diff --git a/tunnel/default.go b/tunnel/default.go
index 1aa5d2bf..7d265544 100644
--- a/tunnel/default.go
+++ b/tunnel/default.go
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
+	// DiscoverTime sets the time at which we fire discover messages
+	DiscoverTime = 60 * time.Second
 	// KeepAliveTime defines time interval we send keepalive messages to outbound links
 	KeepAliveTime = 30 * time.Second
 	// ReconnectTime defines time interval we periodically attempt to reconnect dead links
@@ -94,6 +96,21 @@ func (t *tun) delSession(channel, session string) {
 	t.Unlock()
 }
 
+// listChannels returns a list of listening channels
+func (t *tun) listChannels() []string {
+	t.RLock()
+	defer t.RUnlock()
+
+	var channels []string
+	for _, session := range t.sessions {
+		if session.session != "listener" {
+			continue
+		}
+		channels = append(channels, session.channel)
+	}
+	return channels
+}
+
 // newSession creates a new session and saves it
 func (t *tun) newSession(channel, sessionId string) (*session, bool) {
 	// new session
@@ -129,6 +146,52 @@ func (t *tun) newSessionId() string {
 	return uuid.New().String()
 }
 
+func (t *tun) announce(channel, session string, link *link) {
+	// create the "announce" response message for a discover request
+	msg := &transport.Message{
+		Header: map[string]string{
+			"Micro-Tunnel":         "announce",
+			"Micro-Tunnel-Id":      t.id,
+			"Micro-Tunnel-Channel": channel,
+			"Micro-Tunnel-Session": session,
+			"Micro-Tunnel-Link":    link.id,
+			"Micro-Tunnel-Token":   t.token,
+		},
+	}
+
+	// if no channel is present we've been asked to discover all channels
+	if len(channel) == 0 {
+		// get the list of channels
+		t.RLock()
+		channels := t.listChannels()
+		t.RUnlock()
+
+		// if there are no channels continue
+		if len(channels) == 0 {
+			return
+		}
+
+		// create a list of channels as comma separated list
+		channel = strings.Join(channels, ",")
+		// set channels as header
+		msg.Header["Micro-Tunnel-Channel"] = channel
+	} else {
+		// otherwise look for a single channel mapping
+		// looking for existing mapping as a listener
+		_, exists := t.getSession(channel, "listener")
+		if !exists {
+			return
+		}
+	}
+
+	log.Debugf("Tunnel sending announce for discovery of channel(s) %s", channel)
+
+	// send back the announcement
+	if err := link.Send(msg); err != nil {
+		log.Debugf("Tunnel failed to send announcement for channel(s) %s message: %v", channel, err)
+	}
+}
+
 // monitor monitors outbound links and attempts to reconnect to the failed ones
 func (t *tun) monitor() {
 	reconnect := time.NewTicker(ReconnectTime)
@@ -383,6 +446,8 @@ func (t *tun) listen(link *link) {
 			t.links[link.Remote()] = link
 			t.Unlock()
 
+			// send back a discovery
+			go t.announce("", "", link)
 			// nothing more to do
 			continue
 		case "close":
@@ -439,11 +504,21 @@ func (t *tun) listen(link *link) {
 			log.Debugf("Received %+v from %s", msg, link.Remote())
 		// an announcement of a channel listener
 		case "announce":
+			// process the announcement
+			channels := strings.Split(channel, ",")
+
 			// update mapping in the link
 			link.Lock()
-			link.channels[channel] = time.Now()
+			for _, channel := range channels {
+				link.channels[channel] = time.Now()
+			}
 			link.Unlock()
 
+			// this was an announcement not intended for anything
+			if sessionId == "listener" || sessionId == "" {
+				continue
+			}
+
 			// get the session that asked for the discovery
 			s, exists := t.getSession(channel, sessionId)
 			if exists {
@@ -463,22 +538,8 @@ func (t *tun) listen(link *link) {
 			}
 			continue
 		case "discover":
-			// looking for existing mapping
-			_, exists := t.getSession(channel, "listener")
-			if exists {
-				log.Debugf("Tunnel sending announce for discovery of channel %s", channel)
-				// send back the announcement
-				link.Send(&transport.Message{
-					Header: map[string]string{
-						"Micro-Tunnel":         "announce",
-						"Micro-Tunnel-Id":      t.id,
-						"Micro-Tunnel-Channel": channel,
-						"Micro-Tunnel-Session": sessionId,
-						"Micro-Tunnel-Link":    link.id,
-						"Micro-Tunnel-Token":   t.token,
-					},
-				})
-			}
+			// send back an announcement
+			go t.announce(channel, sessionId, link)
 			continue
 		default:
 			// blackhole it
@@ -587,6 +648,30 @@ func (t *tun) listen(link *link) {
 	}
 }
 
