diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 0898dda..267c3e3 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ endif
 
 LFLAGS = 
 DEPS = builder.h ipfs_node.h
-OBJS = builder.o daemon.o null.o ping.o
+OBJS = builder.o daemon.o null.o ping.o bootstrap.o
 
 %.o: %.c $(DEPS)
 	$(CC) -c -o $@ $< $(CFLAGS)
diff --git a/core/bootstrap.c b/core/bootstrap.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d2b6acb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/bootstrap.c
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+
+#include "libp2p/peer/peer.h"
+#include "ipfs/core/ipfs_node.h"
+#include "ipfs/thirdparty/ipfsaddr/ipfs_addr.h"
+#include "multiaddr/multiaddr.h"
+
+/***
+ * Begin to connect to the swarm
+ */
+void *ipfs_bootstrap_swarm(void* param) {
+	struct IpfsNode* local_node = (struct IpfsNode*)param;
+	// read the config file and get the bootstrap peers
+	for(int i = 0; i < local_node->repo->config->peer_addresses.num_peers; i++) { // loop through the peers
+		struct IPFSAddr* ipfs_addr = local_node->repo->config->peer_addresses.peers[i];
+		struct MultiAddress* ma = multiaddress_new_from_string(ipfs_addr->entire_string);
+		// get the id
+		char* ptr;
+		if ( (ptr = strstr(ipfs_addr->entire_string, "/ipfs/")) != NULL) { // look for the peer id
+			ptr += 6;
+			if (ptr[0] == 'Q' && ptr[1] == 'm') { // things look good
+				struct Libp2pPeer* peer = libp2p_peer_new_from_data(ptr, strlen(ptr), ma);
+				libp2p_peerstore_add_peer(local_node->peerstore, peer);
+			}
+			// TODO: attempt to connect to the peer
+
+		} // we have a good peer ID
+
+	}
+	return (void*)1;
+}
diff --git a/core/daemon.c b/core/daemon.c
index 7a52ed5..fdb4342 100644
--- a/core/daemon.c
+++ b/core/daemon.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "libp2p/peer/peerstore.h"
 #include "ipfs/core/daemon.h"
 #include "ipfs/core/ipfs_node.h"
+#include "ipfs/core/bootstrap.h"
 #include "ipfs/repo/fsrepo/fs_repo.h"
 
 int ipfs_daemon_start(char* repo_path) {
@@ -45,6 +46,11 @@ int ipfs_daemon_start(char* repo_path) {
         return 1;
     }
 
+    // create pthread for connecting to the swarm bootstrap
+    if (pthread_create(&work_pths[count_pths++], NULL, ipfs_bootstrap_swarm, &local_node)) {
+
+    }
+
     fprintf(stderr, "Daemon is ready\n");
 
     // Wait for pthreads to finish.
diff --git a/core/null.c b/core/null.c
index c1a86ea..65e41d2 100644
--- a/core/null.c
+++ b/core/null.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ void *ipfs_null_connection (void *ptr)
 			unsigned char* results = NULL;
 			size_t bytes_read;
 			secure_session.default_stream->read(&secure_session, &results, &bytes_read);
-			if (secure_session.secure_stream == NULL && ipfs_null_requesting_secio(results, bytes_read)) {
+			if (ipfs_null_requesting_secio(results, bytes_read)) {
 				if (!libp2p_secio_handshake(&secure_session, &connection_param->local_node->identity->private_key, 1)) {
 					// rejecting connection
 					break;
diff --git a/core/ping.c b/core/ping.c
index c6a09e1..b7d9427 100644
--- a/core/ping.c
+++ b/core/ping.c
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 #include "libp2p/net/p2pnet.h"
 #include "libp2p/net/multistream.h"
 #include "libp2p/record/message.h"
+#include "libp2p/secio/secio.h"
+#include "ipfs/repo/fsrepo/fs_repo.h"
 
 #define BUF_SIZE 4096
 
@@ -14,17 +16,42 @@ int ipfs_ping (int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	unsigned char* results = NULL;
 	size_t results_size = 0;
-	//TODO: handle multiaddress
+	int port = 0;
+	char* ip = NULL;
+	struct SecureSession session;
 
