diff --git a/core/commands/ping.go b/core/commands/ping.go
index 5ee12b867..fa9974428 100644
--- a/core/commands/ping.go
+++ b/core/commands/ping.go
@@ -138,30 +138,35 @@ func pingPeer(ctx context.Context, n *core.IpfsNode, pid peer.ID, numPings int)
 
 		outChan <- &PingResult{Text: fmt.Sprintf("PING %s.", pid.Pretty())}
 
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, kPingTimeout*time.Duration(numPings))
+		defer cancel()
+		pings, err := n.Ping.Ping(ctx, pid)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Debugf("Ping error: %s", err)
+			outChan <- &PingResult{Text: fmt.Sprintf("Ping error: %s", err)}
+			return
+		}
+
 		var done bool
 		var total time.Duration
 		for i := 0; i < numPings && !done; i++ {
 			select {
 			case <-ctx.Done():
 				done = true
-				continue
-			default:
-			}
-
-			ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, kPingTimeout)
-			defer cancel()
-			took, err := n.Routing.Ping(ctx, pid)
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Debugf("Ping error: %s", err)
-				outChan <- &PingResult{Text: fmt.Sprintf("Ping error: %s", err)}
 				break
+			case t, ok := <-pings:
+				if !ok {
+					done = true
+					break
+				}
+
+				outChan <- &PingResult{
+					Success: true,
+					Time:    t,
+				}
+				total += t
+				time.Sleep(time.Second)
 			}
-			outChan <- &PingResult{
-				Success: true,
-				Time:    took,
-			}
-			total += took
-			time.Sleep(time.Second)
 		}
 		averagems := total.Seconds() * 1000 / float64(numPings)
 		outChan <- &PingResult{
diff --git a/core/core.go b/core/core.go
index 6ef28150d..9ceb388dd 100644
--- a/core/core.go
+++ b/core/core.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import (
 	swarm "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/p2p/net/swarm"
 	addrutil "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/p2p/net/swarm/addr"
 	peer "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/p2p/peer"
+	ping "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/p2p/protocol/ping"
 	eventlog "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/thirdparty/eventlog"
 
 	routing "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/routing"
@@ -102,7 +103,8 @@ type IpfsNode struct {
 	Exchange     exchange.Interface  // the block exchange + strategy (bitswap)
 	Namesys      namesys.NameSystem  // the name system, resolves paths to hashes
 	Diagnostics  *diag.Diagnostics   // the diagnostics service
-	Reprovider   *rp.Reprovider      // the value reprovider system
+	Ping         *ping.PingService
+	Reprovider   *rp.Reprovider // the value reprovider system
 
 	IpnsFs *ipnsfs.Filesystem
 
@@ -324,6 +326,7 @@ func (n *IpfsNode) HandlePeerFound(p peer.PeerInfo) {
 func (n *IpfsNode) startOnlineServicesWithHost(ctx context.Context, host p2phost.Host, routingOption RoutingOption) error {
 	// setup diagnostics service
 	n.Diagnostics = diag.NewDiagnostics(n.Identity, host)
+	n.Ping = ping.NewPingService(host)
 
