diff --git a/exchange/bitswap/bitswap.c b/exchange/bitswap/bitswap.c
index b74fcf5..39a09c7 100644
--- a/exchange/bitswap/bitswap.c
+++ b/exchange/bitswap/bitswap.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "ipfs/exchange/exchange.h"
 #include "ipfs/exchange/bitswap/bitswap.h"
 #include "ipfs/exchange/bitswap/message.h"
+#include "ipfs/exchange/bitswap/peer_request_queue.h"
 #include "ipfs/exchange/bitswap/want_manager.h"
 
 /**
@@ -28,8 +29,8 @@ struct Exchange* ipfs_bitswap_new(struct IpfsNode* ipfs_node) {
 			free(exchange);
 			return NULL;
 		}
-		bitswapContext->localWantlist = NULL;
-		bitswapContext->peerRequestQueue = NULL;
+		bitswapContext->localWantlist = ipfs_bitswap_wantlist_queue_new();
+		bitswapContext->peerRequestQueue = ipfs_bitswap_peer_request_queue_new();
 		bitswapContext->ipfsNode = ipfs_node;
 
 		exchange->exchangeContext = (void*) bitswapContext;
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ int ipfs_bitswap_get_block(struct Exchange* exchange, struct Cid* cid, struct Bl
 			return 1;
 		// now ask the network
 		//NOTE: this timeout should be configurable
-		int timeout = 10;
+		int timeout = 60;
 		int waitSecs = 1;
 		int timeTaken = 0;
 		struct WantListSession wantlist_session;
diff --git a/exchange/bitswap/peer_request_queue.c b/exchange/bitswap/peer_request_queue.c
index 3cbc27c..8400ead 100644
--- a/exchange/bitswap/peer_request_queue.c
+++ b/exchange/bitswap/peer_request_queue.c
@@ -139,10 +139,13 @@ struct PeerRequest* ipfs_bitswap_peer_request_queue_pop(struct PeerRequestQueue*
 	if (queue != NULL) {
 		pthread_mutex_lock(&queue->queue_mutex);
 		struct PeerRequestEntry* entry = queue->first;
-		retVal = entry->current;
-		queue->first = queue->first->next;
+		if (entry != NULL) {
+			retVal = entry->current;
+			queue->first = queue->first->next;
+		}
 		pthread_mutex_unlock(&queue->queue_mutex);
-		ipfs_bitswap_peer_request_entry_free(entry);
+		if (entry != NULL)
+			ipfs_bitswap_peer_request_entry_free(entry);
 	}
 	return retVal;
 }
diff --git a/exchange/bitswap/wantlist_queue.c b/exchange/bitswap/wantlist_queue.c
index 8a82f35..be0f683 100644
--- a/exchange/bitswap/wantlist_queue.c
+++ b/exchange/bitswap/wantlist_queue.c
@@ -147,10 +147,14 @@ struct WantListQueueEntry* ipfs_bitswap_wantlist_queue_pop(struct WantListQueue*
 struct WantListQueueEntry* ipfs_bitswap_wantlist_queue_entry_new() {
 	struct WantListQueueEntry* entry = (struct WantListQueueEntry*) malloc(sizeof(struct WantListQueueEntry));
 	if (entry != NULL) {
+		entry->sessionsRequesting = libp2p_utils_vector_new(1);
+		if (entry->sessionsRequesting == NULL) {
+			free(entry);
+			return NULL;
+		}
 		entry->block = NULL;
 		entry->cid = NULL;
 		entry->priority = 0;
-		entry->sessionsRequesting = NULL;
 		entry->attempts = 0;
 	}
 	return entry;
diff --git a/routing/online.c b/routing/online.c
index 0f023a6..fdbdb6c 100644
--- a/routing/online.c
+++ b/routing/online.c
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ struct Libp2pMessage* ipfs_routing_online_send_receive_message(struct SessionCon
 	sessionContext->default_stream->write(sessionContext, protobuf, protobuf_size);
 	sessionContext->default_stream->read(sessionContext, &results, &results_size, 5);
 
+	if (results_size == 0)
+		goto exit;
+
 	// see if we can unprotobuf
 	if (!libp2p_message_protobuf_decode(results, results_size, &return_message))
 		goto exit;
diff --git a/test/exchange/test_bitswap.h b/test/exchange/test_bitswap.h
index 19291fa..45d7483 100644
--- a/test/exchange/test_bitswap.h
+++ b/test/exchange/test_bitswap.h
@@ -157,6 +157,186 @@ int test_bitswap_retrieve_file()
 	return retVal;
 }
 
