diff --git a/node/status_node_services.go b/node/status_node_services.go
index 7540f9f4f..199868505 100644
--- a/node/status_node_services.go
+++ b/node/status_node_services.go
@@ -261,14 +261,6 @@ func (b *StatusNode) wakuV2Service(nodeConfig *params.NodeConfig) (*wakuv2.Waku,
 			PersistPeers:           nodeConfig.WakuV2Config.PersistPeers,
 		}
 
-		if cfg.Host == "" {
-			cfg.Host = wakuv2.DefaultConfig.Host
-		}
-
-		if cfg.DiscoveryLimit == 0 {
-			cfg.DiscoveryLimit = wakuv2.DefaultConfig.DiscoveryLimit
-		}
-
 		if nodeConfig.WakuV2Config.MaxMessageSize > 0 {
 			cfg.MaxMessageSize = nodeConfig.WakuV2Config.MaxMessageSize
 		}
diff --git a/wakuv2/waku.go b/wakuv2/waku.go
index 6cc76d2b9..f2aaca1ff 100644
--- a/wakuv2/waku.go
+++ b/wakuv2/waku.go
@@ -113,8 +113,9 @@ type Waku struct {
 
 	bandwidthCounter *metrics.BandwidthCounter
 
-	msgQueue chan *common.ReceivedMessage // Message queue for waku messages that havent been decoded
-	quit     chan struct{}                // Channel used for graceful exit
+	sendQueue chan *pb.WakuMessage
+	msgQueue  chan *common.ReceivedMessage // Message queue for waku messages that havent been decoded
+	quit      chan struct{}                // Channel used for graceful exit
 
 	settings   settings     // Holds configuration settings that can be dynamically changed
 	settingsMu sync.RWMutex // Mutex to sync the settings access
@@ -126,17 +127,47 @@ type Waku struct {
 	logger *zap.Logger
 }
 
+func setDefaults(cfg *Config) *Config {
+	if cfg == nil {
+		cfg = new(Config)
+	}
+
+	if cfg.MaxMessageSize == 0 {
+		cfg.MaxMessageSize = DefaultConfig.MaxMessageSize
+	}
+
+	if cfg.Host == "" {
+		cfg.Host = DefaultConfig.Host
+	}
+
+	if cfg.Port == 0 {
+		cfg.Port = DefaultConfig.Port
+	}
+
+	if cfg.KeepAliveInterval == 0 {
+		cfg.KeepAliveInterval = DefaultConfig.KeepAliveInterval
+	}
+
+	if cfg.DiscoveryLimit == 0 {
+		cfg.DiscoveryLimit = DefaultConfig.DiscoveryLimit
+	}
+
+	if cfg.MinPeersForRelay == 0 {
+		cfg.MinPeersForRelay = DefaultConfig.MinPeersForRelay
+	}
+
+	return cfg
+}
+
 // New creates a WakuV2 client ready to communicate through the LibP2P network.
 func New(nodeKey string, cfg *Config, logger *zap.Logger, appdb *sql.DB) (*Waku, error) {
 	if logger == nil {
 		logger = zap.NewNop()
 	}
 
+	cfg = setDefaults(cfg)
+
 	logger.Debug("starting wakuv2 with config", zap.Any("config", cfg))
-	if cfg == nil {
-		c := DefaultConfig
-		cfg = &c
-	}
 
 	waku := &Waku{
 		privateKeys:         make(map[string]*ecdsa.PrivateKey),
@@ -144,6 +175,7 @@ func New(nodeKey string, cfg *Config, logger *zap.Logger, appdb *sql.DB) (*Waku,
 		envelopes:           make(map[gethcommon.Hash]*common.ReceivedMessage),
 		expirations:         make(map[uint32]mapset.Set),
 		msgQueue:            make(chan *common.ReceivedMessage, messageQueueLimit),
+		sendQueue:           make(chan *pb.WakuMessage, 1000),
 		quit:                make(chan struct{}),
 		dnsAddressCache:     make(map[string][]multiaddr.Multiaddr),
 		dnsAddressCacheLock: &sync.RWMutex{},
@@ -768,40 +800,68 @@ func (w *Waku) notEnoughPeers() bool {
 	return numPeers <= w.settings.MinPeersForRelay
 }
 
+func (w *Waku) broadcast() {
+	for {
+		select {
+		case msg := <-w.sendQueue:
+
+			hash, err := msg.Hash()
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Error("invalid message")
+				continue
+			}
+
+			if w.settings.LightClient || w.notEnoughPeers() {
+				log.Debug("publishing message via lightpush", zap.Any("hash", hexutil.Encode(hash)))
+				_, err = w.node.Lightpush().Publish(context.Background(), msg, nil)
+			} else {
+				log.Debug("publishing message via relay", zap.Any("hash", hexutil.Encode(hash)))
+				_, err = w.node.Relay().Publish(context.Background(), msg, nil)
+			}
+
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Error("could not send message", zap.Any("hash", hexutil.Encode(hash)), zap.Error(err))
+				w.envelopeFeed.Send(common.EnvelopeEvent{
+					Hash:  gethcommon.BytesToHash(hash),
+					Event: common.EventEnvelopeExpired,
+				})
+
+				continue
+			}
+
+			event := common.EnvelopeEvent{
+				Event: common.EventEnvelopeSent,
+				Hash:  gethcommon.BytesToHash(hash),
+			}
+
+			w.SendEnvelopeEvent(event)
+
+		case <-w.quit:
+			return
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // Send injects a message into the waku send queue, to be distributed in the
 // network in the coming cycles.
 func (w *Waku) Send(msg *pb.WakuMessage) ([]byte, error) {
-	var err error
-	var hash []byte
-
-	if w.settings.LightClient || w.notEnoughPeers() {
-		log.Debug("publishing message via lightpush")
-		hash, err = w.node.Lightpush().Publish(context.Background(), msg, nil)
-	} else {
-		log.Debug("publishing message via relay")
-		hash, err = w.node.Relay().Publish(context.Background(), msg, nil)
-	}
-
+	hash, err := msg.Hash()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	w.sendQueue <- msg
+
 	w.poolMu.Lock()
 	_, alreadyCached := w.envelopes[gethcommon.BytesToHash(hash)]
 	w.poolMu.Unlock()
 	if !alreadyCached {
 		envelope := wakuprotocol.NewEnvelope(msg, string(relay.GetTopic(nil)))
 		recvMessage := common.NewReceivedMessage(envelope)
+		w.postEvent(recvMessage) // notify the local node about the new message
 		w.addEnvelope(recvMessage)
 	}
 
-	event := common.EnvelopeEvent{
-		Event: common.EventEnvelopeSent,
-		Hash:  gethcommon.BytesToHash(hash),
-	}
-
-	w.SendEnvelopeEvent(event)
-
 	return hash, nil
 }
 
@@ -850,6 +910,8 @@ func (w *Waku) Start() error {
 		go w.processQueue()
 	}
 
+	go w.broadcast()
+
 	return nil
 }