diff --git a/tests/all_tests_v2.nim b/tests/all_tests_v2.nim
index e2fe3a57c..b543228fb 100644
--- a/tests/all_tests_v2.nim
+++ b/tests/all_tests_v2.nim
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import
   ./v2/test_waku_filter,
   ./v2/test_wakunode_filter,
   ./v2/test_waku_peer_exchange,
+  ./v2/test_peer_store_extended,
   ./v2/test_waku_payload,
   ./v2/test_waku_swap,
   ./v2/test_utils_peers,
diff --git a/tests/v2/test_peer_store_extended.nim b/tests/v2/test_peer_store_extended.nim
index 2fd8d2567..431a51ca5 100644
--- a/tests/v2/test_peer_store_extended.nim
+++ b/tests/v2/test_peer_store_extended.nim
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ suite "Extended nim-libp2p Peer Store":
     peerStore[ConnectionBook][p1] = Connected
     peerStore[DisconnectBook][p1] = 0
     peerStore[SourceBook][p1] = Discv5
+    peerStore[DirectionBook][p1] = Inbound
 
     # Peer2: Connected
     peerStore[AddressBook][p2] = @[MultiAddress.init("/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/2").tryGet()]
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ suite "Extended nim-libp2p Peer Store":
     peerStore[ConnectionBook][p2] = Connected
     peerStore[DisconnectBook][p2] = 0
     peerStore[SourceBook][p2] = Discv5
+    peerStore[DirectionBook][p2] = Inbound
 
     # Peer3: Connected
     peerStore[AddressBook][p3] = @[MultiAddress.init("/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/3").tryGet()]
@@ -64,6 +66,7 @@ suite "Extended nim-libp2p Peer Store":
     peerStore[ConnectionBook][p3] = Connected
     peerStore[DisconnectBook][p3] = 0
     peerStore[SourceBook][p3] = Discv5
+    peerStore[DirectionBook][p3] = Inbound
 
     # Peer4: Added but never connected
     peerStore[AddressBook][p4] = @[MultiAddress.init("/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/4").tryGet()]
@@ -74,6 +77,7 @@ suite "Extended nim-libp2p Peer Store":
     peerStore[ConnectionBook][p4] = NotConnected
     peerStore[DisconnectBook][p4] = 0
     peerStore[SourceBook][p4] = Discv5
+    peerStore[DirectionBook][p4] = Inbound
 
     # Peer5: Connecteed in the past
     peerStore[AddressBook][p5] = @[MultiAddress.init("/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/5").tryGet()]
@@ -84,6 +88,7 @@ suite "Extended nim-libp2p Peer Store":
     peerStore[ConnectionBook][p5] = CanConnect
     peerStore[DisconnectBook][p5] = 1000
     peerStore[SourceBook][p5] = Discv5
+    peerStore[DirectionBook][p5] = Outbound
 
   test "get() returns the correct StoredInfo for a given PeerId":
     # When
@@ -113,7 +118,7 @@ suite "Extended nim-libp2p Peer Store":
       storedInfoPeer6.protoVersion == ""
       storedInfoPeer6.connectedness == NotConnected
       storedInfoPeer6.disconnectTime == 0
-      storedInfoPeer6.origin == Unknown
+      storedInfoPeer6.origin == UnknownOrigin
 
   test "peers() returns all StoredInfo of the PeerStore":
     # When
@@ -254,3 +259,24 @@ suite "Extended nim-libp2p Peer Store":
       swapPeer.isSome()
       swapPeer.get().peerId == p5
       swapPeer.get().protocols == @["/vac/waku/swap/2.0.0", "/vac/waku/store/2.0.0-beta2"]
+
+  test "getPeersByDirection()":
+    # When
+    let inPeers = peerStore.getPeersByDirection(Inbound)
+    let outPeers = peerStore.getPeersByDirection(Outbound)
+
+    # Then
+    check:
+      inPeers.len == 4
+      outPeers.len == 1
+
+  test "getNotConnectedPeers()":
+    # When
+    let disconnedtedPeers = peerStore.getNotConnectedPeers()
+
+    # Then
+    check:
+      disconnedtedPeers.len == 2
+      disconnedtedPeers.anyIt(it.peerId == p4)
+      disconnedtedPeers.anyIt(it.peerId == p5)
+      not disconnedtedPeers.anyIt(it.connectedness == Connected)
diff --git a/waku/v2/node/peer_manager/peer_manager.nim b/waku/v2/node/peer_manager/peer_manager.nim
index 68f69e65a..087962b59 100644
--- a/waku/v2/node/peer_manager/peer_manager.nim
+++ b/waku/v2/node/peer_manager/peer_manager.nim
@@ -5,13 +5,14 @@ else:
 
 
 import
-  std/[options, sets, sequtils, times],
+  std/[options, sets, sequtils, times, random],
   chronos,
   chronicles,
   metrics,
   libp2p/multistream
 import
   ../../utils/peers,
+  ../../waku/v2/protocol/waku_relay,
   ./peer_store/peer_storage,
   ./waku_peer_store
 
@@ -36,6 +37,12 @@ const
   # TODO: Make configurable
   DefaultDialTimeout = chronos.seconds(10)
 
+  # limit the amount of paralel dials
+  MaxParalelDials = 10
+
+  # delay between consecutive relayConnectivityLoop runs
+  ConnectivityLoopInterval = chronos.seconds(30)
+
 ####################
 # Helper functions #
 ####################
@@ -179,19 +186,21 @@ proc addPeer*(pm: PeerManager, remotePeerInfo: RemotePeerInfo, proto: string) =
     # Do not attempt to manage our unmanageable self
     return
 
