diff --git a/waku/node/peer_manager/peer_manager.nim b/waku/node/peer_manager/peer_manager.nim
index 07a091e864..f51cfa31ac 100644
--- a/waku/node/peer_manager/peer_manager.nim
+++ b/waku/node/peer_manager/peer_manager.nim
@@ -404,9 +404,11 @@ proc onPeerMetadata(pm: PeerManager, peerId: PeerId) {.async.} =
   asyncSpawn(pm.switch.disconnect(peerId))
   pm.wakuPeerStore.delete(peerId)
 
-proc connectedPeers*(pm: PeerManager, protocol: string): (seq[PeerId], seq[PeerId]) =
-  ## Returns the peerIds of physical connections (in and out)
-  ## containing at least one stream with the given protocol.
+proc connectedPeers*(
+    pm: PeerManager, protocol: string = ""
+): (seq[PeerId], seq[PeerId]) =
+  ## Returns the peerIds of physical connections (in and out)
+  ## If a protocol is specified, only returns peers with at least one stream of that protocol
 
   var inPeers: seq[PeerId]
   var outPeers: seq[PeerId]
@@ -414,7 +416,7 @@ proc connectedPeers*(pm: PeerManager, protocol: string): (seq[PeerId], seq[PeerI
   for peerId, muxers in pm.switch.connManager.getConnections():
     for peerConn in muxers:
       let streams = peerConn.getStreams()
-      if streams.anyIt(it.protocol == protocol):
+      if protocol.len == 0 or streams.anyIt(it.protocol == protocol):
         if peerConn.connection.transportDir == Direction.In:
           inPeers.add(peerId)
         elif peerConn.connection.transportDir == Direction.Out:
diff --git a/waku/node/waku_node.nim b/waku/node/waku_node.nim
index 0174b2188e..10151ee15f 100644
--- a/waku/node/waku_node.nim
+++ b/waku/node/waku_node.nim
@@ -1240,16 +1240,19 @@ proc mountLibp2pPing*(node: WakuNode) {.async: (raises: []).} =
 # TODO: Move this logic to PeerManager
 proc keepaliveLoop(node: WakuNode, keepalive: chronos.Duration) {.async.} =
   while node.started:
-    # Keep all connected peers alive while running
+    # Keep connected peers alive while running
+    # Each node is responsible of keeping its outgoing connections alive
     trace "Running keepalive"
 
     # First get a list of connected peer infos
-    let peers =
-      node.peerManager.wakuPeerStore.peers().filterIt(it.connectedness == Connected)
+    let outPeers = node.peerManager.connectedPeers()[1]
 
-    for peer in peers:
+    for peerId in outPeers:
       try:
-        let conn = await node.switch.dial(peer.peerId, peer.addrs, PingCodec)
+        info "calling keepAlive dial", peerId = peerId
+        let conn = (await node.peerManager.dialPeer(peerId, PingCodec)).valueOr:
+          warn "Failed dialing peer for keep alive", peerId = peerId
+          continue
         let pingDelay = await node.libp2pPing.ping(conn)
         await conn.close()
       except CatchableError as exc: