diff --git a/tunnel/default.go b/tunnel/default.go
index 1170a00d..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
@@ -144,6 +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)
@@ -398,6 +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":
@@ -454,6 +504,7 @@ 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
@@ -487,46 +538,8 @@ func (t *tun) listen(link *link) {
 			}
 			continue
 		case "discover":
-			// 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": sessionId,
-					"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 {
-					continue
-				}
-
-				// create a list of channels as comma separated list
-				list := strings.Join(channels, ",")
-				// set channels as header
-				msg.Header["Micro-Tunnel-Channel"] = list
-			} else {
-				// otherwise look for a single channel mapping
-				// looking for existing mapping as a listener
-				_, exists := t.getSession(channel, "listener")
-				if !exists {
-					continue
-				}
-				log.Debugf("Tunnel sending announce for discovery of channel %s", channel)
-			}
-
-			// send back the announcement
-			link.Send(msg)
+			// send back an announcement
+			go t.announce(channel, sessionId, link)
 			continue
 		default:
 			// blackhole it
@@ -635,6 +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)
@@ -698,6 +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
 }
 
@@ -776,9 +816,6 @@ func (t *tun) Connect() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// request a discovery
-	t.discover()
-
 	// set as connected
 	t.connected = true
 	// create new close channel
@@ -787,19 +824,6 @@ func (t *tun) Connect() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (t *tun) discover() {
-	// send a discovery message to all links
-	for _, link := range t.links {
-		link.Send(&transport.Message{
-			Header: map[string]string{
-				"Micro-Tunnel":       "discover",
-				"Micro-Tunnel-Id":    t.id,
-				"Micro-Tunnel-Token": t.token,
-			},
-		})
-	}
-}
-
 func (t *tun) close() error {
 	// close all the sessions
 	for id, s := range t.sessions {
@@ -964,7 +988,7 @@ func (t *tun) Dial(channel string, opts ...DialOption) (Session, error) {
 		select {
 		case msg := <-c.recv:
 			if msg.typ != "announce" {
-				err = errors.New("failed to discover channel")
+				err = ErrDiscoverChan
 			}
 		case <-time.After(dialTimeout):
 			err = ErrDialTimeout
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.