
 use std::fs::{copy, create_dir_all, remove_file, rename, File, OpenOptions};
 use std::io::{Read, Write};
 use std::path::Path;
@@ -49,25 +49,45 @@ impl BanList {
 }
 
 impl PeerStore {
-    pub fn load_from_dir<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: P) -> Result<Self, Error> {
+    pub fn load_from_dir_or_default<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: P) -> Self {
         let addr_manager_path = path.as_ref().join(DEFAULT_ADDR_MANAGER_DB);
         let ban_list_path = path.as_ref().join(DEFAULT_BAN_LIST_DB);
 
-        let addr_manager = if addr_manager_path.exists() {
-            AddrManager::load(File::open(addr_manager_path)?)?
-        } else {
-            debug!("Failed to load addr manager from {:?}", addr_manager_path);
-            AddrManager::default()
-        };
+        let addr_manager = File::open(&addr_manager_path)
+            .map_err(|err| {
+                debug!(
+                    "Failed to open AddrManager db, file: {:?}, error: {:?}",
+                    addr_manager_path, err
+                )
+            })
+            .and_then(|file| {
+                AddrManager::load(file).map_err(|err| {
+                    error!(
+                        "Failed to load AddrManager db, file: {:?}, error: {:?}",
+                        addr_manager_path, err
+                    )
+                })
+            })
+            .unwrap_or_default();
 
-        let ban_list = if ban_list_path.exists() {
-            BanList::load(File::open(ban_list_path)?)?
-        } else {
-            debug!("Failed to load ban list from {:?}", ban_list_path);
-            BanList::default()
-        };
+        let ban_list = File::open(&ban_list_path)
+            .map_err(|err| {
+                debug!(
+                    "Failed to open BanList db, file: {:?}, error: {:?}",
+                    ban_list_path, err
+                )
+            })
+            .and_then(|file| {
+                BanList::load(file).map_err(|err| {
+                    error!(
+                        "Failed to load BanList db, file: {:?}, error: {:?}",
+                        ban_list_path, err
+                    )
+                })
+            })
+            .unwrap_or_default();
 
-        Ok(PeerStore::new(addr_manager, ban_list))
+        PeerStore::new(addr_manager, ban_list)
     }
 
     pub fn dump_to_dir<P: AsRef<Path>>(&self, path: P) -> Result<(), Error> {
diff --git a/network/src/tests/peer_store_db.rs b/network/src/tests/peer_store_db.rs
index 918e9d1baf..1b4b9a04b4 100644
--- a/network/src/tests/peer_store_db.rs
+++ b/network/src/tests/peer_store_db.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ use crate::{
 };
 
 use std::collections::HashSet;
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::io::Write;
 
 #[test]
 fn test_peer_store_persistent() {
@@ -71,7 +73,7 @@ fn test_peer_store_persistent() {
     // dump and load
     let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
     peer_store.dump_to_dir(&dir.path()).unwrap();
-    let peer_store2 = PeerStore::load_from_dir(&dir.path()).unwrap();
+    let peer_store2 = PeerStore::load_from_dir_or_default(&dir.path());
 
     // check addr manager
     let addr_manager2 = peer_store2.addr_manager();
@@ -95,3 +97,50 @@ fn test_peer_store_persistent() {
         vec![ban1, ban2, ban3].into_iter().collect::<HashSet<_>>()
     );
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn test_peer_store_load_from_dir_should_not_panic() {
+    // should return an empty store when dir does not exist
+    {
+        let peer_store = PeerStore::load_from_dir_or_default("/tmp/a_directory_does_not_exist");
+        assert_eq!(0, peer_store.addr_manager().count());
+        assert_eq!(0, peer_store.ban_list().get_banned_addrs().len());
+    }
+
+    // should return an empty store when AddrManager db is empty or broken
+    {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let file_path = dir.path().join("addr_manager.db");
+        let mut file = File::create(file_path).unwrap();
+        writeln!(file).unwrap();
+        let peer_store = PeerStore::load_from_dir_or_default(dir);
+        assert_eq!(0, peer_store.addr_manager().count());
+    }
+
+    {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let file_path = dir.path().join("addr_manager.db");
+        let mut file = File::create(file_path).unwrap();
+        writeln!(file, "broken").unwrap();
+        let peer_store = PeerStore::load_from_dir_or_default(dir);
+        assert_eq!(0, peer_store.addr_manager().count());
+    }
+
+    // should return an empty store when BanList db is empty or broken
+    {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let file_path = dir.path().join("ban_list.db");
+        let mut file = File::create(file_path).unwrap();
+        writeln!(file).unwrap();
+        let peer_store = PeerStore::load_from_dir_or_default(dir);
+        assert_eq!(0, peer_store.ban_list().get_banned_addrs().len());
+    }
+    {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let file_path = dir.path().join("ban_list.db");
+        let mut file = File::create(file_path).unwrap();
+        writeln!(file, "broken").unwrap();
+        let peer_store = PeerStore::load_from_dir_or_default(dir);
+        assert_eq!(0, peer_store.ban_list().get_banned_addrs().len());
+    }
+}