diff --git a/waku/v2/discv5/discover.go b/waku/v2/discv5/discover.go
index 94bb3c4e..8df3498b 100644
--- a/waku/v2/discv5/discover.go
+++ b/waku/v2/discv5/discover.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ type peerCache struct {
 type PeerRecord struct {
 	expire int64
 	Peer   peer.AddrInfo
-	Node   enode.Node
+	Node   *enode.Node
 }
 
 type discV5Parameters struct {
@@ -126,10 +126,6 @@ func NewDiscoveryV5(host host.Host, priv *ecdsa.PrivateKey, localnode *enode.Loc
 		config: discover.Config{
 			PrivateKey: priv,
 			Bootnodes:  params.bootnodes,
-			ValidNodeFn: func(n enode.Node) bool {
-				// TODO: track https://github.com/status-im/nim-waku/issues/770 for improvements over validation func
-				return evaluateNode(&n)
-			},
 			V5Config: discover.V5Config{
 				ProtocolID: &protocolID,
 			},
@@ -291,7 +287,7 @@ func (d *DiscoveryV5) iterate(ctx context.Context, iterator enode.Iterator, limi
 
 	for {
 		if len(d.peerCache.recs) >= limit {
-			break
+			time.Sleep(1 * time.Minute)
 		}
 
 		if ctx.Err() != nil {
@@ -317,10 +313,15 @@ func (d *DiscoveryV5) iterate(ctx context.Context, iterator enode.Iterator, limi
 
 		d.peerCache.Lock()
 		for _, p := range peerAddrs {
+			_, ok := d.peerCache.recs[p.ID]
+			if ok {
+				continue
+			}
+
 			d.peerCache.recs[p.ID] = PeerRecord{
 				expire: time.Now().Unix() + 3600, // Expires in 1hr
 				Peer:   p,
-				Node:   *iterator.Node(),
+				Node:   iterator.Node(),
 			}
 		}
 		d.peerCache.Unlock()
diff --git a/waku/v2/node/wakunode2.go b/waku/v2/node/wakunode2.go
index 4633aa9b..b22ed781 100644
--- a/waku/v2/node/wakunode2.go
+++ b/waku/v2/node/wakunode2.go
@@ -190,7 +190,10 @@ func New(opts ...WakuNodeOption) (*WakuNode, error) {
 		w.opts.wOpts = append(w.opts.wOpts, pubsub.WithDiscovery(w.DiscV5(), w.opts.discV5Opts...))
 	}
 
-	w.peerExchange = peer_exchange.NewWakuPeerExchange(w.host, w.DiscV5(), w.log)
+	w.peerExchange, err = peer_exchange.NewWakuPeerExchange(w.host, w.DiscV5(), w.log)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
 	w.relay = relay.NewWakuRelay(w.host, w.bcaster, w.opts.minRelayPeersToPublish, w.timesource, w.log, w.opts.wOpts...)
 	w.filter = filter.NewWakuFilter(w.host, w.bcaster, w.opts.isFilterFullNode, w.timesource, w.log, w.opts.filterOpts...)
diff --git a/waku/v2/protocol/peer_exchange/waku_peer_exchange.go b/waku/v2/protocol/peer_exchange/waku_peer_exchange.go
index a7c09982..f7c7dac7 100644
--- a/waku/v2/protocol/peer_exchange/waku_peer_exchange.go
+++ b/waku/v2/protocol/peer_exchange/waku_peer_exchange.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/core/network"
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/core/peer"
 	libp2pProtocol "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/core/protocol"
+	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/p2p/discovery/backoff"
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-msgio/protoio"
 	"github.com/waku-org/go-waku/logging"
 	"github.com/waku-org/go-waku/waku/v2/discv5"
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ import (
 const PeerExchangeID_v20alpha1 = libp2pProtocol.ID("/vac/waku/peer-exchange/2.0.0-alpha1")
 const MaxCacheSize = 1000
 const CacheCleanWindow = 200
-const dialTimeout = 7 * time.Second
+const dialTimeout = 30 * time.Second
 
 var (
 	ErrNoPeersAvailable = errors.New("no suitable remote peers")
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ var (
 )
 
 type peerRecord struct {
-	node enode.Node
+	node *enode.Node
 	idx  int
 }
 
@@ -50,24 +51,36 @@ type WakuPeerExchange struct {
 
 	log *zap.Logger
 
-	cancel  context.CancelFunc
-	started bool
-	wg      sync.WaitGroup
-
+	cancel        context.CancelFunc
+	started       bool
+	wg            sync.WaitGroup
+	connector     *backoff.BackoffConnector
 	enrCache      map[enode.ID]peerRecord // todo: next step: ring buffer; future: implement cache satisfying https://rfc.vac.dev/spec/34/
 	enrCacheMutex sync.RWMutex
 	rng           *rand.Rand
 }
 
 // NewWakuPeerExchange returns a new instance of WakuPeerExchange struct
-func NewWakuPeerExchange(h host.Host, disc *discv5.DiscoveryV5, log *zap.Logger) *WakuPeerExchange {
+func NewWakuPeerExchange(h host.Host, disc *discv5.DiscoveryV5, log *zap.Logger) (*WakuPeerExchange, error) {
 	wakuPX := new(WakuPeerExchange)
 	wakuPX.h = h
 	wakuPX.disc = disc
 	wakuPX.log = log.Named("wakupx")
 	wakuPX.enrCache = make(map[enode.ID]peerRecord)
 	wakuPX.rng = rand.New(rand.NewSource(rand.Int63()))
-	return wakuPX
+
+	cacheSize := 600
+	rngSrc := rand.NewSource(rand.Int63())
+	minBackoff, maxBackoff := time.Second*30, time.Hour
+	bkf := backoff.NewExponentialBackoff(minBackoff, maxBackoff, backoff.FullJitter, time.Second, 5.0, 0, rand.New(rngSrc))
+	connector, err := backoff.NewBackoffConnector(h, cacheSize, dialTimeout, bkf)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	wakuPX.connector = connector
+
+	return wakuPX, nil
 }
 
 // Start inits the peer exchange protocol
@@ -122,6 +135,13 @@ func (wakuPX *WakuPeerExchange) handleResponse(ctx context.Context, response *pb
 
 	if len(peers) != 0 {
 		log.Info("connecting to newly discovered peers", zap.Int("count", len(peers)))
+
+		ch := make(chan peer.AddrInfo, len(peers))
+		for _, p := range peers {
+			ch <- p
+		}
+
+		wakuPX.connector.Connect(ctx, ch)
 		for _, p := range peers {
 			func(p peer.AddrInfo) {
 				ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, dialTimeout)
diff --git a/waku/v2/protocol/peer_exchange/waku_peer_exchange_test.go b/waku/v2/protocol/peer_exchange/waku_peer_exchange_test.go
index e473cc24..363fb528 100644
--- a/waku/v2/protocol/peer_exchange/waku_peer_exchange_test.go
+++ b/waku/v2/protocol/peer_exchange/waku_peer_exchange_test.go
@@ -136,8 +136,11 @@ func TestRetrieveProvidePeerExchangePeers(t *testing.T) {
 	time.Sleep(3 * time.Second) // Wait some time for peers to be discovered
 
 	// mount peer exchange
-	px1 := NewWakuPeerExchange(host1, d1, utils.Logger())
-	px3 := NewWakuPeerExchange(host3, nil, utils.Logger())
+	px1, err := NewWakuPeerExchange(host1, d1, utils.Logger())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	px3, err := NewWakuPeerExchange(host3, nil, utils.Logger())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	err = px1.Start(context.Background())
 	require.NoError(t, err)