diff --git a/lokimq/connections.cpp b/lokimq/connections.cpp
index 2249875..9ab1f5f 100644
--- a/lokimq/connections.cpp
+++ b/lokimq/connections.cpp
@@ -35,12 +35,9 @@ void LokiMQ::rebuild_pollitems() {
     pollitems_stale = false;
 }
 
-void LokiMQ::setup_outgoing_socket(zmq::socket_t& socket, string_view remote_pubkey) {
-    if (!remote_pubkey.empty()) {
-        socket.setsockopt(ZMQ_CURVE_SERVERKEY, remote_pubkey.data(), remote_pubkey.size());
-        socket.setsockopt(ZMQ_CURVE_PUBLICKEY, pubkey.data(), pubkey.size());
-        socket.setsockopt(ZMQ_CURVE_SECRETKEY, privkey.data(), privkey.size());
-    }
+void LokiMQ::setup_external_socket(zmq::socket_t& socket) {
+    socket.setsockopt(ZMQ_RECONNECT_IVL, (int) RECONNECT_INTERVAL.count());
+    socket.setsockopt(ZMQ_RECONNECT_IVL_MAX, (int) RECONNECT_INTERVAL_MAX.count());
     socket.setsockopt(ZMQ_HANDSHAKE_IVL, (int) HANDSHAKE_TIME.count());
     socket.setsockopt<int64_t>(ZMQ_MAXMSGSIZE, MAX_MSG_SIZE);
     if (CONN_HEARTBEAT > 0s) {
@@ -48,6 +45,17 @@ void LokiMQ::setup_outgoing_socket(zmq::socket_t& socket, string_view remote_pub
         if (CONN_HEARTBEAT_TIMEOUT > 0s)
             socket.setsockopt(ZMQ_HEARTBEAT_TIMEOUT, (int) CONN_HEARTBEAT_TIMEOUT.count());
     }
+}
+
+void LokiMQ::setup_outgoing_socket(zmq::socket_t& socket, string_view remote_pubkey) {
+
+    setup_external_socket(socket);
+
+    if (!remote_pubkey.empty()) {
+        socket.setsockopt(ZMQ_CURVE_SERVERKEY, remote_pubkey.data(), remote_pubkey.size());
+        socket.setsockopt(ZMQ_CURVE_PUBLICKEY, pubkey.data(), pubkey.size());
+        socket.setsockopt(ZMQ_CURVE_SECRETKEY, privkey.data(), privkey.size());
+    }
 
     if (PUBKEY_BASED_ROUTING_ID) {
         std::string routing_id;
diff --git a/lokimq/lokimq.h b/lokimq/lokimq.h
index 909d731..9c66e3a 100644
--- a/lokimq/lokimq.h
+++ b/lokimq/lokimq.h
@@ -196,6 +196,18 @@ public:
      * disconnected. -1 means no limit. */
     int64_t MAX_MSG_SIZE = 1 * 1024 * 1024;
 
+    /** Minimum reconnect interval: when a connection fails or dies, wait this long before
+     * attempting to reconnect.  (ZMQ may randomize the value somewhat to avoid reconnection
+     * storms).  See RECONNECT_INTERVAL_MAX as well.  The LokiMQ default is 250ms.
+     */
+    std::chrono::milliseconds RECONNECT_INTERVAL = 250ms;
+
+    /** Maximum reconnect interval.  When this is set to a value larger than RECONNECT_INTERVAL then
+     * ZMQ's reconnection logic uses an exponential backoff: each reconnection attempts waits twice
+     * as long as the previous attempt, up to this maximum.  The LokiMQ default is 5 seconds.
+     */
+    std::chrono::milliseconds RECONNECT_INTERVAL_MAX = 5s;
+
     /** How long (in ms) to linger sockets when closing them; this is the maximum time zmq spends
      * trying to sending pending messages before dropping them and closing the underlying socket
      * after the high-level zmq socket is closed. */
@@ -431,10 +443,8 @@ private:
     /// gets called after all works have done so.
     void proxy_quit();
 
-    // Sets the various properties for a listening socket prior to binding.  If curve is true then
-    // the socket is set up using the keys and incoming connections must already know the pubkey to
-    // establish a connection; otherwise the connection is plaintext without authentication.
-    void setup_listening_socket(zmq::socket_t& socket, bool curve);
+    // Common setup code for setting up an external (incoming or outgoing) socket.
+    void setup_external_socket(zmq::socket_t& socket);
 
     // Sets the various properties on an outgoing socket prior to connection.  If remote_pubkey is
     // provided then the connection will be curve25519 encrypted and authenticate; otherwise it will
diff --git a/lokimq/proxy.cpp b/lokimq/proxy.cpp
index 4672ccc..6b22318 100644
--- a/lokimq/proxy.cpp
+++ b/lokimq/proxy.cpp
@@ -326,19 +326,13 @@ void LokiMQ::proxy_loop() {
         zmq::socket_t listener{context, zmq::socket_type::router};
 
         std::string auth_domain = bt_serialize(i);
+        setup_external_socket(listener);
         listener.setsockopt(ZMQ_ZAP_DOMAIN, auth_domain.c_str(), auth_domain.size());
         if (b.curve) {
             listener.setsockopt<int>(ZMQ_CURVE_SERVER, 1);
             listener.setsockopt(ZMQ_CURVE_PUBLICKEY, pubkey.data(), pubkey.size());
             listener.setsockopt(ZMQ_CURVE_SECRETKEY, privkey.data(), privkey.size());
         }
-        listener.setsockopt(ZMQ_HANDSHAKE_IVL, (int) HANDSHAKE_TIME.count());
-        if (CONN_HEARTBEAT > 0s) {
-            listener.setsockopt(ZMQ_HEARTBEAT_IVL, (int) CONN_HEARTBEAT.count());
-            if (CONN_HEARTBEAT_TIMEOUT > 0s)
-                listener.setsockopt(ZMQ_HEARTBEAT_TIMEOUT, (int) CONN_HEARTBEAT_TIMEOUT.count());
-        }
-        listener.setsockopt<int64_t>(ZMQ_MAXMSGSIZE, MAX_MSG_SIZE);
         listener.setsockopt<int>(ZMQ_ROUTER_HANDOVER, 1);
         listener.setsockopt<int>(ZMQ_ROUTER_MANDATORY, 1);