diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index a9548c1..637c0ba 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 CC = gcc
 CFLAGS = -O0 -I../include -I../../c-libp2p/include -I../../c-protobuf -Wall
+
+ifdef DEBUG
+CFLAGS += -g3
+endif
+
 LFLAGS = 
 DEPS = builder.h ipfs_node.h
 OBJS = builder.o daemon.o null.o ping.o
diff --git a/core/daemon.c b/core/daemon.c
index 86ba2bb..6d432a6 100644
--- a/core/daemon.c
+++ b/core/daemon.c
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <pthread.h>
 #include "libp2p/net/p2pnet.h"
+#include "libp2p/peer/peerstore.h"
 #include "ipfs/core/daemon.h"
 #include "ipfs/core/ipfs_node.h"
+#include "ipfs/repo/fsrepo/fs_repo.h"
 
 int ipfs_daemon (int argc, char **argv)
 {
@@ -15,12 +17,23 @@ int ipfs_daemon (int argc, char **argv)
 
     fprintf(stderr, "Initializing daemon...\n");
 
+    // 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;
+	}
+
     // create a new IpfsNode
     struct IpfsNode local_node;
     local_node.mode = MODE_ONLINE;
-    //local_node.peerstore = ipfs_peerstore_new();
-    //local_node.repo = fsrepo;
-    //local_node.peer_id = peer_id;
+    local_node.peerstore = libp2p_peerstore_new();
+    local_node.repo = fs_repo;
+    local_node.identity = fs_repo->config->identity;
 
     // Set null router param
     listen_param.ipv4 = 0; // ip 0.0.0.0, all interfaces
diff --git a/core/null.c b/core/null.c
index 2864304..3b3efa4 100644
--- a/core/null.c
+++ b/core/null.c
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ void *ipfs_null_listen (void *ptr)
         if (connection_param) {
             connection_param->socket = s;
             connection_param->count = &count;
+            connection_param->local_node = listen_param->local_node;
             // Create pthread for ipfs_null_connection.
             if (pthread_create(&pth_connection, NULL, ipfs_null_connection, connection_param)) {
                 fprintf(stderr, "Error creating thread for connection %d\n", count);
diff --git a/include/ipfs/core/daemon.h b/include/ipfs/core/daemon.h
index 8a32b9d..265b256 100644
--- a/include/ipfs/core/daemon.h
+++ b/include/ipfs/core/daemon.h
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
     struct null_connection_params {
         int socket;
         int *count;
+        struct IpfsNode* local_node;
     };
 
     struct null_listen_params {
diff --git a/include/ipfs/core/ipfs_node.h b/include/ipfs/core/ipfs_node.h
index dd9cfca..9a878bd 100644
--- a/include/ipfs/core/ipfs_node.h
+++ b/include/ipfs/core/ipfs_node.h
@@ -4,11 +4,10 @@ enum NodeMode { MODE_OFFLINE, MODE_ONLINE };
 
 struct IpfsNode {
 	enum NodeMode mode;
-	//struct PeerId identity;
+	struct Identity* identity;
 	struct FSRepo* repo;
 	struct Peerstore* peerstore;
 	//struct Pinner pinning; // an interface
 	//struct Mount** mounts;
-	//struct PrivKey* private_key;
 	// TODO: Add more here
 };
diff --git a/repo/config/identity.c b/repo/config/identity.c
index 03be46b..7c12c94 100644
--- a/repo/config/identity.c
+++ b/repo/config/identity.c
@@ -93,8 +93,14 @@ int repo_config_identity_build_private_key(struct Identity* identity, const char
 	if (retVal == 0)
 		return 0;
 
+	// now we have a protobuf'd struct PrivateKey. Unprotobuf it
+	struct PrivateKey* priv_key;
+	if (!libp2p_crypto_private_key_protobuf_decode(decoded, decoded_size, &priv_key))
+			return 0;
+
 	// now convert DER to RsaPrivateKey
-	retVal = libp2p_crypto_encoding_x509_der_to_private_key(decoded, decoded_size, &identity->private_key);
+	retVal = libp2p_crypto_encoding_x509_der_to_private_key(priv_key->data, priv_key->data_size, &identity->private_key);
+	libp2p_crypto_private_key_free(priv_key);
 	if (retVal == 0)
 		return 0;