diff --git a/libp2p/host/defaults.py b/libp2p/host/defaults.py
index a311132..a5d63ba 100644
--- a/libp2p/host/defaults.py
+++ b/libp2p/host/defaults.py
@@ -2,10 +2,16 @@ from collections import OrderedDict
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
 from libp2p.host.host_interface import IHost
+from libp2p.host.ping import ID as PingID
+from libp2p.host.ping import handle_ping
+from libp2p.identity.identify.protocol import ID as IdentifyID
+from libp2p.identity.identify.protocol import identify_handler_for
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from libp2p.typing import TProtocol, StreamHandlerFn
 
 
 def get_default_protocols(host: IHost) -> "OrderedDict[TProtocol, StreamHandlerFn]":
-    return OrderedDict()
+    return OrderedDict(
+        ((IdentifyID, identify_handler_for(host)), (PingID, handle_ping))
+    )
diff --git a/libp2p/host/ping.py b/libp2p/host/ping.py
index 46a28e0..9075f0b 100644
--- a/libp2p/host/ping.py
+++ b/libp2p/host/ping.py
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@ import logging
 from libp2p.network.stream.exceptions import StreamEOF, StreamReset
 from libp2p.network.stream.net_stream_interface import INetStream
 from libp2p.peer.id import ID as PeerID
+from libp2p.typing import TProtocol
 
-ID = "/ipfs/ping/1.0.0"
+ID = TProtocol("/ipfs/ping/1.0.0")
 PING_LENGTH = 32
 RESP_TIMEOUT = 60
 
diff --git a/libp2p/identity/identify/protocol.py b/libp2p/identity/identify/protocol.py
index b42e51a..390c0de 100644
--- a/libp2p/identity/identify/protocol.py
+++ b/libp2p/identity/identify/protocol.py
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@ from multiaddr import Multiaddr
 
 from libp2p.host.host_interface import IHost
 from libp2p.network.stream.net_stream_interface import INetStream
-from libp2p.typing import StreamHandlerFn
+from libp2p.typing import StreamHandlerFn, TProtocol
 
 from .pb.identify_pb2 import Identify
 
-ID = "/ipfs/id/1.0.0"
+ID = TProtocol("/ipfs/id/1.0.0")
 PROTOCOL_VERSION = "ipfs/0.1.0"
 # TODO dynamically generate the agent version
 AGENT_VERSION = "py-libp2p/alpha"
diff --git a/tests/host/test_basic_host.py b/tests/host/test_basic_host.py
index 4d22222..f25f4e7 100644
--- a/tests/host/test_basic_host.py
+++ b/tests/host/test_basic_host.py
@@ -11,4 +11,6 @@ def test_default_protocols():
 
     mux = host.get_mux()
     handlers = mux.handlers
-    assert handlers == get_default_protocols(host)
+    # NOTE: comparing keys for equality as handlers may be closures that do not compare in the way
+    # this test is concerned with
+    assert handlers.keys() == get_default_protocols(host).keys()
diff --git a/tests/host/test_ping.py b/tests/host/test_ping.py
index d6f0244..a5296f1 100644
--- a/tests/host/test_ping.py
+++ b/tests/host/test_ping.py
@@ -3,28 +3,16 @@ import secrets
 
 import pytest
 
-from libp2p.host.ping import ID, PING_LENGTH, handle_ping
+from libp2p.host.ping import ID, PING_LENGTH
 from libp2p.peer.peerinfo import info_from_p2p_addr
 from tests.utils import set_up_nodes_by_transport_opt
 
 
-def _add_ping_to(host):
-    host.set_stream_handler(ID, handle_ping)
-
-
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_ping_once():
     transport_opt_list = [["/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/0"], ["/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/0"]]
     (host_a, host_b) = await set_up_nodes_by_transport_opt(transport_opt_list)
 
-    # NOTE: this will fail after we add ping as a default handler
-    # as a forced reminder to fix this test by removing the calls to
-    # `_add_ping_to`
-    assert host_a.get_mux().handlers == {}
-    assert host_b.get_mux().handlers == {}
-    _add_ping_to(host_a)
-    _add_ping_to(host_b)
-
     addr = host_a.get_addrs()[0]
     info = info_from_p2p_addr(addr)
     await host_b.connect(info)
@@ -45,14 +33,6 @@ async def test_ping_several():
     transport_opt_list = [["/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/0"], ["/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/0"]]
     (host_a, host_b) = await set_up_nodes_by_transport_opt(transport_opt_list)
 
-    # NOTE: this will fail after we add ping as a default handler
-    # as a forced reminder to fix this test by removing the calls to
-    # `_add_ping_to`
-    assert host_a.get_mux().handlers == {}
-    assert host_b.get_mux().handlers == {}
-    _add_ping_to(host_a)
-    _add_ping_to(host_b)
-
     addr = host_a.get_addrs()[0]
     info = info_from_p2p_addr(addr)
     await host_b.connect(info)