diff --git a/damus/ContentView.swift b/damus/ContentView.swift
index cf7c468c..4288956c 100644
--- a/damus/ContentView.swift
+++ b/damus/ContentView.swift
@@ -81,9 +81,6 @@ struct ContentView: View {
     @SceneStorage("ContentView.filter_state") var filter_state : FilterState = .posts_and_replies
     @State private var isSideBarOpened = false
     @StateObject var home: HomeModel = HomeModel()
-    
-    // connect retry timer
-    let timer = Timer.publish(every: 4, on: .main, in: .common).autoconnect()
 
     let sub_id = UUID().description
     
@@ -393,9 +390,6 @@ struct ContentView: View {
                 self.active_sheet = nil
             }
         }
-        .onReceive(timer) { n in
-            self.damus_state?.pool.connect_to_disconnected()
-        }
         .onReceive(handle_notify(.new_mutes)) { notif in
             home.filter_events()
         }
diff --git a/damus/Nostr/RelayConnection.swift b/damus/Nostr/RelayConnection.swift
index 58d34324..b4587257 100644
--- a/damus/Nostr/RelayConnection.swift
+++ b/damus/Nostr/RelayConnection.swift
@@ -57,8 +57,13 @@ final class RelayConnection {
     
     func ping() {
         socket.ping { err in
-            if err != nil {
+            if err == nil {
                 self.last_pong = .now
+            } else {
+                print("pong failed, reconnecting \(self.url.id)")
+                self.isConnected = false
+                self.isConnecting = false
+                self.reconnect_with_backoff()
             }
         }
     }