 	// setup routing service
 	r, err := routingOption(ctx, host, n.Repo.Datastore())
diff --git a/p2p/protocol/ping/ping.go b/p2p/protocol/ping/ping.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6a4327d22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/p2p/protocol/ping/ping.go
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+package ping
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"errors"
+	"io"
+	"time"
+
+	context "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/golang.org/x/net/context"
+
+	host "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/p2p/host"
+	inet "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/p2p/net"
+	peer "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/p2p/peer"
+	eventlog "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/thirdparty/eventlog"
+	u "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/util"
+)
+
+var log = eventlog.Logger("ping")
+
+const PingSize = 32
+
+const ID = "/ipfs/ping"
+
+type PingService struct {
+	Host host.Host
+}
+
+func NewPingService(h host.Host) *PingService {
+	ps := &PingService{h}
+	h.SetStreamHandler(ID, ps.PingHandler)
+	return ps
+}
+
+func (p *PingService) PingHandler(s inet.Stream) {
+	buf := make([]byte, PingSize)
+
+	for {
+		_, err := io.ReadFull(s, buf)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Debug(err)
+			return
+		}
+
+		_, err = s.Write(buf)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Debug(err)
+			return
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (ps *PingService) Ping(ctx context.Context, p peer.ID) (<-chan time.Duration, error) {
+	s, err := ps.Host.NewStream(ID, p)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	out := make(chan time.Duration)
+	go func() {
+		defer close(out)
+		for {
+			select {
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				return
+			default:
+				t, err := ping(s)
+				if err != nil {
+					log.Debugf("ping error: %s", err)
+					return
+				}
+
+				select {
+				case out <- t:
+				case <-ctx.Done():
+					return
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
+	return out, nil
+}
+
+func ping(s inet.Stream) (time.Duration, error) {
+	buf := make([]byte, PingSize)
+	u.NewTimeSeededRand().Read(buf)
+
+	before := time.Now()
+	_, err := s.Write(buf)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+
+	rbuf := make([]byte, PingSize)
+	_, err = io.ReadFull(s, rbuf)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+
+	if !bytes.Equal(buf, rbuf) {
+		return 0, errors.New("ping packet was incorrect!")
+	}
+
+	return time.Now().Sub(before), nil
+}
diff --git a/p2p/protocol/ping/ping_test.go b/p2p/protocol/ping/ping_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..85bb34219
--- /dev/null
+++ b/p2p/protocol/ping/ping_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+package ping
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	context "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/golang.org/x/net/context"
+	peer "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/p2p/peer"
+	netutil "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/p2p/test/util"
+)
+
+func TestPing(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+	h1 := netutil.GenHostSwarm(t, ctx)
+	h2 := netutil.GenHostSwarm(t, ctx)
+
+	err := h1.Connect(ctx, peer.PeerInfo{
+		ID:    h2.ID(),
+		Addrs: h2.Addrs(),
+	})
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	ps1 := NewPingService(h1)
+	ps2 := NewPingService(h2)
+
+	testPing(t, ps1, h2.ID())
+	testPing(t, ps2, h1.ID())
+}
+
+func testPing(t *testing.T, ps *PingService, p peer.ID) {
+	pctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+	ts, err := ps.Ping(pctx, p)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
+		select {
+		case took := <-ts:
+			t.Log("ping took: ", took)
+		case <-time.After(time.Second * 4):
+			t.Fatal("failed to receive ping")
+		}
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/routing/dht/dht_test.go b/routing/dht/dht_test.go
index edfffcebf..1358903a9 100644
--- a/routing/dht/dht_test.go
+++ b/routing/dht/dht_test.go
@@ -102,35 +102,6 @@ func bootstrap(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, dhts []*IpfsDHT) {
 	cancel()
 }
 
-func TestPing(t *testing.T) {
-	// t.Skip("skipping test to debug another")
-	ctx := context.Background()
-
-	dhtA := setupDHT(ctx, t)
-	dhtB := setupDHT(ctx, t)
-
-	peerA := dhtA.self
-	peerB := dhtB.self
-
-	defer dhtA.Close()
-	defer dhtB.Close()
-	defer dhtA.host.Close()
-	defer dhtB.host.Close()
-
-	connect(t, ctx, dhtA, dhtB)
-
-	//Test that we can ping the node
-	ctxT, _ := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 100*time.Millisecond)
-	if _, err := dhtA.Ping(ctxT, peerB); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-
-	ctxT, _ = context.WithTimeout(ctx, 100*time.Millisecond)
-	if _, err := dhtB.Ping(ctxT, peerA); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-}
-
 func TestValueGetSet(t *testing.T) {
 	// t.Skip("skipping test to debug another")
 
diff --git a/routing/dht/routing.go b/routing/dht/routing.go
index c4dc76ac4..190e50285 100644
--- a/routing/dht/routing.go
+++ b/routing/dht/routing.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package dht
 
 import (
 	"sync"
-	"time"
 
 	context "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/golang.org/x/net/context"
 	key "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/blocks/key"
@@ -397,16 +396,3 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) FindPeersConnectedToPeer(ctx context.Context, id peer.ID) (<
 
 	return peerchan, nil
 }
-
-// Ping a peer, log the time it took
-func (dht *IpfsDHT) Ping(ctx context.Context, p peer.ID) (time.Duration, error) {
-	// Thoughts: maybe this should accept an ID and do a peer lookup?
-	log.Debugf("ping %s start", p)
-	before := time.Now()
-
-	pmes := pb.NewMessage(pb.Message_PING, "", 0)
-	_, err := dht.sendRequest(ctx, p, pmes)
-	log.Debugf("ping %s end (err = %s)", p, err)
-
-	return time.Now().Sub(before), err
-}
diff --git a/routing/routing.go b/routing/routing.go
index 31be8f3f8..db9b49dcd 100644
--- a/routing/routing.go
+++ b/routing/routing.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package routing
 
 import (
 	"errors"
-	"time"
 
 	context "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/golang.org/x/net/context"
 	key "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/blocks/key"
@@ -38,9 +37,6 @@ type IpfsRouting interface {
 	// with relevant addresses.
 	FindPeer(context.Context, peer.ID) (peer.PeerInfo, error)
 
-	// Ping a peer, log the time it took
-	Ping(context.Context, peer.ID) (time.Duration, error)
-
 	// Bootstrap allows callers to hint to the routing system to get into a
 	// Boostrapped state
 	Bootstrap(context.Context) error