diff --git a/packages/beacon-node/src/network/peers/peerManager.ts b/packages/beacon-node/src/network/peers/peerManager.ts
index 51e3588992b5..a9f9efcb013d 100644
--- a/packages/beacon-node/src/network/peers/peerManager.ts
+++ b/packages/beacon-node/src/network/peers/peerManager.ts
@@ -193,6 +193,11 @@ export class PeerManager {
     this.libp2p.services.components.events.addEventListener(Libp2pEvent.connectionClose, this.onLibp2pPeerDisconnect);
     this.networkEventBus.on(NetworkEvent.reqRespRequest, this.onRequest);
 
+    // Handle peers that were connected before event listener was registered
+    // This can happen due to libp2p bootstrap module dialing bootnodes
+    // before PeerManager is initialized
+    this.handleAlreadyConnectedPeers();
+
     this.lastStatus = this.statusCache.get();
 
     // On start-up will connected to existing peers in libp2p.peerStore, same as autoDial behaviour
@@ -231,6 +236,97 @@ export class PeerManager {
     for (const interval of this.intervals) clearInterval(interval);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Check for peers that were connected before PeerManager started listening
+   * for connection events. Send STATUS to outbound peers that we haven't
+   * exchanged status with yet.
+   *
+   * This handles the race condition where libp2p bootstrap module connects
+   * to bootnodes before PeerManager registers its connectionOpen listener.
+   */
+  private handleAlreadyConnectedPeers(): void {
+    const connections = getConnectionsMap(this.libp2p);
+
+    for (const [peerIdStr, conns] of connections) {
+      // Check if we already have this peer tracked
+      if (this.connectedPeers.has(peerIdStr)) {
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      // Find an open connection
+      const openConn = conns.value.find((c) => c.status === "open");
+      if (!openConn) {
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      this.logger.verbose("Found peer connected before PeerManager init", {
+        peer: prettyPrintPeerId(openConn.remotePeer),
+        direction: openConn.direction,
+      });
+
+      this.trackNewPeer(openConn);
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Track a new peer connection and initialize communication.
+   * Creates PeerData, sends PING/STATUS for outbound connections, and runs identify protocol.
+   */
+  private trackNewPeer(connection: Connection): void {
+    const {direction, remotePeer} = connection;
+    const remotePeerStr = remotePeer.toString();
+    const remotePeerPrettyStr = prettyPrintPeerId(remotePeer);
+
+    // On connection:
+    // - Outbound connections: send a STATUS and PING request
+    // - Inbound connections: expect to be STATUS'd, schedule STATUS and PING for later
+    // NOTE: libp2p may emit two "peer:connect" events: One for inbound, one for outbound
+    // If that happens, it's okay. Only the "outbound" connection triggers immediate action
+    const now = Date.now();
+    const nodeId = computeNodeId(remotePeer);
+    const peerData: PeerData = {
+      lastReceivedMsgUnixTsMs: direction === "outbound" ? 0 : now,
+      // If inbound, request after STATUS_INBOUND_GRACE_PERIOD
+      lastStatusUnixTsMs: direction === "outbound" ? 0 : now - STATUS_INTERVAL_MS + STATUS_INBOUND_GRACE_PERIOD,
+      connectedUnixTsMs: now,
+      relevantStatus: RelevantPeerStatus.Unknown,
+      direction,
+      nodeId,
+      peerId: remotePeer,
+      status: null,
+      metadata: null,
+      agentVersion: null,
+      agentClient: null,
+      encodingPreference: null,
+    };
+    this.connectedPeers.set(remotePeerStr, peerData);
+
+    if (direction === "outbound") {
+      void this.requestPing(remotePeer);
+      void this.requestStatus(remotePeer, this.statusCache.get());
+    }
+
+    this.libp2p.services.identify
+      .identify(connection)
+      .then((result) => {
+        const agentVersion = result.agentVersion;
+        if (agentVersion) {
+          peerData.agentVersion = agentVersion;
+          peerData.agentClient = getKnownClientFromAgentVersion(agentVersion);
+        }
+      })
+      .catch((err) => {
+        if (connection.status !== "open") {
+          this.logger.debug("Peer disconnected during identify protocol", {
+            peerId: remotePeerPrettyStr,
+            error: (err as Error).message,
+          });
+        } else {
+          this.logger.debug("Error setting agentVersion for the peer", {peerId: remotePeerPrettyStr}, err);
+        }
+      });
+  }
+
   /**
    * Return peers with at least one connection in status "open"
    */
@@ -698,9 +794,8 @@ export class PeerManager {
    * Registers a peer as connected. The `direction` parameter determines if the peer is being
    * dialed or connecting to us.
    */
-  private onLibp2pPeerConnect = async (evt: CustomEvent<Connection>): Promise<void> => {
+  private onLibp2pPeerConnect = (evt: CustomEvent<Connection>): void => {
     const {direction, status, remotePeer} = evt.detail;
-    const remotePeerStr = remotePeer.toString();
     const remotePeerPrettyStr = prettyPrintPeerId(remotePeer);
     this.logger.verbose("peer connected", {peer: remotePeerPrettyStr, direction, status});
     // NOTE: The peerConnect event is not emitted here here, but after asserting peer relevance
@@ -714,55 +809,7 @@ export class PeerManager {
       return;
     }
 
-    // On connection:
-    // - Outbound connections: send a STATUS and PING request
-    // - Inbound connections: expect to be STATUS'd, schedule STATUS and PING for latter
-    // NOTE: libp2p may emit two "peer:connect" events: One for inbound, one for outbound
-    // If that happens, it's okay. Only the "outbound" connection triggers immediate action
-    const now = Date.now();
-    const nodeId = computeNodeId(remotePeer);
-    const peerData: PeerData = {
-      lastReceivedMsgUnixTsMs: direction === "outbound" ? 0 : now,
-      // If inbound, request after STATUS_INBOUND_GRACE_PERIOD
-      lastStatusUnixTsMs: direction === "outbound" ? 0 : now - STATUS_INTERVAL_MS + STATUS_INBOUND_GRACE_PERIOD,
-      connectedUnixTsMs: now,
-      relevantStatus: RelevantPeerStatus.Unknown,
-      direction,
-      nodeId,
-      peerId: remotePeer,
-      status: null,
-      metadata: null,
-      agentVersion: null,
-      agentClient: null,
-      encodingPreference: null,
-    };
-    this.connectedPeers.set(remotePeerStr, peerData);
-
-    if (direction === "outbound") {
-      // this.pingAndStatusTimeouts();
-      void this.requestPing(remotePeer);
-      void this.requestStatus(remotePeer, this.statusCache.get());
-    }
-
-    this.libp2p.services.identify
-      .identify(evt.detail)
-      .then((result) => {
-        const agentVersion = result.agentVersion;
-        if (agentVersion) {
-          peerData.agentVersion = agentVersion;
-          peerData.agentClient = getKnownClientFromAgentVersion(agentVersion);
-        }
-      })
-      .catch((err) => {
-        if (evt.detail.status !== "open") {
-          this.logger.debug("Peer disconnected during identify protocol", {
-            peerId: remotePeerPrettyStr,
-            error: (err as Error).message,
-          });
-        } else {
-          this.logger.debug("Error setting agentVersion for the peer", {peerId: remotePeerPrettyStr}, err);
-        }
-      });
+    this.trackNewPeer(evt.detail);
   };
 
   /**