diff --git a/.cspell.json b/.cspell.json
index 2755a7b052..8ed6e3062c 100644
--- a/.cspell.json
+++ b/.cspell.json
@@ -15,8 +15,10 @@
     "esnext",
     "execa",
     "exponentiate",
+    "fanout",
     "globby",
     "gossipsub",
+    "lastpub",
     "libauth",
     "libp",
     "mkdir",
diff --git a/src/lib/get_waku_peers.ts b/src/lib/get_waku_peers.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..43ebbadc70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/get_waku_peers.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import { shuffle } from 'libp2p-gossipsub/src/utils';
+
+import { CODEC, WakuRelayPubsub } from './waku_relay';
+
+/**
+ * Given a topic, returns up to count peers subscribed to that topic
+ * that pass an optional filter function
+ *
+ * @param {Gossipsub} router
+ * @param {String} topic
+ * @param {Number} count
+ * @param {Function} [filter] a function to filter acceptable peers
+ * @returns {Set<string>}
+ *
+ */
+export function getWakuPeers(
+  router: WakuRelayPubsub,
+  topic: string,
+  count: number,
+  filter: (id: string) => boolean = () => true
+): Set<string> {
+  const peersInTopic = router.topics.get(topic);
+  if (!peersInTopic) {
+    return new Set();
+  }
+
+  // Adds all peers using our protocol
+  // that also pass the filter function
+  let peers: string[] = [];
+  peersInTopic.forEach((id) => {
+    const peerStreams = router.peers.get(id);
+    if (!peerStreams) {
+      return;
+    }
+    if (peerStreams.protocol == CODEC && filter(id)) {
+      peers.push(id);
+    }
+  });
+
+  // Pseudo-randomly shuffles peers
+  peers = shuffle(peers);
+  if (count > 0 && peers.length > count) {
+    peers = peers.slice(0, count);
+  }
+
+  return new Set(peers);
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/waku_relay.spec.ts b/src/lib/waku_relay.spec.ts
index 7f013f8ccd..549b239b61 100644
--- a/src/lib/waku_relay.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/waku_relay.spec.ts
@@ -77,8 +77,13 @@ describe('Waku Relay', () => {
       );
       const multiAddrWithId = localMultiaddr + '/p2p/' + peerId;
 
-      nimWaku = new NimWaku(this.test!.title);
+      nimWaku = new NimWaku(this.test!.ctx!.currentTest!.title);
       await nimWaku.start({ staticnode: multiAddrWithId });
+
+      await waku.relay.subscribe();
+      await new Promise((resolve) =>
+        waku.libp2p.pubsub.once('gossipsub:heartbeat', resolve)
+      );
     });
 
     afterEach(async function () {
@@ -97,10 +102,6 @@ describe('Waku Relay', () => {
       this.timeout(5000);
 
       const message = Message.fromUtf8String('This is a message');
-      // TODO: nim-waku does follow the `StrictNoSign` policy hence we need to change
-      // it for nim-waku to process our messages. Can be removed once
-      // https://github.com/status-im/nim-waku/issues/422 is fixed
-      waku.libp2p.pubsub.globalSignaturePolicy = 'StrictSign';
 
       await waku.relay.publish(message);
 
diff --git a/src/lib/waku_relay.ts b/src/lib/waku_relay.ts
index 7239a05a56..76a03caec3 100644
--- a/src/lib/waku_relay.ts
+++ b/src/lib/waku_relay.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { Libp2p } from 'libp2p-gossipsub/src/interfaces';
 import Pubsub from 'libp2p-interfaces/src/pubsub';
 import { SignaturePolicy } from 'libp2p-interfaces/src/pubsub/signature-policy';
 
+import { getWakuPeers } from './get_waku_peers';
 import { Message } from './waku_message';
 
 export const CODEC = '/vac/waku/relay/2.0.0-beta2';
@@ -30,6 +31,63 @@ export class WakuRelayPubsub extends Gossipsub {
     // implementing WakuRelay from scratch.
     Object.assign(this, { multicodecs });
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Join topic
+   * @param {string} topic
+   * @returns {void}
+   * @override
+   */
+  join(topic: string): void {
+    if (!this.started) {
+      throw new Error('WakuRelayPubsub has not started');
+    }
+
+    const fanoutPeers = this.fanout.get(topic);
+    if (fanoutPeers) {
+      // these peers have a score above the publish threshold, which may be negative
+      // so drop the ones with a negative score
+      fanoutPeers.forEach((id) => {
+        if (this.score.score(id) < 0) {
+          fanoutPeers.delete(id);
+        }
+      });
+      if (fanoutPeers.size < this._options.D) {
+        // we need more peers; eager, as this would get fixed in the next heartbeat
+        getWakuPeers(
+          this,
+          topic,
+          this._options.D - fanoutPeers.size,
+          (id: string): boolean => {
+            // filter our current peers, direct peers, and peers with negative scores
+            return (
+              !fanoutPeers.has(id) &&
+              !this.direct.has(id) &&
+              this.score.score(id) >= 0
+            );
+          }
+        ).forEach((id) => fanoutPeers.add(id));
+      }
+      this.mesh.set(topic, fanoutPeers);
+      this.fanout.delete(topic);
+      this.lastpub.delete(topic);
+    } else {
+      const peers = getWakuPeers(
+        this,
+        topic,
+        this._options.D,
+        (id: string): boolean => {
+          // filter direct peers and peers with negative score
+          return !this.direct.has(id) && this.score.score(id) >= 0;
+        }
+      );
+      this.mesh.set(topic, peers);
+    }
+    this.mesh.get(topic)!.forEach((id) => {
+      this.log('JOIN: Add mesh link to %s in %s', id, topic);
+      this._sendGraft(id, topic);
+    });
+  }
 }
 
 // TODO: Implement dial for an address with format '/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/60000/p2p/16Uiu2HAkyzsXzENw5XBDYEQQAeQTCYjBJpMLgBmEXuwbtcrgxBJ4'