diff --git a/app/plugins/contactRetry.go b/app/plugins/contactRetry.go
index 41e15e8..923c6a3 100644
--- a/app/plugins/contactRetry.go
+++ b/app/plugins/contactRetry.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func (cr *contactRetry) run() {
 					p.ticks++
 					if p.ticks == p.backoff {
 						p.ticks = 0
-						cr.bus.Publish(event.NewEvent(event.PeerRequest, map[event.Field]string{event.RemotePeer: p.id}))
+						cr.bus.Publish(event.NewEvent(event.RetryPeerRequest, map[event.Field]string{event.RemotePeer: p.id}))
 					}
 				}
 
diff --git a/event/common.go b/event/common.go
index 54cab70..9f4c3a4 100644
--- a/event/common.go
+++ b/event/common.go
@@ -8,8 +8,17 @@ const (
 	StatusRequest        = Type("StatusRequest")
 	ProtocolEngineStatus = Type("ProtocolEngineStatus")
 
+	// Attempt to outbound peer with a given remote peer
+	// attributes:
+	// RemotePeer: [eg "chpr7qm6op5vfcg2pi4vllco3h6aa7exexc4rqwnlupqhoogx2zgd6qd"
 	PeerRequest = Type("PeerRequest")
 
+	// RetryPeerRequest
+	// Identical to PeerRequest, but allows Engine to make decisions regarding blocked peers
+	// attributes:
+	// RemotePeer: [eg "chpr7qm6op5vfcg2pi4vllco3h6aa7exexc4rqwnlupqhoogx2zgd6qd"
+	RetryPeerRequest = Type("RetryPeerRequest")
+
 	// Blocking Events both Block and Unblock have the same structure
 	// attributes:
 	// RemotePeer: [eg "chpr7qm6op5vfcg2pi4vllco3h6aa7exexc4rqwnlupqhoogx2zgd6qd"
diff --git a/protocol/connections/engine.go b/protocol/connections/engine.go
index 3c87ca1..7aee63f 100644
--- a/protocol/connections/engine.go
+++ b/protocol/connections/engine.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"git.openprivacy.ca/openprivacy/libricochet-go/connectivity"
 	"git.openprivacy.ca/openprivacy/libricochet-go/log"
+	"git.openprivacy.ca/openprivacy/libricochet-go/utils"
 	"github.com/golang/protobuf/proto"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/ed25519"
 	"sync"
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ func NewProtocolEngine(identity primitives.Identity, privateKey ed25519.PrivateK
 
 	engine.eventManager.Subscribe(event.ProtocolEngineStartListen, engine.queue)
 	engine.eventManager.Subscribe(event.PeerRequest, engine.queue)
+	engine.eventManager.Subscribe(event.RetryPeerRequest, engine.queue)
 	engine.eventManager.Subscribe(event.InvitePeerToGroup, engine.queue)
 	engine.eventManager.Subscribe(event.JoinServer, engine.queue)
 	engine.eventManager.Subscribe(event.SendMessageToGroup, engine.queue)
@@ -111,8 +113,16 @@ func (e *engine) eventHandler() {
 		case event.StatusRequest:
 			e.eventManager.Publish(event.Event{EventType: event.ProtocolEngineStatus, EventID: ev.EventID})
 		case event.PeerRequest:
-			e.blocked.Store(ev.Data[event.RemotePeer], false)
-			go e.peerWithOnion(ev.Data[event.RemotePeer])
+			if utils.IsValidHostname(ev.Data[event.RemotePeer]) {
+				e.blocked.Store(ev.Data[event.RemotePeer], false)
+				go e.peerWithOnion(ev.Data[event.RemotePeer])
+			}
+		case event.RetryPeerRequest:
+			// This event allows engine to treat (automated) retry peering requests differently to user-specified
+			// peer events
+			if utils.IsValidHostname(ev.Data[event.RemotePeer]) {
+				go e.peerWithOnion(ev.Data[event.RemotePeer])
+			}
 		case event.InvitePeerToGroup:
 			e.sendMessageToPeer(ev.EventID, ev.Data[event.RemotePeer], event.ContextInvite, []byte(ev.Data[event.GroupInvite]))
 		case event.JoinServer: