diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 0b8c676bd4..79b04420b3 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -228,6 +228,9 @@ func (cfg *Config) NewNode(ctx context.Context) (host.Host, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// start the host background tasks
+	h.Start()
+
 	if router != nil {
 		return routed.Wrap(h, router), nil
 	}
diff --git a/p2p/host/basic/basic_host.go b/p2p/host/basic/basic_host.go
index 0725fa702d..1b11bbdc80 100644
--- a/p2p/host/basic/basic_host.go
+++ b/p2p/host/basic/basic_host.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"io"
 	"net"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	logging "github.com/ipfs/go-log"
@@ -70,6 +71,11 @@ type BasicHost struct {
 	negtimeout time.Duration
 
 	proc goprocess.Process
+
+	ctx       context.Context
+	cancel    func()
+	mx        sync.Mutex
+	lastAddrs []ma.Multiaddr
 }
 
 // HostOpts holds options that can be passed to NewHost in order to
@@ -164,6 +170,11 @@ func NewHost(ctx context.Context, net inet.Network, opts *HostOpts) (*BasicHost,
 
 	net.SetConnHandler(h.newConnHandler)
 	net.SetStreamHandler(h.newStreamHandler)
+
+	bgctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	h.ctx = bgctx
+	h.cancel = cancel
+
 	return h, nil
 }
 
@@ -204,6 +215,11 @@ func New(net inet.Network, opts ...interface{}) *BasicHost {
 	return h
 }
 
+// Start starts background tasks in the host
+func (h *BasicHost) Start() {
+	go h.background()
+}
+
 // newConnHandler is the remote-opened conn handler for inet.Network
 func (h *BasicHost) newConnHandler(c inet.Conn) {
 	// Clear protocols on connecting to new peer to avoid issues caused
@@ -263,7 +279,63 @@ func (h *BasicHost) newStreamHandler(s inet.Stream) {
 // PushIdentify pushes an identify update through the identify push protocol
 // Warning: this interface is unstable and may disappear in the future.
 func (h *BasicHost) PushIdentify() {
-	h.ids.Push()
+	push := false
+
+	h.mx.Lock()
+	addrs := h.Addrs()
+	if !sameAddrs(addrs, h.lastAddrs) {
+		push = true
+		h.lastAddrs = addrs
+	}
+	h.mx.Unlock()
+
+	if push {
+		h.ids.Push()
+	}
+}
+
+func (h *BasicHost) background() {
+	// periodically schedules an IdentifyPush to update our peers for changes
+	// in our address set (if needed)
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(1 * time.Minute)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
+
+	// initialize lastAddrs
+	h.mx.Lock()
+	if h.lastAddrs == nil {
+		h.lastAddrs = h.Addrs()
+	}
+	h.mx.Unlock()
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ticker.C:
+			h.PushIdentify()
+
+		case <-h.ctx.Done():
+			return
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func sameAddrs(a, b []ma.Multiaddr) bool {
+	if len(a) != len(b) {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	bmap := make(map[string]struct{}, len(b))
+	for _, addr := range b {
+		bmap[string(addr.Bytes())] = struct{}{}
+	}
+
+	for _, addr := range a {
+		_, ok := bmap[string(addr.Bytes())]
+		if !ok {
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+
+	return true
 }
 
 // ID returns the (local) peer.ID associated with this Host
@@ -646,6 +718,7 @@ func (h *BasicHost) AllAddrs() []ma.Multiaddr {
 
 // Close shuts down the Host's services (network, etc).
 func (h *BasicHost) Close() error {
+	h.cancel()
 	return h.proc.Close()
 }
 
diff --git a/p2p/net/mock/mock_test.go b/p2p/net/mock/mock_test.go
index fa53c16ec5..473e4424df 100644
--- a/p2p/net/mock/mock_test.go
+++ b/p2p/net/mock/mock_test.go
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@ func TestLimitedStreams(t *testing.T) {
 func TestFuzzManyPeers(t *testing.T) {
 	peerCount := 50000
 	if detectrace.WithRace() {
-		peerCount = 1000
+		peerCount = 100
 	}
 	for i := 0; i < peerCount; i++ {
 		_, err := FullMeshConnected(context.Background(), 2)
diff --git a/p2p/protocol/identify/id.go b/p2p/protocol/identify/id.go
index 9aac465bfa..cfc4d08897 100644
--- a/p2p/protocol/identify/id.go
+++ b/p2p/protocol/identify/id.go
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ const transientTTL = 10 * time.Second
 type IDService struct {
 	Host host.Host
 
+	ctx context.Context
+
 	// connections undergoing identification
 	// for wait purposes
 	currid map[inet.Conn]chan struct{}
@@ -64,6 +66,7 @@ type IDService struct {
 func NewIDService(ctx context.Context, h host.Host) *IDService {
 	s := &IDService{
 		Host:          h,
+		ctx:           ctx,
 		currid:        make(map[inet.Conn]chan struct{}),
 		observedAddrs: NewObservedAddrSet(ctx),
 	}
@@ -156,19 +159,42 @@ func (ids *IDService) pushHandler(s inet.Stream) {
 }
 
 func (ids *IDService) Push() {
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ids.ctx, 30*time.Second)
+	ctx = inet.WithNoDial(ctx, "identify push")
+
 	for _, p := range ids.Host.Network().Peers() {
+		wg.Add(1)
 		go func(p peer.ID) {
-			ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 60*time.Second)
-			defer cancel()
+			defer wg.Done()
+
 			s, err := ids.Host.NewStream(ctx, p, IDPush)
 			if err != nil {
-				log.Debugf("error opening push stream: %s", err.Error())
+				log.Debugf("error opening push stream to %s: %s", p, err.Error())
 				return
 			}
 
-			ids.requestHandler(s)
+			rch := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+			go func() {
+				ids.requestHandler(s)
+				rch <- struct{}{}
+			}()
+
+			select {
+			case <-rch:
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				// this is taking too long, abort!
+				s.Reset()
+			}
 		}(p)
 	}
+
+	// this supervisory goroutine is necessary to cancel the context
+	go func() {
+		wg.Wait()
+		cancel()
+	}()
 }
 
 func (ids *IDService) populateMessage(mes *pb.Identify, c inet.Conn) {