diff --git a/lib/docker/api.ex b/lib/docker/api.ex
index 42857a9..8be9926 100644
--- a/lib/docker/api.ex
+++ b/lib/docker/api.ex
@@ -128,11 +128,6 @@ defmodule TestcontainersElixir.Docker.Api do
   end
 
   defp reap_container(container_id) when is_binary(container_id) do
-    case Reaper.start_link() do
-      {:error, {:already_started, _}} -> :ok
-      {:ok, _} -> :ok
-    end
-
     Reaper.register({"id", container_id})
   end
 
diff --git a/lib/reaper.ex b/lib/reaper.ex
index 4ed947a..3ed68f0 100644
--- a/lib/reaper.ex
+++ b/lib/reaper.ex
@@ -2,55 +2,34 @@
 # Original by: Marco Dallagiacoma @ 2023 in https://github.com/dallagi/excontainers
 # Modified by: Jarl André Hübenthal @ 2023
 defmodule TestcontainersElixir.Reaper do
-  use GenServer
-
   alias TestcontainersElixir.Docker
   alias TestcontainersElixir.Container
 
   @ryuk_image "testcontainers/ryuk:0.5.1"
   @ryuk_port 8080
 
-  def start_link() do
-    GenServer.start_link(__MODULE__, nil, name: __MODULE__)
-  end
-
-  def register(filter) do
-    GenServer.call(__MODULE__, {:register, filter})
+  def register({filter_key, filter_value}) do
+    with {:ok, socket} <- get_ryuk_socket() do
+      :gen_tcp.send(
+        socket,
+        "#{:uri_string.quote(filter_key)}=#{:uri_string.quote(filter_value)}" <> "\n"
+      )
+
+      case :gen_tcp.recv(socket, 0, 5_000) do
+        {:ok, "ACK\n"} ->
+          :ok
+
+        {:error, reason} ->
+          IO.puts("Error receiving data: #{inspect(reason)}")
+          {:error, reason}
+      end
+    end
   end
 
-  @impl true
-  def init(_) do
+  defp get_ryuk_socket() do
     with {:ok, container} <- create_ryuk_container(),
          {:ok, socket} <- create_ryuk_socket(container) do
       {:ok, socket}
-    else
-      error ->
-        {:stop, "Failed to start reaper: #{inspect(error)}"}
-    end
-  end
-
-  @impl true
-  def handle_call({:register, filter}, _from, socket) do
-    {:reply, register(socket, filter), socket}
-  end
-
-  defp register(socket, {filter_key, filter_value}, retries \\ 3) do
-    :gen_tcp.send(
-      socket,
-      "#{:uri_string.quote(filter_key)}=#{:uri_string.quote(filter_value)}" <> "\n"
-    )
-
-    case :gen_tcp.recv(socket, 0, 1_000) do
-      {:ok, "ACK\n"} ->
-        :ok
-
-      {:error, :closed} when retries > 0 ->
-        IO.puts("Connection was closed, retrying...")
-        register(socket, {filter_key, filter_value}, retries - 1)
-
-      {:error, reason} ->
-        IO.puts("Error receiving data: #{inspect(reason)}")
-        {:error, reason}
     end
   end