A configuration to enable a UE to monitor the state of the connection with a peer UE in a sidelink communication. The apparatus establishes one or more unicast links with a second UE. The apparatus changes a connection state with the second UE from a sidelink disconnected state to a sidelink connected state based on an establishment of a first of the one or more unicast links. The apparatus changes the connection state with the second UE from the sidelink connected state to the sidelink disconnected state when each of the one or more unicast links with the second UE is released or when a configured timer expires.