diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5b98de78..8707669a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 cover.out
 prof.out
 go-floodsub.test
+
+.idea/
diff --git a/backoff.go b/backoff.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1a1b6ecf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backoff.go
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+package pubsub
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"math/rand"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/peer"
+)
+
+const (
+	MinBackoffDelay        = 100 * time.Millisecond
+	MaxBackoffDelay        = 10 * time.Second
+	TimeToLive             = 10 * time.Minute
+	BackoffCleanupInterval = 1 * time.Minute
+	BackoffMultiplier      = 2
+	MaxBackoffJitterCoff   = 100
+	MaxBackoffAttempts     = 4
+)
+
+type backoffHistory struct {
+	duration  time.Duration
+	lastTried time.Time
+	attempts  int
+}
+
+type backoff struct {
+	mu          sync.Mutex
+	info        map[peer.ID]*backoffHistory
+	ct          int           // size threshold that kicks off the cleaner
+	ci          time.Duration // cleanup intervals
+	maxAttempts int           // maximum backoff attempts prior to ejection
+}
+
+func newBackoff(ctx context.Context, sizeThreshold int, cleanupInterval time.Duration, maxAttempts int) *backoff {
+	b := &backoff{
+		mu:          sync.Mutex{},
+		ct:          sizeThreshold,
+		ci:          cleanupInterval,
+		maxAttempts: maxAttempts,
+		info:        make(map[peer.ID]*backoffHistory),
+	}
+
+	rand.Seed(time.Now().UnixNano()) // used for jitter
+	go b.cleanupLoop(ctx)
+
+	return b
+}
+
+func (b *backoff) updateAndGet(id peer.ID) (time.Duration, error) {
+	b.mu.Lock()
+	defer b.mu.Unlock()
+
+	h, ok := b.info[id]
+	switch {
+	case !ok || time.Since(h.lastTried) > TimeToLive:
+		// first request goes immediately.
+		h = &backoffHistory{
+			duration: time.Duration(0),
+			attempts: 0,
+		}
+	case h.attempts >= b.maxAttempts:
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("peer %s has reached its maximum backoff attempts", id)
+
+	case h.duration < MinBackoffDelay:
+		h.duration = MinBackoffDelay
+
+	case h.duration < MaxBackoffDelay:
+		jitter := rand.Intn(MaxBackoffJitterCoff)
+		h.duration = (BackoffMultiplier * h.duration) + time.Duration(jitter)*time.Millisecond
+		if h.duration > MaxBackoffDelay || h.duration < 0 {
+			h.duration = MaxBackoffDelay
+		}
+	}
+
+	h.attempts += 1
+	h.lastTried = time.Now()
+	b.info[id] = h
+	return h.duration, nil
+}
+
+func (b *backoff) cleanup() {
+	b.mu.Lock()
+	defer b.mu.Unlock()
+
+	for id, h := range b.info {
+		if time.Since(h.lastTried) > TimeToLive {
+			delete(b.info, id)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (b *backoff) cleanupLoop(ctx context.Context) {
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(b.ci)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return // pubsub shutting down
+		case <-ticker.C:
+			b.cleanup()
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/backoff_test.go b/backoff_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5c72fcfa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backoff_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+package pubsub
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"math"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/peer"
+)
+
+func TestBackoff_Update(t *testing.T) {
+	id1 := peer.ID("peer-1")
+	id2 := peer.ID("peer-2")
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+
+	size := 10
+	cleanupInterval := 5 * time.Second
+	maxBackoffAttempts := 10
+
+	b := newBackoff(ctx, size, cleanupInterval, maxBackoffAttempts)
+
+	if len(b.info) > 0 {
+		t.Fatal("non-empty info map for backoff")
+	}
+
+	if d, err := b.updateAndGet(id1); d != time.Duration(0) || err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid initialization: %v, \t, %s", d, err)
+	}
+	if d, err := b.updateAndGet(id2); d != time.Duration(0) || err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid initialization: %v, \t, %s", d, err)
+	}
+
+	for i := 0; i < maxBackoffAttempts-1; i++ {
+		got, err := b.updateAndGet(id1)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error post update: %s", err)
+		}
+
+		expected := time.Duration(math.Pow(BackoffMultiplier, float64(i)) *
+			float64(MinBackoffDelay+MaxBackoffJitterCoff*time.Millisecond))
+		if expected > MaxBackoffDelay {
+			expected = MaxBackoffDelay
+		}
+
+		if expected < got { // considering jitter, expected backoff must always be greater than or equal to actual.
+			t.Fatalf("invalid backoff result, expected: %v, got: %v", expected, got)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// trying once more beyond the threshold, hence expecting exceeding threshold
+	if _, err := b.updateAndGet(id1); err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected an error for going beyond threshold but got nil")
+	}
+
+	got, err := b.updateAndGet(id2)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error post update: %s", err)
+	}
+	if got != MinBackoffDelay {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid backoff result, expected: %v, got: %v", MinBackoffDelay, got)
+	}
+
+	// sets last tried of id2 to long ago that it resets back upon next try.
+	// update attempts on id2 are below threshold, hence peer should never go beyond backoff attempt threshold.
+	b.info[id2].lastTried = time.Now().Add(-TimeToLive)
+	got, err = b.updateAndGet(id2)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error post update: %s", err)
+	}
+	if got != time.Duration(0) {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid ttl expiration, expected: %v, got: %v", time.Duration(0), got)
+	}
+
+	if len(b.info) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("pre-invalidation attempt, info map size mismatch, expected: %d, got: %d", 2, len(b.info))
+	}
+
+}
+
+func TestBackoff_Clean(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+
+	size := 10
+	cleanupInterval := 2 * time.Second
+	maxBackoffAttempts := 100 // setting attempts to a high number hence testing cleanup logic.
+	b := newBackoff(ctx, size, cleanupInterval, maxBackoffAttempts)
+
+	for i := 0; i < size; i++ {
+		id := peer.ID(fmt.Sprintf("peer-%d", i))
+		_, err := b.updateAndGet(id)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error post update: %s", err)
+		}
+		b.info[id].lastTried = time.Now().Add(-TimeToLive) // enforces expiry
+	}
+
+	if len(b.info) != size {
+		t.Fatalf("info map size mismatch, expected: %d, got: %d", size, len(b.info))
+	}
+
+	// waits for a cleanup loop to kick-in
+	time.Sleep(2 * cleanupInterval)
+
+	// next update should trigger cleanup
+	got, err := b.updateAndGet(peer.ID("some-new-peer"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error post update: %s", err)
+	}
+	if got != time.Duration(0) {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid backoff result, expected: %v, got: %v", time.Duration(0), got)
+	}
+
+	// except "some-new-peer" every other records must be cleaned up
+	if len(b.info) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("info map size mismatch, expected: %d, got: %d", 1, len(b.info))
+	}
+}
diff --git a/comm.go b/comm.go
index 5a9d0d85..a135a60a 100644
--- a/comm.go
+++ b/comm.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bufio"
 	"context"
 	"io"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/network"
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/peer"
@@ -121,6 +122,15 @@ func (p *PubSub) handleNewPeer(ctx context.Context, pid peer.ID, outgoing <-chan
 	}
 }
 