-  debug "Adding peer to manager", peerId = remotePeerInfo.peerId, addr = remotePeerInfo.addrs[0], proto = proto
-
-  # ...known addresses
-  for multiaddr in remotePeerInfo.addrs:
-    pm.peerStore[AddressBook][remotePeerInfo.peerId] = pm.peerStore[AddressBook][remotePeerInfo.peerId] & multiaddr
-
   # ...public key
   var publicKey: PublicKey
   discard remotePeerInfo.peerId.extractPublicKey(publicKey)
 
+  if pm.peerStore[AddressBook][remotePeerInfo.peerId] == remotePeerInfo.addrs and
+     pm.peerStore[KeyBook][remotePeerInfo.peerId] == publicKey:
+    # Peer already managed
+    return
+
+  debug "Adding peer to manager", peerId = remotePeerInfo.peerId, addresses = remotePeerInfo.addrs, proto = proto
+
+  pm.peerStore[AddressBook][remotePeerInfo.peerId] = remotePeerInfo.addrs
   pm.peerStore[KeyBook][remotePeerInfo.peerId] = publicKey
 
-  # nim-libp2p identify overrides this
+  # TODO: Remove this once service slots is ready
   pm.peerStore[ProtoBook][remotePeerInfo.peerId] = pm.peerStore[ProtoBook][remotePeerInfo.peerId] & proto
 
   # Add peer to storage. Entry will subsequently be updated with connectedness information
@@ -284,3 +293,34 @@ proc connectToNodes*(pm: PeerManager,
   # This issue was known to Dmitiry on nim-libp2p and may be resolvable
   # later.
   await sleepAsync(chronos.seconds(5))
+
+# Ensures a healthy amount of connected relay peers
+proc relayConnectivityLoop*(pm: PeerManager) {.async.} =
+  while true:
+
+    let maxConnections = pm.switch.connManager.inSema.size
+    let numInPeers = pm.switch.connectedPeers(lpstream.Direction.In).len
+    let numOutPeers = pm.switch.connectedPeers(lpstream.Direction.Out).len
+    let numConPeers = numInPeers + numOutPeers
+
+    # TODO: Enforce a given in/out peers ratio
+
+    # Leave some room for service peers
+    if numConPeers >= (maxConnections - 5):
+      await sleepAsync(ConnectivityLoopInterval)
+      continue
+
+    # TODO: Respect backoff before attempting to connect a relay peer
+    var disconnectedPeers = pm.peerStore.getNotConnectedPeers().mapIt(RemotePeerInfo.init(it.peerId, it.addrs))
+    shuffle(disconnectedPeers)
+
+    let numPeersToConnect = min(min(maxConnections - numConPeers, disconnectedPeers.len), MaxParalelDials)
+
+    info "Relay connectivity loop",
+      connectedPeers = numConPeers,
+      targetConnectedPeers = maxConnections,
+      availableDisconnectedPeers = disconnectedPeers.len
+
+    await pm.connectToNodes(disconnectedPeers[0..<numPeersToConnect], WakuRelayCodec)
+
+    await sleepAsync(ConnectivityLoopInterval)
diff --git a/waku/v2/node/peer_manager/waku_peer_store.nim b/waku/v2/node/peer_manager/waku_peer_store.nim
index 646dca7cc..1d71818dd 100644
--- a/waku/v2/node/peer_manager/waku_peer_store.nim
+++ b/waku/v2/node/peer_manager/waku_peer_store.nim
@@ -142,4 +142,7 @@ proc selectPeer*(peerStore: PeerStore, proto: string): Option[RemotePeerInfo] =
     return none(RemotePeerInfo)
 
 proc getPeersByDirection*(peerStore: PeerStore, direction: Direction): seq[StoredInfo] =
-  return peerStore.peers().filterIt(it.direction == direction)
+  return peerStore.peers.filterIt(it.direction == direction)
+
+proc getNotConnectedPeers*(peerStore: PeerStore): seq[StoredInfo] =
+  return peerStore.peers.filterIt(it.connectedness != Connected)
diff --git a/waku/v2/node/waku_node.nim b/waku/v2/node/waku_node.nim
index 30954c4f7..2e4c7c193 100644
--- a/waku/v2/node/waku_node.nim
+++ b/waku/v2/node/waku_node.nim
@@ -392,6 +392,9 @@ proc startRelay*(node: WakuNode) {.async.} =
                                           protocolMatcher(WakuRelayCodec),
                                           backoffPeriod)
 
+  # Maintain relay connections
+  asyncSpawn node.peerManager.relayConnectivityLoop()
+
   # Start the WakuRelay protocol
   await node.wakuRelay.start()
 
@@ -897,9 +900,6 @@ proc startKeepalive*(node: WakuNode) =
 
   asyncSpawn node.keepaliveLoop(defaultKeepalive)
 
-# TODO: Decouple discovery logic from connection logic
-# A discovered peer goes to the PeerStore
-# The PeerManager uses to PeerStore to dial peers
 proc runDiscv5Loop(node: WakuNode) {.async.} =
   ## Continuously add newly discovered nodes
   ## using Node Discovery v5
@@ -920,12 +920,9 @@ proc runDiscv5Loop(node: WakuNode) {.async.} =
 
       trace "Discovered peers", count=discoveredPeers.get().len()
 
-      let newPeers = discoveredPeers.get().filterIt(
-        not node.switch.isConnected(it.peerId))
-
-      if newPeers.len > 0:
-        debug "Connecting to newly discovered peers", count=newPeers.len()
-        await node.connectToNodes(newPeers, "discv5")
+      for peer in discoveredPeers.get():
+        # TODO: proto: WakuRelayCodec will be removed from add peer
+        node.peerManager.addPeer(peer, WakuRelayCodec)
 
     # Discovery `queryRandom` can have a synchronous fast path for example
     # when no peers are in the routing table. Don't run it in continuous loop.