diff --git a/lib/bcoin/peer.js b/lib/bcoin/peer.js
index 9ad848ce..dbf5dad0 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/peer.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/peer.js
@@ -12,14 +12,14 @@ try {
 } catch (e) {
 }
 
-function Peer(pool, socket, options) {
+function Peer(pool, createSocket, options) {
   if (!(this instanceof Peer))
     return new Peer(pool, socket, options);
 
   EventEmitter.call(this);
 
   this.pool = pool;
-  this.socket = socket;
+  this.socket = null;
   this.parser = new bcoin.protocol.parser();
   this.framer = new bcoin.protocol.framer();
   this.chain = this.pool.chain;
@@ -29,6 +29,16 @@ function Peer(pool, socket, options) {
   this.ack = false;
 
   this.options = options || {};
+  if (this.options.backoff) {
+    var self = this;
+    setTimeout(function() {
+      self.socket = createSocket();
+      self.emit('socket');
+    }, this.options.backoff);
+  } else {
+    this.socket = createSocket();
+  }
+
   this._broadcast = {
     timeout: this.options.broadcastTimeout || 30000,
     interval: this.options.broadcastInterval || 3000,
@@ -47,7 +57,12 @@ function Peer(pool, socket, options) {
     interval: this.options.pingInterval || 30000
   };
 
-  this._init();
+  this.setMaxListeners(4000);
+
+  if (this.socket)
+    this._init();
+  else
+    this.once('socket', this._init);
 }
 inherits(Peer, EventEmitter);
 module.exports = Peer;
@@ -85,8 +100,6 @@ Peer.prototype._init = function init() {
     self.ack = true;
     self.emit('ack');
   });
-
-  this.setMaxListeners(4000);
 };
 
 Peer.prototype.broadcast = function broadcast(items) {
@@ -150,6 +163,9 @@ Peer.prototype.updateWatch = function updateWatch() {
 Peer.prototype.destroy = function destroy() {
   if (this.destroyed)
     return;
+  if (!this.socket)
+    return this.once('socket', this.destroy);
+
   this.destroyed = true;
   this.socket.destroy();
   this.socket = null;
@@ -171,8 +187,13 @@ Peer.prototype.destroy = function destroy() {
 // Private APIs
 
 Peer.prototype._write = function write(chunk) {
-  if (!this.socket)
+  if (this.destroyed)
     return;
+  if (!this.socket) {
+    return this.once('socket', function() {
+      this._write(chunk);
+    });
+  }
   if (NodeBuffer)
     this.socket.write(new NodeBuffer(chunk));
   else
diff --git a/lib/bcoin/pool.js b/lib/bcoin/pool.js
index d22d2dc8..6996dff8 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/pool.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/pool.js
@@ -97,8 +97,9 @@ Pool.prototype._addLoader = function _addLoader() {
   if (this.peers.load !== null)
     return;
 
-  var socket = this.createConnection();
-  var peer = bcoin.peer(this, socket, this.options.peer);
+  var peer = new bcoin.peer(this, this.createConnection, {
+    backoff: 750 * Math.random()
+  });
   this.peers.load = peer;
 
   var self = this;
@@ -233,8 +234,9 @@ Pool.prototype._addPeer = function _addPeer() {
   if (this.peers.block.length + this.peers.pending.length >= this.size)
     return;
 
-  var socket = this.createConnection();
-  var peer = bcoin.peer(this, socket, this.options.peer);
+  var peer = new bcoin.peer(this, this.createConnection, {
+    backoff: 750 * Math.random()
+  });
 
   this.peers.pending.push(peer);