diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 4e3da09e99..a2dc634e0b 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -60,6 +60,11 @@ require (
 	lukechampine.com/blake3 v1.1.7 // indirect
 )
 
+require (
+	github.com/0xPolygon/go-ibft v0.0.0-20220810095021-e43142f8d267
+	go.uber.org/atomic v1.10.0
+)
+
 require (
 	github.com/0xPolygon/go-ibft v0.0.0-20220810095021-e43142f8d267
 	go.uber.org/atomic v1.10.0
diff --git a/network/discovery/discovery.go b/network/discovery/discovery.go
index d200dca03e..2d5e899c3f 100644
--- a/network/discovery/discovery.go
+++ b/network/discovery/discovery.go
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ type networkingServer interface {
 	// RemoveTemporaryDial removes a peer from the temporary dial map
 	RemoveTemporaryDial(peerID peer.ID)
 
+	// TemporaryDialPeer dials the peer temporarily
+	TemporaryDialPeer(peerAddrInfo *peer.AddrInfo)
+
 	// CONNECTION INFORMATION //
 
 	// HasFreeConnectionSlot checks if there is an available connection slot for the set direction [Thread safe]
@@ -300,6 +303,7 @@ func (d *DiscoveryService) regularPeerDiscovery() {
 		return
 	}
 
+	d.logger.Debug("running regular peer discovery", "peer", peerID.String())
 	// Try to discover the peers connected to the reference peer
 	if err := d.attemptToFindPeers(*peerID); err != nil {
 		d.logger.Error(
@@ -312,7 +316,7 @@ func (d *DiscoveryService) regularPeerDiscovery() {
 	}
 }
 
-// bootnodeDiscovery queries a random (unconnected) bootnode for new peers
+// bootnodePeerDiscovery queries a random (unconnected) bootnode for new peers
 // and adds them to the routing table
 func (d *DiscoveryService) bootnodePeerDiscovery() {
 	if !d.baseServer.HasFreeConnectionSlot(network.DirOutbound) {
@@ -331,7 +335,6 @@ func (d *DiscoveryService) bootnodePeerDiscovery() {
 		// Get a random unconnected bootnode from the bootnode set
 		bootnode = d.baseServer.GetRandomBootnode()
 		if bootnode == nil {
-			// No bootnodes available
 			return
 		}
 
@@ -361,10 +364,16 @@ func (d *DiscoveryService) bootnodePeerDiscovery() {
 		}
 	}()
 
+	// Make sure we are peered with a bootnode
+	d.baseServer.TemporaryDialPeer(bootnode)
+
 	// Find peers from the referenced bootnode
 	foundNodes, err := d.findPeersCall(bootnode.ID, true)
 	if err != nil {
-		d.logger.Error("Unable to execute bootnode peer discovery, %w", err)
+		d.logger.Error("Unable to execute bootnode peer discovery",
+			"bootnode", bootnode.ID.String(),
+			"err", err.Error(),
+		)
 
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/network/server.go b/network/server.go
index 9d1754261b..b181313b7d 100644
--- a/network/server.go
+++ b/network/server.go
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ const (
 
 	DefaultLibp2pPort int = 1478
 
-	MinimumPeerConnections int64 = 1
 	MinimumBootNodes       int   = 1
+	MinimumPeerConnections int64 = 1
 )
 
 var (
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ func (s *Server) Start() error {
 	}
 
 	go s.runDial()
-	go s.checkPeerConnections()
+	go s.keepAliveMinimumPeerConnections()
 
 	// watch for disconnected peers
 	s.host.Network().Notify(&network.NotifyBundle{
@@ -318,8 +318,9 @@ func (s *Server) setupBootnodes() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// checkPeerCount will attempt to make new connections if the active peer count is lesser than the specified limit.
-func (s *Server) checkPeerConnections() {
+// keepAliveMinimumPeerConnections will attempt to make new connections
+// if the active peer count is lesser than the specified limit.
+func (s *Server) keepAliveMinimumPeerConnections() {
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-time.After(10 * time.Second):
@@ -329,10 +330,16 @@ func (s *Server) checkPeerConnections() {
 
 		if s.numPeers() < MinimumPeerConnections {
 			if s.config.NoDiscover || !s.bootnodes.hasBootnodes() {
-				// TODO: dial peers from the peerstore
+				// dial unconnected peer
+				randPeer := s.GetRandomPeer()
+				if randPeer != nil && !s.IsConnected(*randPeer) {
+					s.addToDialQueue(s.GetPeerInfo(*randPeer), common.PriorityRandomDial)
+				}
 			} else {
-				randomNode := s.GetRandomBootnode()
-				s.addToDialQueue(randomNode, common.PriorityRandomDial)
+				// dial random unconnected bootnode
+				if randomNode := s.GetRandomBootnode(); randomNode != nil {
+					s.addToDialQueue(randomNode, common.PriorityRandomDial)
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -397,7 +404,7 @@ func (s *Server) runDial() {
 				// the connection process is async because it involves connection (here) +
 				// the handshake done in the identity service.
 				if err := s.host.Connect(context.Background(), *peerInfo); err != nil {
-					s.logger.Debug("failed to dial", "addr", peerInfo.String(), "err", err)
+					s.logger.Debug("failed to dial", "addr", peerInfo.String(), "err", err.Error())
 
 					s.emitEvent(peerInfo.ID, peerEvent.PeerFailedToConnect)
 				}
diff --git a/network/server_discovery.go b/network/server_discovery.go
index 605881ce0f..5d2475b63a 100644
--- a/network/server_discovery.go
+++ b/network/server_discovery.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package network
 
 import (
 	"crypto/rand"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
 	"time"
@@ -17,10 +16,6 @@ import (
 	rawGrpc "google.golang.org/grpc"
 )
 
-var (
-	errPeerDisconnected = errors.New("peer disconnected before the discovery client was initialized")
-)
-
 // GetRandomBootnode fetches a random bootnode that's currently
 // NOT connected, if any
 func (s *Server) GetRandomBootnode() *peer.AddrInfo {
@@ -69,7 +64,8 @@ func (s *Server) NewDiscoveryClient(peerID peer.ID) (proto.DiscoveryClient, erro
 	// Check if there is a peer connection at this point in time,
 	// as there might have been a disconnection previously
 	if !s.IsConnected(peerID) && !isTemporaryDial {
-		return nil, errPeerDisconnected
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not initialize new discovery client - peer [%s] not connected",
+			peerID.String())
 	}
 
 	// Check if there is an active stream connection already
@@ -93,7 +89,7 @@ func (s *Server) NewDiscoveryClient(peerID peer.ID) (proto.DiscoveryClient, erro
 	return proto.NewDiscoveryClient(protoStream), nil
 }
 
-// saveProtocolStream saves the protocol stream to the peer
+// SaveProtocolStream saves the protocol stream to the peer
 // protocol stream reference [Thread safe]
 func (s *Server) SaveProtocolStream(
 	protocol string,
@@ -246,6 +242,11 @@ func (s *Server) setupDiscovery() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (s *Server) TemporaryDialPeer(peerAddrInfo *peer.AddrInfo) {
+	s.logger.Debug("creating new temporary dial to peer", "peer", peerAddrInfo.ID)
+	s.addToDialQueue(peerAddrInfo, common.PriorityRandomDial)
+}
+
 // registerDiscoveryService registers the discovery protocol to be available
 func (s *Server) registerDiscoveryService(discovery *discovery.DiscoveryService) {
 	grpcStream := grpc.NewGrpcStream()
diff --git a/network/testing/testing.go b/network/testing/testing.go
index 6a1b2999c4..01d57176f4 100644
--- a/network/testing/testing.go
+++ b/network/testing/testing.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ type MockNetworkingServer struct {
 	getRandomPeerFn            getRandomPeerDelegate
 	fetchAndSetTemporaryDialFn fetchAndSetTemporaryDialDelegate
 	removeTemporaryDialFn      removeTemporaryDialDelegate
+	temporaryDialPeerFn        temporaryDialPeerDelegate
 }
 
 func NewMockNetworkingServer() *MockNetworkingServer {
@@ -85,6 +86,17 @@ type getPeerInfoDelegate func(peer.ID) *peer.AddrInfo
 type getRandomPeerDelegate func() *peer.ID
 type fetchAndSetTemporaryDialDelegate func(peer.ID, bool) bool
 type removeTemporaryDialDelegate func(peer.ID)
+type temporaryDialPeerDelegate func(peerAddrInfo *peer.AddrInfo)
+
+func (m *MockNetworkingServer) TemporaryDialPeer(peerAddrInfo *peer.AddrInfo) {
+	if m.temporaryDialPeerFn != nil {
+		m.temporaryDialPeerFn(peerAddrInfo)
+	}
+}
+
+func (m *MockNetworkingServer) HookTemporaryDialPeer(fn temporaryDialPeerDelegate) {
+	m.temporaryDialPeerFn = fn
+}
 
 func (m *MockNetworkingServer) NewIdentityClient(peerID peer.ID) (proto.IdentityClient, error) {
 	if m.newIdentityClientFn != nil {