diff --git a/src/endpoint.rs b/src/endpoint.rs
index d90d4e53..a1a0129b 100644
--- a/src/endpoint.rs
+++ b/src/endpoint.rs
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ impl Endpoint {
         }
 
         #[cfg(not(feature = "no-igd"))]
-        if addr.is_none() && self.qp2p_config.forward_port {
+        if self.qp2p_config.forward_port {
             // Attempt to use IGD for port forwarding
             match timeout(
                 Duration::from_secs(PORT_FORWARD_TIMEOUT),
@@ -268,12 +268,10 @@ impl Endpoint {
                     }
                     Err(e) => {
                         info!("IGD request failed: {} - {:?}", e, e);
-                        return Err(Error::IgdNotSupported);
                     }
                 },
                 Err(e) => {
                     info!("IGD request timeout: {:?}", e);
-                    return Err(Error::IgdNotSupported);
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -380,6 +378,40 @@ impl Endpoint {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    /// Verify if an address is publicly reachable. This will attempt to create
+    /// a new connection and use it to exchange a message and verify that the node
+    /// can be reached.
+    pub async fn is_reachable(&self, peer_addr: &SocketAddr) -> Result<()> {
+        let new_connection = self.create_new_connection(peer_addr).await?;
+        let (mut send_stream, mut recv_stream) = new_connection.connection.open_bi().await?;
+        let message = WireMsg::EndpointEchoReq;
+        message.write_to_stream(&mut send_stream).await?;
+
+        match timeout(
+            Duration::from_secs(ECHO_SERVICE_QUERY_TIMEOUT),
+            WireMsg::read_from_stream(&mut recv_stream),
+        )
+        .await
+        {
+            Ok(Ok(WireMsg::EndpointEchoResp(_))) => Ok(()),
+            Ok(Ok(other)) => {
+                info!(
+                    "Unexpected message type when verifying reachability: {}",
+                    &other
+                );
+                Ok(())
+            }
+            Ok(Err(err)) => {
+                info!("Unable to contact peer: {:?}", err);
+                Err(err)
+            }
+            Err(err) => {
+                info!("Unable to contact peer: {:?}", err);
+                Err(Error::NoEchoServiceResponse)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Creates a fresh connection without looking at the connection pool and connection duplicator.
     pub(crate) async fn create_new_connection(
         &self,
diff --git a/src/tests/common.rs b/src/tests/common.rs
index 204aa7df..600cb94f 100644
--- a/src/tests/common.rs
+++ b/src/tests/common.rs
@@ -444,3 +444,18 @@ async fn connection_attempts_to_bootstrap_contacts_should_succeed() -> Result<()
     }
     Ok(())
 }
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn reachability() -> Result<()> {
+    let qp2p = new_qp2p()?;
+
+    let (ep1, _, _, _) = qp2p.new_endpoint().await?;
+    let (ep2, _, _, _) = qp2p.new_endpoint().await?;
+
+    if let Ok(()) = ep1.is_reachable(&"127.0.0.1:12345".parse()?).await {
+        anyhow!("Unexpected success");
+    };
+    let reachable_addr = ep2.socket_addr();
+    ep1.is_reachable(&reachable_addr).await?;
+    Ok(())
+}