diff --git a/internal/bytecounter/conn.go b/internal/bytecounter/conn.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2201686
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/bytecounter/conn.go
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package bytecounter
+
+import "net"
+
+// Conn wraps a network connection and counts bytes.
+type Conn struct {
+	// net.Conn is the underlying net.Conn.
+	net.Conn
+
+	// Counter is the byte counter.
+	Counter *Counter
+}
+
+// Read implements net.Conn.Read.
+func (c *Conn) Read(p []byte) (int, error) {
+	count, err := c.Conn.Read(p)
+	c.Counter.CountBytesReceived(count)
+	return count, err
+}
+
+// Write implements net.Conn.Write.
+func (c *Conn) Write(p []byte) (int, error) {
+	count, err := c.Conn.Write(p)
+	c.Counter.CountBytesSent(count)
+	return count, err
+}
diff --git a/internal/bytecounter/conn_test.go b/internal/bytecounter/conn_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4b93050
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/bytecounter/conn_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package bytecounter
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/ooni/probe-cli/v3/internal/engine/netx/mockablex"
+)
+
+func TestConnWorksOnSuccess(t *testing.T) {
+	counter := New()
+	underlying := &mockablex.Conn{
+		MockRead: func(b []byte) (int, error) {
+			return 10, nil
+		},
+		MockWrite: func(b []byte) (int, error) {
+			return 4, nil
+		},
+	}
+	conn := &Conn{
+		Conn:    underlying,
+		Counter: counter,
+	}
+	if _, err := conn.Read(make([]byte, 128)); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, err := conn.Write(make([]byte, 1024)); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if counter.BytesReceived() != 10 {
+		t.Fatal("unexpected number of bytes received")
+	}
+	if counter.BytesSent() != 4 {
+		t.Fatal("unexpected number of bytes sent")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestConnWorksOnFailure(t *testing.T) {
+	readError := errors.New("read error")
+	writeError := errors.New("write error")
+	counter := New()
+	underlying := &mockablex.Conn{
+		MockRead: func(b []byte) (int, error) {
+			return 0, readError
+		},
+		MockWrite: func(b []byte) (int, error) {
+			return 0, writeError
+		},
+	}
+	conn := &Conn{
+		Conn:    underlying,
+		Counter: counter,
+	}
+	if _, err := conn.Read(make([]byte, 128)); !errors.Is(err, readError) {
+		t.Fatal("not the error we expected", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := conn.Write(make([]byte, 1024)); !errors.Is(err, writeError) {
+		t.Fatal("not the error we expected", err)
+	}
+	if counter.BytesReceived() != 0 {
+		t.Fatal("unexpected number of bytes received")
+	}
+	if counter.BytesSent() != 0 {
+		t.Fatal("unexpected number of bytes sent")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/engine/netx/dialer/bytecounter.go b/internal/engine/netx/dialer/bytecounter.go
index 1a8ffca..41476f1 100644
--- a/internal/engine/netx/dialer/bytecounter.go
+++ b/internal/engine/netx/dialer/bytecounter.go
@@ -20,12 +20,13 @@ func (d *byteCounterDialer) DialContext(
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	exp := contextExperimentByteCounter(ctx)
-	sess := contextSessionByteCounter(ctx)
-	if exp == nil && sess == nil {
-		return conn, nil // no point in wrapping
+	if exp := contextExperimentByteCounter(ctx); exp != nil {
+		conn = &bytecounter.Conn{Conn: conn, Counter: exp}
 	}
-	return &byteCounterConnWrapper{Conn: conn, exp: exp, sess: sess}, nil
+	if sess := contextSessionByteCounter(ctx); sess != nil {
+		conn = &bytecounter.Conn{Conn: conn, Counter: sess}
+	}
+	return conn, nil
 }
 
 type byteCounterSessionKey struct{}
@@ -53,31 +54,3 @@ func contextExperimentByteCounter(ctx context.Context) *bytecounter.Counter {
 func WithExperimentByteCounter(ctx context.Context, counter *bytecounter.Counter) context.Context {
 	return context.WithValue(ctx, byteCounterExperimentKey{}, counter)
 }
-
-type byteCounterConnWrapper struct {
-	net.Conn
-	exp  *bytecounter.Counter
-	sess *bytecounter.Counter
-}
-
-func (c *byteCounterConnWrapper) Read(p []byte) (int, error) {
-	count, err := c.Conn.Read(p)
-	if c.exp != nil {
-		c.exp.CountBytesReceived(count)
-	}
-	if c.sess != nil {
-		c.sess.CountBytesReceived(count)
-	}
-	return count, err
-}
-
-func (c *byteCounterConnWrapper) Write(p []byte) (int, error) {
-	count, err := c.Conn.Write(p)
-	if c.exp != nil {
-		c.exp.CountBytesSent(count)
-	}
-	if c.sess != nil {
-		c.sess.CountBytesSent(count)
-	}
-	return count, err
-}
diff --git a/internal/engine/netx/dialer/bytecounter_test.go b/internal/engine/netx/dialer/bytecounter_test.go
index 948d001..c9a64ec 100644
--- a/internal/engine/netx/dialer/bytecounter_test.go
+++ b/internal/engine/netx/dialer/bytecounter_test.go
@@ -48,9 +48,15 @@ func TestByteCounterNormalUsage(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := dorequest(ctx, "http://facebook.com"); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	if exp.Received.Load() <= 0 {
+		t.Fatal("experiment should have received some bytes")
+	}
 	if sess.Received.Load() <= exp.Received.Load() {
 		t.Fatal("session should have received more than experiment")
 	}
+	if exp.Sent.Load() <= 0 {
+		t.Fatal("experiment should have sent some bytes")
+	}
 	if sess.Sent.Load() <= exp.Sent.Load() {
 		t.Fatal("session should have sent more than experiment")
 	}