diff --git a/muxrpc/handlers/tunnel/server/connect.go b/muxrpc/handlers/tunnel/server/connect.go
index 0aed687..8cc4b44 100644
--- a/muxrpc/handlers/tunnel/server/connect.go
+++ b/muxrpc/handlers/tunnel/server/connect.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"go.cryptoscope.co/muxrpc/v2"
 
 	"github.com/ssb-ngi-pointer/go-ssb-room/internal/network"
+	"github.com/ssb-ngi-pointer/go-ssb-room/roomstate"
 	refs "go.mindeco.de/ssb-refs"
 )
 
@@ -26,7 +27,28 @@ type connectWithOriginArg struct {
 	Origin refs.FeedRef `json:"origin"` // who started the call
 }
 
-func (h *Handler) connect(ctx context.Context, req *muxrpc.Request, peerSrc *muxrpc.ByteSource, peerSnk *muxrpc.ByteSink) error {
+type connectHandler struct {
+	logger kitlog.Logger
+	self   refs.FeedRef
+
+	state *roomstate.Manager
+}
+
+// HandleConnect for tunnel.connect makes sure peers whos muxrpc session ends are removed from the room state
+func (h connectHandler) HandleConnect(ctx context.Context, edp muxrpc.Endpoint) {
+	// block until the channel is closed when the rpc session ends
+	<-ctx.Done()
+
+	peer, err := network.GetFeedRefFromAddr(edp.Remote())
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	h.state.Remove(*peer)
+}
+
+// HandleDuplex here implements the tunnel.connect behavior of the server-side. It receives incoming events
+func (h connectHandler) HandleDuplex(ctx context.Context, req *muxrpc.Request, peerSrc *muxrpc.ByteSource, peerSnk *muxrpc.ByteSink) error {
 	// unpack arguments
 	var args []connectArg
 	err := json.Unmarshal(req.RawArgs, &args)
diff --git a/muxrpc/handlers/tunnel/server/plugin.go b/muxrpc/handlers/tunnel/server/plugin.go
index 6a05df7..80499bf 100644
--- a/muxrpc/handlers/tunnel/server/plugin.go
+++ b/muxrpc/handlers/tunnel/server/plugin.go
@@ -43,5 +43,9 @@ func (h *Handler) Register(mux typemux.HandlerMux, namespace muxrpc.Method) {
 
 	mux.RegisterSource(append(namespace, "endpoints"), typemux.SourceFunc(h.endpoints))
 
-	mux.RegisterDuplex(append(namespace, "connect"), typemux.DuplexFunc(h.connect))
+	mux.RegisterDuplex(append(namespace, "connect"), connectHandler{
+		logger: h.logger,
+		self:   h.self,
+		state:  h.state,
+	})
 }