diff --git a/packages/peer/src/constants.ts b/packages/peer/src/constants.ts
index b7f995de..632b75b2 100644
--- a/packages/peer/src/constants.ts
+++ b/packages/peer/src/constants.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ export const RELAY_TAG = {
 // Currently only checking for relay node
 export const CONN_CHECK_INTERVAL = 10000; // 10 seconds
 
+// Ping timeout used to check if connection is alive
+// Should be lesser than CONN_CHECK_INTERVAL
+export const PING_TIMEOUT = 5000; // 5 seconds
+
 // Delay time in ms to redial relay node on failing to connect
 export const RELAY_REDIAL_DELAY = 5000; // 5 sconds
 
diff --git a/packages/peer/src/index.ts b/packages/peer/src/index.ts
index f3e132ba..ecd7ae83 100644
--- a/packages/peer/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/peer/src/index.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import { multiaddr, Multiaddr } from '@multiformats/multiaddr';
 import { floodsub } from '@libp2p/floodsub';
 import { pubsubPeerDiscovery } from '@libp2p/pubsub-peer-discovery';
 
-import { MAX_CONCURRENT_DIALS_PER_PEER, MAX_CONNECTIONS, MIN_CONNECTIONS, PUBSUB_DISCOVERY_INTERVAL, PUBSUB_SIGNATURE_POLICY, RELAY_TAG, RELAY_REDIAL_DELAY, CONN_CHECK_INTERVAL } from './constants.js';
+import { MAX_CONCURRENT_DIALS_PER_PEER, MAX_CONNECTIONS, MIN_CONNECTIONS, PUBSUB_DISCOVERY_INTERVAL, PUBSUB_SIGNATURE_POLICY, RELAY_TAG, RELAY_REDIAL_DELAY, CONN_CHECK_INTERVAL, PING_TIMEOUT } from './constants.js';
 
 export const CHAT_PROTOCOL = '/chat/1.0.0';
 export const DEFAULT_SIGNAL_SERVER_URL = '/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/13579/wss/p2p-webrtc-star';
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ export class Peer {
   _wrtcStar: WebRTCStarTuple
   _relayNodeMultiaddr?: Multiaddr
 
-  _remotePeerIds: Set<PeerId> = new Set()
   _peerStreamMap: Map<string, Pushable<any>> = new Map()
   _messageHandlers: Array<(peerId: PeerId, message: any) => void> = []
   _topicHandlers: Map<string, Array<(peerId: PeerId, data: any) => void>> = new Map()
@@ -104,6 +103,9 @@ export class Peer {
         autoDial: false,
         maxConnections: MAX_CONNECTIONS,
         minConnections: MIN_CONNECTIONS
+      },
+      ping: {
+        timeout: PING_TIMEOUT
       }
     });
 
@@ -165,8 +167,9 @@ export class Peer {
     this._node.pubsub.removeEventListener('message');
 
     await this._node.unhandle(CHAT_PROTOCOL);
-    this._remotePeerIds.forEach(remotePeerId => this._stopHeartbeatChecks(remotePeerId));
-    const hangUpPromises = [...this._remotePeerIds].map(async peerId => this._node?.hangUp(peerId));
+    const remotePeerIds = this._node.getPeers();
+    remotePeerIds.forEach(remotePeerId => this._stopHeartbeatChecks(remotePeerId));
+    const hangUpPromises = remotePeerIds.map(async peerId => this._node?.hangUp(peerId));
     await Promise.all(hangUpPromises);
   }
 
@@ -176,9 +179,9 @@ export class Peer {
     }
   }
 
-  floodMessage (topic: string, msg: any): void {
+  async floodMessage (topic: string, msg: any): Promise<void> {
     assert(this._node);
-    this._node.pubsub.publish(topic, uint8ArrayFromString(JSON.stringify(msg)));
+    await this._node.pubsub.publish(topic, uint8ArrayFromString(JSON.stringify(msg)));
   }
 
   subscribeMessage (handler: (peerId: PeerId, message: any) => void) : () => void {
@@ -240,12 +243,6 @@ export class Peer {
         // in connection pruning on crossing peer's maxConnections limit
         this._node.peerStore.tagPeer(relayPeerId, RELAY_TAG.tag, { value: RELAY_TAG.value });
 
