diff --git a/packages/core/src/xcm/horizontal.ts b/packages/core/src/xcm/horizontal.ts
index c7573252..cb46d8ea 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/xcm/horizontal.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/xcm/horizontal.ts
@@ -30,5 +30,15 @@ export const connectHorizontal = async (parachains: Record<number, Blockchain>)
         }
       }
     })
+
+    const hrmpHeads = await chain.head.read('BTreeMap<u32, H256>', meta.query.parachainSystem.lastHrmpMqcHeads)
+    if (hrmpHeads && !process.env.DISABLE_AUTO_HRMP) {
+      const existingChannels = Array.from(hrmpHeads.keys()).map((x) => x.toNumber())
+      for (const paraId of Object.keys(parachains).filter((x) => x !== id)) {
+        if (!existingChannels.includes(Number(paraId))) {
+          chain.submitHorizontalMessages(Number(paraId), [])
+        }
+      }
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/e2e/src/__snapshots__/connect-horizontal.test.ts.snap b/packages/e2e/src/__snapshots__/connect-horizontal.test.ts.snap
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ed29851a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/e2e/src/__snapshots__/connect-horizontal.test.ts.snap
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+// Vitest Snapshot v1, https://vitest.dev/guide/snapshot.html
+
+exports[`connectHorizontal > connectHorizontal opens channel > system events 1`] = `
+[
+  {
+    "data": {
+      "messageHash": "(hash)",
+    },
+    "method": "XcmpMessageSent",
+    "section": "xcmpQueue",
+  },
+]
+`;
+
+exports[`connectHorizontal > connectHorizontal opens channel > system events 2`] = `
+[
+  {
+    "data": {
+      "error": "TooExpensive",
+      "messageHash": "(hash)",
+      "weight": {
+        "proofSize": 0,
+        "refTime": 600000000,
+      },
+    },
+    "method": "Fail",
+    "section": "xcmpQueue",
+  },
+]
+`;
diff --git a/packages/e2e/src/connect-horizontal.test.ts b/packages/e2e/src/connect-horizontal.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0596c2c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/e2e/src/connect-horizontal.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+import { connectHorizontal } from '@acala-network/chopsticks-core/xcm/horizontal.js'
+import { describe, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import { checkSystemEvents, setupContext, testingPairs } from './helper.js'
+import networks from './networks.js'
+
+describe('connectHorizontal', () => {
+  it('connectHorizontal opens channel', async () => {
+    const { alice } = testingPairs()
+    const acala = await networks.acala({ blockNumber: 5729464 })
+    await acala.dev.setStorage({
+      System: {
+        Account: [[[alice.address], { providers: 1, data: { free: 1000e12 } }]],
+      },
+    })
+    const zeitgeist = await setupContext({
+      endpoint: 'wss://zeitgeist-rpc.dwellir.com',
+      blockNumber: 5084336,
+      db: !process.env.RUN_TESTS_WITHOUT_DB ? 'e2e-tests-db.sqlite' : undefined,
+    })
+
+    await connectHorizontal({
+      2000: acala.chain,
+      2092: zeitgeist.chain,
+    })
+
+    await acala.dev.newBlock()
+    await zeitgeist.dev.newBlock()
+
+    // This tx will be sent to Zeitgeist and fail but it's fine for this test as we only want to test the connection
+    await acala.api.tx.xTokens
+      .transfer(
+        {
+          Token: 'ACA',
+        },
+        1e12,
+        {
+          V3: {
+            parents: 1,
+            interior: {
+              X2: [
+                {
+                  Parachain: 2092,
+                },
+                {
+                  AccountId32: {
+                    id: alice.addressRaw,
+                  },
+                },
+              ],
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        {
+          Unlimited: null,
+        },
+      )
+      .signAndSend(alice)
+
+    await acala.dev.newBlock()
+    await checkSystemEvents(acala, 'xcmpQueue', 'XcmpMessageSent').toMatchSnapshot()
+
+    await zeitgeist.dev.newBlock()
+    await checkSystemEvents(zeitgeist, 'xcmpQueue', 'Fail').toMatchSnapshot()
+
+    await acala.teardown()
+    await zeitgeist.teardown()
+  })
+})