-	// the way using multistream
-	//TODO: Error checking
-	char* ip = argv[2];
-	int port = atoi(argv[3]);
-	struct Stream* stream = libp2p_net_multistream_connect(ip, port);
-	if (stream == NULL) {
+    // read the configuration
+    struct FSRepo* fs_repo;
+	if (!ipfs_repo_fsrepo_new(NULL, NULL, &fs_repo))
+		return 0;
+
+	// open the repository and read the file
+	if (!ipfs_repo_fsrepo_open(fs_repo)) {
+		ipfs_repo_fsrepo_free(fs_repo);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	//TODO: handle multiaddress
+	if (strstr(argv[2], "/ipfs/") != NULL) {
+		// look in peerstore
+	} else {
+		// the way using multistream
+		//TODO: Error checking
+		ip = argv[2];
+		port = atoi(argv[3]);
+	}
+
+	session.insecure_stream = libp2p_net_multistream_connect(ip, port);
+	session.default_stream = session.insecure_stream;
+	if (session.insecure_stream == NULL) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Unable to connect to %s on port %s", ip, argv[3]);
 	}
 
+	// 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
 	struct Libp2pMessage* msg = libp2p_message_new();
 	msg->message_type = MESSAGE_TYPE_PING;
@@ -32,8 +59,16 @@ int ipfs_ping (int argc, char **argv)
 	size_t protobuf_size = libp2p_message_protobuf_encode_size(msg);
 	unsigned char protobuf[protobuf_size];
 	libp2p_message_protobuf_encode(msg, &protobuf[0], protobuf_size, &protobuf_size);
-	libp2p_net_multistream_write(stream, protobuf, protobuf_size);
-	libp2p_net_multistream_read(stream, &results, &results_size);
+	session.default_stream->write(&session, protobuf, protobuf_size);
+	session.default_stream->read(&session, &results, &results_size);
+
+	// see if we can unprotobuf
+	struct Libp2pMessage* msg_returned = NULL;
+	libp2p_message_protobuf_decode(results, results_size, &msg_returned);
+	if (msg_returned->message_type != MESSAGE_TYPE_PING) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Ping unsuccessful. Returned message was not a PING");
+		return 0;
+	}
 
 	if (results_size != protobuf_size) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "PING unsuccessful. Original size: %lu, returned size: %lu\n", protobuf_size, results_size);
diff --git a/include/ipfs/core/bootstrap.h b/include/ipfs/core/bootstrap.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c7a5e1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/ipfs/core/bootstrap.h
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#pragma once
+
+/**
+ * Fires up the connection to peers
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Connect to the peers in the config file
+ * @param param a IpfsNode object
+ * @returns nothing useful
+ */
+void *ipfs_bootstrap_swarm(void* param);
diff --git a/main/Makefile b/main/Makefile
index 9eb97b1..c93b8b0 100644
--- a/main/Makefile
+++ b/main/Makefile
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ OBJS = main.o \
 	../cid/cid.o \
 	../cmd/ipfs/init.o \
 	../commands/argument.o ../commands/command_option.o ../commands/command.o ../commands/cli/parse.o \
-	../core/builder.o ../core/daemon.o ../core/null.o ../core/ping.o \
+	../core/builder.o ../core/daemon.o ../core/null.o ../core/ping.o ../core/bootstrap.o \
 	../datastore/ds_helper.o \
 	../datastore/key.o \
 	../dnslink/*.o \
diff --git a/test/Makefile b/test/Makefile
index 17914b7..791d054 100644
--- a/test/Makefile
+++ b/test/Makefile
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ OBJS = testit.o test_helper.o \
 	../core/builder.o \
 	../core/daemon.o \
 	../core/null.o \
+	../core/bootstrap.o \
 	../datastore/ds_helper.o \
 	../flatfs/flatfs.o \
 	../importer/importer.o ../importer/exporter.o ../importer/resolver.o \