+// discover sends channel discover requests periodically
+func (t *tun) discover(link *link) {
+	tick := time.NewTicker(DiscoverTime)
+	defer tick.Stop()
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-tick.C:
+			// send a discovery message to all links
+			if err := link.Send(&transport.Message{
+				Header: map[string]string{
+					"Micro-Tunnel":       "discover",
+					"Micro-Tunnel-Id":    t.id,
+					"Micro-Tunnel-Token": t.token,
+				},
+			}); err != nil {
+				log.Debugf("Tunnel failed to send discover to link %s: %v", link.id, err)
+			}
+		case <-t.closed:
+			return
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // keepalive periodically sends keepalive messages to link
 func (t *tun) keepalive(link *link) {
 	keepalive := time.NewTicker(KeepAliveTime)
@@ -650,6 +735,9 @@ func (t *tun) setupLink(node string) (*link, error) {
 	// start keepalive monitor
 	go t.keepalive(link)
 
+	// discover things on the remote side
+	go t.discover(link)
+
 	return link, nil
 }
 
@@ -757,6 +845,7 @@ func (t *tun) close() error {
 	}
 
 	// close the listener
+	// this appears to be blocking
 	return t.listener.Close()
 }
 
@@ -856,7 +945,7 @@ func (t *tun) Dial(channel string, opts ...DialOption) (Session, error) {
 	t.RUnlock()
 
 	// discovered so set the link if not multicast
-	// TODO: pick the link efficiently based 
+	// TODO: pick the link efficiently based
 	// on link status and saturation.
 	if c.discovered && !c.multicast {
 		// set the link
@@ -866,6 +955,7 @@ func (t *tun) Dial(channel string, opts ...DialOption) (Session, error) {
 
 	// shit fuck
 	if !c.discovered {
+		// create a new discovery message for this channel
 		msg := c.newMessage("discover")
 		msg.broadcast = true
 		msg.outbound = true
@@ -874,14 +964,6 @@ func (t *tun) Dial(channel string, opts ...DialOption) (Session, error) {
 		// send the discovery message
 		t.send <- msg
 
-		// don't bother waiting around
-		// we're just going to assume things come online
-		if c.multicast {
-			c.discovered = true
-			c.accepted = true
-			return c, nil
-		}
-
 		select {
 		case <-time.After(after()):
 			return nil, ErrDialTimeout
@@ -891,17 +973,45 @@ func (t *tun) Dial(channel string, opts ...DialOption) (Session, error) {
 			}
 		}
 
+		var err error
+
+		// set a dialTimeout
+		dialTimeout := after()
+
+		// set a shorter delay for multicast
+		if c.multicast {
+			// shorten this
+			dialTimeout = time.Millisecond * 500
+		}
+
 		// wait for announce
 		select {
 		case msg := <-c.recv:
 			if msg.typ != "announce" {
-				return nil, errors.New("failed to discover channel")
+				err = ErrDiscoverChan
 			}
-		case <-time.After(after()):
-			return nil, ErrDialTimeout
+		case <-time.After(dialTimeout):
+			err = ErrDialTimeout
 		}
+
+		// if its multicast just go ahead because this is best effort
+		if c.multicast {
+			c.discovered = true
+			c.accepted = true
+			return c, nil
+		}
+
+		// otherwise return an error
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		// set discovered to true
+		c.discovered = true
 	}
 
+	// a unicast session so we call "open" and wait for an "accept"
+
 	// try to open the session
 	err := c.Open()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/tunnel/listener.go b/tunnel/listener.go
index e60ff396..ee394519 100644
--- a/tunnel/listener.go
+++ b/tunnel/listener.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ type tunListener struct {
 
 // periodically announce self
 func (t *tunListener) announce() {
-	tick := time.NewTicker(time.Minute)
+	tick := time.NewTicker(time.Second * 30)
 	defer tick.Stop()
 
 	// first announcement
diff --git a/tunnel/session.go b/tunnel/session.go
index 58246fdd..a4c7a2fe 100644
--- a/tunnel/session.go
+++ b/tunnel/session.go
@@ -180,6 +180,8 @@ func (s *session) Announce() error {
 	msg := s.newMessage("announce")
 	// we don't need an error back
 	msg.errChan = nil
+	// announce to all
+	msg.broadcast = true
 	// we don't need the link
 	msg.link = ""
 
diff --git a/tunnel/tunnel.go b/tunnel/tunnel.go
index 7c9e2afc..14604215 100644
--- a/tunnel/tunnel.go
+++ b/tunnel/tunnel.go
@@ -9,10 +9,12 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	// ErrDialTimeout is returned by a call to Dial where the timeout occurs
-	ErrDialTimeout = errors.New("dial timeout")
 	// DefaultDialTimeout is the dial timeout if none is specified
 	DefaultDialTimeout = time.Second * 5
+	// ErrDialTimeout is returned by a call to Dial where the timeout occurs
+	ErrDialTimeout = errors.New("dial timeout")
+	// ErrDiscoverChan is returned when we failed to receive the "announce" back from a discovery
+	ErrDiscoverChan = errors.New("failed to discover channel")
 )
 
 // Tunnel creates a gre tunnel on top of the go-micro/transport.