diff --git a/eth/p2p/private/p2p_types.nim b/eth/p2p/private/p2p_types.nim
index 0fcda1a..c54f856 100644
--- a/eth/p2p/private/p2p_types.nim
+++ b/eth/p2p/private/p2p_types.nim
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ type
     protocolStates*: seq[RootRef]
     outstandingRequests*: seq[Deque[OutstandingRequest]]
     awaitedMessages*: seq[FutureBase]
+    messageLoop*: Future[void]
     when useSnappy:
       snappyEnabled*: bool
 
diff --git a/eth/p2p/rlpx.nim b/eth/p2p/rlpx.nim
index 0acf941..59e8439 100644
--- a/eth/p2p/rlpx.nim
+++ b/eth/p2p/rlpx.nim
@@ -255,6 +255,16 @@ proc supports*(peer: Peer, Protocol: type): bool {.inline.} =
 template perPeerMsgId(peer: Peer, MsgType: type): int =
   perPeerMsgIdImpl(peer, MsgType.msgProtocol.protocolInfo, MsgType.msgId)
 
+proc join*(peer: Peer): Future[void] =
+  ## Wait until `peer` is alive.
+  var retFuture = newFuture[void]("rlpx.peer.join")
+  proc continuation(udata: pointer) = retFuture.complete()
+  if not peer.messageLoop.finished:
+    peer.messageLoop.addCallback(continuation)
+  else:
+    retFuture.complete()
+  return retFuture
+
 proc writeMsgId(p: ProtocolInfo, msgId: int, peer: Peer,
                 rlpOut: var RlpWriter) =
   let baseMsgId = peer.dispatcher.protocolOffsets[p.index]
@@ -1277,9 +1287,9 @@ proc postHelloSteps(peer: Peer, h: devp2p.hello) {.async.} =
   # the other peer may arrrive too early and be processed before
   # the handshake code got a change to wait for them.
   #
-  var messageProcessingLoop = peer.dispatchMessages()
+  peer.messageLoop = peer.dispatchMessages()
 
-  messageProcessingLoop.callback = proc(p: pointer) {.gcsafe.} =
+  peer.messageLoop.callback = proc(p: pointer) {.gcsafe.} =
     if messageProcessingLoop.failed:
       debug "Ending dispatchMessages loop", peer,
             err = messageProcessingLoop.error.msg