diff --git a/core/null.c b/core/null.c
index 6f42253..3d3ec69 100644
--- a/core/null.c
+++ b/core/null.c
@@ -92,16 +92,22 @@ void *ipfs_null_connection (void *ptr)
 					}
 				}
 			} else if (protocol_compare(results, bytes_read, "/kad/")) {
-				if (!libp2p_routing_dht_handshake(&session))
+				fprintf(stderr, "Attempting kademlia connection...\n");
+				if (!libp2p_routing_dht_handshake(&session)) {
+					fprintf(stderr, "kademlia connection handshake failed\n");
 					break;
+				}
 				// this handles 1 transaction
 				libp2p_routing_dht_handle_message(&session, connection_param->local_node->peerstore, connection_param->local_node->providerstore);
+				fprintf(stderr, "kademlia message handled\n");
 			}
 			else {
 				// oops there was a problem
 				//TODO: Handle this
 			}
 		}
+   	} else {
+   		fprintf(stderr, "Multistream negotiation failed\n");
    	}
 
 	if (session.default_stream != NULL) {
diff --git a/core/ping.c b/core/ping.c
index f75d86b..ce3926f 100644
--- a/core/ping.c
+++ b/core/ping.c
@@ -97,10 +97,12 @@ int ipfs_ping (int argc, char **argv)
 		goto exit;
 	}
 
-	// try to switch to secio
+	//TODO: Fix mac problem, then use this to try to switch to secio
+	/*
 	if (!libp2p_secio_handshake(&session, &fs_repo->config->identity->private_key, 0)) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Unable to switch to secure connection. Attempting insecure ping...\n");
 	}
+	*/
 
 	// prepare the PING message
 	msg = libp2p_message_new();
@@ -109,6 +111,10 @@ int ipfs_ping (int argc, char **argv)
 	protobuf_size = libp2p_message_protobuf_encode_size(msg);
 	protobuf = (unsigned char*)malloc(protobuf_size);
 	libp2p_message_protobuf_encode(msg, &protobuf[0], protobuf_size, &protobuf_size);
+	if (!libp2p_routing_dht_upgrade_stream(&session)) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "PING unsuccessful. Unable to switch to kademlia protocol\n");
+		goto exit;
+	}
 	session.default_stream->write(&session, protobuf, protobuf_size);
 	session.default_stream->read(&session, &results, &results_size);