diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d8e43e2..3cd86b4 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ node_modules
 dist
 example/.cache/
 example/.parcel-cache/
+/relay-data/
diff --git a/example/index.tsx b/example/index.tsx
index 865adef..d9b4aee 100644
--- a/example/index.tsx
+++ b/example/index.tsx
@@ -25,7 +25,10 @@ const App = () => {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     (async () => {
-      await server.listen();
+      const sub = await server.listen();
+      sub.on('event', (evt) => {
+        console.log('server received message', evt);
+      });
     })();
   }, []);
 
diff --git a/src/rpc.ts b/src/rpc.ts
index 6e59cad..99e7f31 100644
--- a/src/rpc.ts
+++ b/src/rpc.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import {
   relayInit,
-  Relay,
   getEventHash,
   signEvent,
   validateEvent,
@@ -23,13 +22,13 @@ export interface NostrRPCResponse {
 }
 
 export class NostrRPC {
-  relay: Relay;
+  relay: string;
   self: { pubkey: string; secret: string };
   // this is for implementing the response handlers for each method
   [key: string]: any;
 
   constructor(opts: { relay?: string; secretKey: string }) {
-    this.relay = relayInit(opts.relay || 'wss://nostr.vulpem.com');
+    this.relay = opts.relay || 'wss://nostr.vulpem.com';
     this.self = {
       pubkey: getPublicKey(opts.secretKey),
       secret: opts.secretKey,
@@ -47,43 +46,47 @@ export class NostrRPC {
       params?: any[];
     };
   }): Promise<any> {
+    const relay = await relayInit(this.relay);
     // prepare request to be sent
     const request = prepareRequest(id, method, params);
     const event = await prepareEvent(this.self.secret, target, request);
 
     // connect to relay
-    await this.relay.connect();
+    await relay.connect();
+    await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
+      relay.on('connect', () => {
+        resolve();
+      });
+      relay.on('error', () => {
+        reject(`not possible to connect to ${relay.url}`);
+      });
+    });
 
     // send request via relay
-    try {
-      await new Promise<void>(async (resolve, reject) => {
-        this.relay.on('error', () => {
-          reject(`failed to connect to ${this.relay.url}`);
-        });
-        const pub = this.relay.publish(event);
-        pub.on('failed', (reason: any) => {
-          reject(reason);
-        });
-        pub.on('seen', () => {
-          console.log(`seen`, event.id, request);
-          resolve();
-        });
+    await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
+      relay.on('error', () => {
+        reject(`failed to connect to ${relay.url}`);
       });
-    } catch (err) {
-      throw err;
-    }
+      const pub = relay.publish(event);
+      pub.on('failed', (reason: any) => {
+        reject(reason);
+      });
+      pub.on('seen', () => {
+        resolve();
+      });
+    });
 
     // waiting for response from remote
     return new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
-      const queries = [
+      let sub = relay.sub([
         {
           kinds: [4],
           authors: [target],
           '#p': [this.self.pubkey],
-          since: event.created_at,
+          limit: 1,
         },
-      ];
-      let sub = this.relay.sub(queries);
+      ]);
+
       sub.on('event', async (event: Event) => {
         let payload;
         try {
@@ -104,8 +107,6 @@ export class NostrRPC {
         // ignore all the events that are not for this request
         if (payload.id !== id) return;
 
-        console.log(`response`, event.id, payload);
-
         // if the response is an error, reject the promise
         if (payload.error) {
           reject(payload.error);
@@ -120,21 +121,22 @@ export class NostrRPC {
   }
 
   async listen(): Promise<Sub> {
-    await this.relay.connect();
+    const relay = relayInit(this.relay);
+    await relay.connect();
     await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
-      this.relay.on('connect', () => {
+      relay.on('connect', () => {
         resolve();
       });
-      this.relay.on('error', () => {
-        reject(`not possible to connect to ${this.relay.url}`);
+      relay.on('error', () => {
+        reject(`not possible to connect to ${relay.url}`);
       });
     });
 
-    let sub = this.relay.sub([
+    let sub = relay.sub([
       {
         kinds: [4],
         '#p': [this.self.pubkey],
-        since: now() - 1,
+        since: now(),
       },
     ]);
 
@@ -156,7 +158,6 @@ export class NostrRPC {
       if (!isValidRequest(payload)) return;
 
       // handle request
-      if (!this.hasOwnProperty(payload.method)) return;
       const response = await this.handleRequest(payload);
 
       const body = prepareResponse(
@@ -173,7 +174,7 @@ export class NostrRPC {
 
       // send response via relay
       await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
-        const pub = this.relay.publish(responseEvent);
+        const pub = relay.publish(responseEvent);
         pub.on('failed', (reason: any) => {
           reject(reason);
         });
diff --git a/test/connect.test.ts b/test/connect.test.ts
index 06174c9..c3e7ea7 100644
--- a/test/connect.test.ts
+++ b/test/connect.test.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { getPublicKey } from 'nostr-tools';
 import { Connect, ConnectURI, NostrRPC } from '../src';
 import { sleep } from './utils';
 
-jest.setTimeout(8000);
+jest.setTimeout(5000);
 
 // web app (this is ephemeral and represents the currention session)
 const webSK =
@@ -49,9 +49,12 @@ describe('Nostr Connect', () => {
     expect(testHandler).toBeCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
-  it('returns pubkey', async () => {
+  it.only('returns pubkey', async () => {
     // start listening for connect messages on the mobile app
-    const remoteHandler = new MobileHandler({ secretKey: mobileSK });
+    const remoteHandler = new MobileHandler({
+      secretKey: mobileSK,
+      relay: 'wss://nostr.vulpem.com',
+    });
     await remoteHandler.listen();
 
     await sleep(1000);
diff --git a/test/rpc.test.ts b/test/rpc.test.ts
index 75660a4..5bcb1be 100644
--- a/test/rpc.test.ts
+++ b/test/rpc.test.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ class Server extends NostrRPC {
 jest.setTimeout(5000);
 
 describe('Nostr RPC', () => {
-  it('starts a server', async () => {
+  it('ping pong', async () => {
     const server = new Server({
       secretKey:
         'ed779ff047f99c95f732b22c9f8f842afb870c740aab591776ebc7b64e83cf6c',
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ describe('Nostr RPC', () => {
         '5acff99d1ad3e1706360d213fd69203312d9b5e91a2d5f2e06100cc6f686e5b3',
     });
 
-    await sleep(2000);
+    await sleep(1000);
 
     const result = await client.call({
       target: server.self.pubkey,