-        // Start heartbeat check for relay node
-        await this._startHeartbeatChecks(
-          relayPeerId,
-          async () => await this._handleRelayDisconnect(relayPeerId)
-        );
-
         break;
       } catch (err) {
         console.log(`Could not dial relay ${relayMultiaddr.toString()}`, err);
@@ -257,21 +254,9 @@ export class Peer {
     }
   }
 
-  async _handleRelayDisconnect (relayPeerId: PeerId): Promise<void> {
-    assert(this._node);
-
-    // Close existing connection of relay node
-    console.log(`closing connections for ${relayPeerId}`);
-    await this._node.hangUp(relayPeerId);
-    console.log('closed');
-
-    // Reconnect to relay node
-    await this._dialRelay();
-  }
-
   _handleDiscovery (peer: PeerInfo): void {
     // Check connected peers as they are discovered repeatedly.
-    if (![...this._remotePeerIds].some(remotePeerId => remotePeerId.toString() === peer.id.toString())) {
+    if (!this._node?.getPeers().some(remotePeerId => remotePeerId.toString() === peer.id.toString())) {
       console.log(`Discovered peer ${peer.id.toString()} with multiaddrs`, peer.multiaddrs.map(addr => addr.toString()));
       this._connectPeer(peer);
     }
@@ -279,11 +264,23 @@ export class Peer {
 
   async _handleConnect (connection: Connection): Promise<void> {
     const remotePeerId = connection.remotePeer;
-    this._remotePeerIds.add(remotePeerId);
 
     // Log connected peer
     console.log(`Connected to ${remotePeerId.toString()} using multiaddr ${connection.remoteAddr.toString()}`);
     console.log(`Current number of peers connected: ${this._node?.getPeers().length}`);
+
+    // Start heartbeat check peer
+    await this._startHeartbeatChecks(
+      remotePeerId,
+      async () => this._handleDeadConnections(remotePeerId)
+    );
+  }
+
+  async _handleDeadConnections (remotePeerId: PeerId) {
+    // Close existing connections of remote peer
+    console.log(`Closing connections for ${remotePeerId}`);
+    await this._node?.hangUp(remotePeerId);
+    console.log('Closed');
   }
 
   async _startHeartbeatChecks (peerId: PeerId, handleDisconnect: () => Promise<void>): Promise<void> {
@@ -326,22 +323,25 @@ export class Peer {
     }
   }
 
-  _handleDisconnect (connection: Connection): void {
+  async _handleDisconnect (connection: Connection): Promise<void> {
     assert(this._node);
     const disconnectedPeerId = connection.remotePeer;
-    const peerConnections = this._node.getConnections(disconnectedPeerId);
-
-    if (!peerConnections.length) {
-      // Remove peer if no remaining connections
-      this._remotePeerIds = new Set([...this._remotePeerIds].filter(remotePeerId => remotePeerId.toString() !== disconnectedPeerId.toString()));
-
-      // Stop connection check for disconnected peer
-      this._stopHeartbeatChecks(disconnectedPeerId);
-    }
 
     // Log disconnected peer
     console.log(`Disconnected from ${disconnectedPeerId.toString()} using multiaddr ${connection.remoteAddr.toString()}`);
     console.log(`Current number of peers connected: ${this._node?.getPeers().length}`);
+
+    const peerConnections = this._node.getConnections(disconnectedPeerId);
+
+    if (!peerConnections.length) {
+      // Stop connection check for disconnected peer
+      this._stopHeartbeatChecks(disconnectedPeerId);
+
+      if (disconnectedPeerId.toString() === this._relayNodeMultiaddr?.getPeerId()) {
+        // Reconnect to relay node if disconnected
+        await this._dialRelay();
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   _stopHeartbeatChecks (peerId: PeerId): void {