+func (p *PubSub) handleNewPeerWithBackoff(ctx context.Context, pid peer.ID, backoff time.Duration, outgoing <-chan *RPC) {
+	select {
+	case <-time.After(backoff):
+		p.handleNewPeer(ctx, pid, outgoing)
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return
+	}
+}
+
 func (p *PubSub) handlePeerEOF(ctx context.Context, s network.Stream) {
 	pid := s.Conn().RemotePeer()
 	r := protoio.NewDelimitedReader(s, p.maxMessageSize)
diff --git a/pubsub.go b/pubsub.go
index 901314b9..234142b1 100644
--- a/pubsub.go
+++ b/pubsub.go
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@ type PubSub struct {
 	peerDeadPrioLk sync.RWMutex
 	peerDeadMx     sync.Mutex
 	peerDeadPend   map[peer.ID]struct{}
+	// backoff for retrying new connections to dead peers
+	deadPeerBackoff *backoff
 
 	// The set of topics we are subscribed to
 	mySubs map[string]map[*Subscription]struct{}
@@ -252,6 +254,7 @@ func NewPubSub(ctx context.Context, h host.Host, rt PubSubRouter, opts ...Option
 		newPeerError:          make(chan peer.ID),
 		peerDead:              make(chan struct{}, 1),
 		peerDeadPend:          make(map[peer.ID]struct{}),
+		deadPeerBackoff:       newBackoff(ctx, 1000, BackoffCleanupInterval, MaxBackoffAttempts),
 		cancelCh:              make(chan *Subscription),
 		getPeers:              make(chan *listPeerReq),
 		addSub:                make(chan *addSubReq),
@@ -681,12 +684,18 @@ func (p *PubSub) handleDeadPeers() {
 		close(ch)
 
 		if p.host.Network().Connectedness(pid) == network.Connected {
+			backoffDelay, err := p.deadPeerBackoff.updateAndGet(pid)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Debug(err)
+				continue
+			}
+
 			// still connected, must be a duplicate connection being closed.
 			// we respawn the writer as we need to ensure there is a stream active
 			log.Debugf("peer declared dead but still connected; respawning writer: %s", pid)
 			messages := make(chan *RPC, p.peerOutboundQueueSize)
 			messages <- p.getHelloPacket()
-			go p.handleNewPeer(p.ctx, pid, messages)
+			go p.handleNewPeerWithBackoff(p.ctx, pid, backoffDelay, messages)
 			p.peers[pid] = messages
 			continue
 		}