diff --git a/interface.go b/interface.go
index b6ab805..4a66222 100644
--- a/interface.go
+++ b/interface.go
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ type PeerI interface {
 	RequestBlock(blockHash *chainhash.Hash)
 	Network() wire.BitcoinNet
 	IsHealthy() bool
+	Shutdown()
+	Restart()
 }
 
 type PeerHandlerI interface {
diff --git a/peer.go b/peer.go
index c2c9edf..ff84e96 100644
--- a/peer.go
+++ b/peer.go
@@ -128,6 +128,12 @@ func NewPeer(logger *slog.Logger, address string, peerHandler PeerHandlerI, netw
 		}
 	}
 
+	p.start()
+
+	return p, nil
+}
+
+func (p *Peer) start() {
 	ctx, cancelAll := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	p.cancelAll = cancelAll
 	p.ctx = ctx
@@ -143,20 +149,18 @@ func NewPeer(logger *slog.Logger, address string, peerHandler PeerHandlerI, netw
 
 	if p.incomingConn != nil {
 		go func() {
-			connectErr := p.connectAndStartReadWriteHandlers()
-			if connectErr != nil {
+			err := p.connectAndStartReadWriteHandlers()
+			if err != nil {
 				p.logger.Warn("Failed to connect to peer", slog.String(errKey, err.Error()))
 			}
 		}()
 		p.logger.Info("Incoming connection from peer")
-		return p, nil
+		return
 	}
 
 	// reconnect if disconnected, but only on outgoing connections
 	p.reconnectingWg.Add(1)
 	go p.reconnect()
-
-	return p, nil
 }
 
 func (p *Peer) disconnectLock() {
@@ -848,6 +852,12 @@ func (p *Peer) stopWriteHandler() {
 	p.writerWg.Wait()
 }
 
+func (p *Peer) Restart() {
+	p.Shutdown()
+
+	p.start()
+}
+
 func (p *Peer) Shutdown() {
 	p.cancelAll()
 
diff --git a/peer_mock.go b/peer_mock.go
index 53b54c2..f60f51f 100644
--- a/peer_mock.go
+++ b/peer_mock.go
@@ -121,12 +121,8 @@ func (p *PeerMock) message(msg wire.Message) {
 	p.messages = append(p.messages, msg)
 }
 
-// func (p *PeerMock) getMessages() []wire.Message {
-// 	p.mu.Lock()
-// 	defer p.mu.Unlock()
-
-// 	return p.messages
-// }
+func (p *PeerMock) Shutdown() {}
+func (p *PeerMock) Restart()  {}
 
 func (p *PeerMock) WriteMsg(msg wire.Message) error {
 	p.writeChan <- msg
diff --git a/peer_test.go b/peer_test.go
index 7304408..a5f9c2a 100644
--- a/peer_test.go
+++ b/peer_test.go
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ func TestShutdown(t *testing.T) {
 						break connectLoop
 					}
 				case <-time.NewTimer(1 * time.Second).C:
-					t.Fatal("peer did not disconnect")
+					t.Fatal("peer did not connect")
 				}
 			}
 
@@ -152,6 +152,120 @@ func TestShutdown(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRestart(t *testing.T) {
+	tt := []struct {
+		name string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "Restart",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tt {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			peerConn, myConn := connutil.AsyncPipe()
+
+			peerHandler := NewMockPeerHandler()
+			logger := slog.New(slog.NewTextHandler(os.Stdout, &slog.HandlerOptions{Level: slog.LevelDebug}))
+			p, err := NewPeer(
+				logger,
+				"MockPeerHandler:0000",
+				peerHandler,
+				wire.MainNet,
+				WithDialer(func(network, address string) (net.Conn, error) {
+					return peerConn, nil
+				}),
+				WithRetryReadWriteMessageInterval(200*time.Millisecond),
+			)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
+			t.Log("handshake 1")
+			handshakeFinished := make(chan struct{})
+			go func() {
+				doHandshake(t, p, myConn)
+				handshakeFinished <- struct{}{}
+			}()
+
+			select {
+			case <-handshakeFinished:
+				t.Log("handshake 1 finished")
+			case <-time.After(5 * time.Second):
+				t.Fatal("handshake 1 timeout")
+			}
+			// wait for the peer to be connected
+		connectLoop:
+			for {
+				select {
+				case <-time.NewTicker(10 * time.Millisecond).C:
+					if p.Connected() {
+						break connectLoop
+					}
+				case <-time.NewTimer(1 * time.Second).C:
+					t.Fatal("peer did not connect")
+				}
+			}
+
+			invMsg := wire.NewMsgInv()
+			hash, err := chainhash.NewHashFromStr(tx1)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			err = invMsg.AddInvVect(wire.NewInvVect(wire.InvTypeTx, hash))
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
+			t.Log("restart")
+			p.Restart()
+
+			// wait for the peer to be disconnected
+		disconnectLoop:
+			for {
+				select {
+				case <-time.NewTicker(10 * time.Millisecond).C:
+					if !p.Connected() {
+						break disconnectLoop
+					}
+				case <-time.NewTimer(5 * time.Second).C:
+					t.Fatal("peer did not disconnect")
+				}
+			}
+
+			//time.Sleep(15 * time.Second)
+			// recreate connection
+			p.mu.Lock()
+			peerConn, myConn = connutil.AsyncPipe()
+			p.mu.Unlock()
+			t.Log("new connection created")
+
+			time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
+			t.Log("handshake 2")
+
+			go func() {
+				doHandshake(t, p, myConn)
+				handshakeFinished <- struct{}{}
+			}()
+
+			select {
+			case <-handshakeFinished:
+				t.Log("handshake 2 finished")
+			case <-time.After(5 * time.Second):
+				t.Fatal("handshake 2 timeout")
+			}
+
+			t.Log("reconnect")
+			// wait for the peer to be reconnected
+		reconnectLoop:
+			for {
+				select {
+				case <-time.NewTicker(10 * time.Millisecond).C:
+					if p.Connected() {
+						break reconnectLoop
+					}
+				case <-time.NewTimer(1 * time.Second).C:
+					t.Fatal("peer did not reconnect")
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestReconnect(t *testing.T) {
 	tt := []struct {
 		name       string