+/***
+ * Attempt to retrieve a file from a known node
+ */
+int test_bitswap_retrieve_file_remote() {
+	int retVal = 0;
+
+	/*
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("dht_protocol");
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("providerstore");
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("peerstore");
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("exporter");
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("peer");
+	*/
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("test_bitswap");
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("null");
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("online");
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("multistream");
+
+	// clean out repository
+	char* ipfs_path = "/tmp/test1";
+	char* peer_id_1 = NULL, *peer_id_2 = NULL;
+	struct IpfsNode* ipfs_node1 = NULL, *ipfs_node2 = NULL;
+	pthread_t thread1;
+	int thread1_started = 0;
+	struct MultiAddress* ma_peer1 = NULL;
+	struct Libp2pVector* ma_vector2 = NULL;
+	struct HashtableNode* node = NULL;
+	struct Block* result = NULL;
+	struct Cid* cid = NULL;
+
+	// create peer 1
+	libp2p_logger_debug("test_bitswap", "Firing up daemon 1.\n");
+	drop_and_build_repository(ipfs_path, 4001, NULL, &peer_id_1);
+	char multiaddress_string[255];
+	sprintf(multiaddress_string, "/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/4001/ipfs/%s", peer_id_1);
+	ma_peer1 = multiaddress_new_from_string(multiaddress_string);
+	// add a file
+	size_t bytes_written = 0;
+	ipfs_node_online_new(ipfs_path, &ipfs_node1);
+	ipfs_import_file(NULL, "/home/parallels/ipfstest/hello_world.txt", &node, ipfs_node1, &bytes_written, 0);
+	// start the daemon in a separate thread
+	if (pthread_create(&thread1, NULL, test_routing_daemon_start, (void*)ipfs_path) < 0) {
+		libp2p_logger_error("test_bitswap", "Unable to start thread 1\n");
+		goto exit;
+	}
+	thread1_started = 1;
+    // wait for everything to start up
+    sleep(3);
+
+    // create my peer, peer 2
+    libp2p_logger_debug("test_routing", "Firing up the client\n");
+	ipfs_path = "/tmp/test2";
+	ma_peer1 = multiaddress_new_from_string(multiaddress_string);
+	ma_vector2 = libp2p_utils_vector_new(1);
+	libp2p_utils_vector_add(ma_vector2, ma_peer1);
+	drop_and_build_repository(ipfs_path, 4002, ma_vector2, &peer_id_2);
+	multiaddress_free(ma_peer1);
+	ipfs_node_online_new(ipfs_path, &ipfs_node2);
+
+    ipfs_node2->routing->Bootstrap(ipfs_node2->routing);
+
+    // this does the heavy lifting...
+    cid = ipfs_cid_new(0, node->hash, node->hash_size, CID_PROTOBUF);
+    if (!ipfs_node2->exchange->GetBlock(ipfs_node2->exchange, cid, &result)) {
+    	libp2p_logger_error("test_bitswap", "GetBlock returned false\n");
+    	goto exit;
+    }
+
+    if (node->hash_size != result->cid->hash_length) {
+    	libp2p_logger_error("test_bitswap", "Node hash sizes do not match. Should be %lu but is %lu\n", node->hash_size, result->cid->hash_length);
+    	goto exit;
+    }
+
+    if (node->data_size != result->data_length) {
+    	libp2p_logger_error("test_bitswap", "Result sizes do not match. Should be %lu but is %lu\n", node->data_size, result->data_length);
+    	goto exit;
+    }
+
+	retVal = 1;
+	exit:
+	ipfs_daemon_stop();
+	if (thread1_started)
+		pthread_join(thread1, NULL);
+	if (peer_id_1 != NULL)
+		free(peer_id_1);
+	if (peer_id_2 != NULL)
+		free(peer_id_2);
+	if (ma_vector2 != NULL) {
+		libp2p_utils_vector_free(ma_vector2);
+	}
+	if (node != NULL)
+		ipfs_hashtable_node_free(node);
+	if (result != NULL)
+		ipfs_block_free(result);
+	if (cid != NULL)
+		ipfs_cid_free(cid);
+	return retVal;
+}
+
+
+/***
+ * Attempt to retrieve a file from a known node
+ */
+int test_bitswap_retrieve_file_known_remote() {
+	int retVal = 0;
+	/***
+	 * This assumes a remote server with the hello_world.txt file already in its database
+	 */
+	char* remote_ip = "10.211.55.2";
+	int remote_port = 4001;
+	char* remote_peer_id = "QmZVoAZGFfinB7MQQiDzB84kWaDPQ95GLuXdemJFM2r9b4";
+	char* hello_world_hash = "QmTUFTVgkHT3Qdd9ospVjSLi2upd6VdkeNXZQH66cVmzja";
+
+	/*
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("dht_protocol");
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("providerstore");
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("peerstore");
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("exporter");
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("peer");
+	*/
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("test_bitswap");
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("null");
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("online");
+	libp2p_logger_add_class("multistream");
+
+	char* ipfs_path = "/tmp/test1";
+	char* peer_id_1 = NULL, *peer_id_2 = NULL;
+	struct IpfsNode* ipfs_node2 = NULL;
+	struct MultiAddress* ma_peer1 = NULL;
+	struct Libp2pVector* ma_vector2 = NULL;
+	struct Block* result = NULL;
+	struct Cid* cid = NULL;
+
+	// create peer 1
+	char multiaddress_string[255];
+	sprintf(multiaddress_string, "/ip4/%s/tcp/%d/ipfs/%s", remote_ip, remote_port, remote_peer_id);
+	ma_peer1 = multiaddress_new_from_string(multiaddress_string);
+
+    // create my peer, peer 2
+    libp2p_logger_debug("test_routing", "Firing up the client\n");
+	ipfs_path = "/tmp/test2";
+	ma_vector2 = libp2p_utils_vector_new(1);
+	libp2p_utils_vector_add(ma_vector2, ma_peer1);
+	drop_and_build_repository(ipfs_path, 4002, ma_vector2, &peer_id_2);
+	multiaddress_free(ma_peer1);
+	ipfs_node_online_new(ipfs_path, &ipfs_node2);
+
+    ipfs_node2->routing->Bootstrap(ipfs_node2->routing);
+
+    // this does the heavy lifting...
+    cid = ipfs_cid_new(0, (unsigned char*)hello_world_hash, strlen(hello_world_hash), CID_PROTOBUF);
+    if (!ipfs_node2->exchange->GetBlock(ipfs_node2->exchange, cid, &result)) {
+    	libp2p_logger_error("test_bitswap", "GetBlock returned false\n");
+    	goto exit;
+    }
+
+    if (strlen(hello_world_hash) != result->cid->hash_length) {
+    	libp2p_logger_error("test_bitswap", "Node hash sizes do not match. Should be %lu but is %lu\n", strlen(hello_world_hash), result->cid->hash_length);
+    	goto exit;
+    }
+
+	retVal = 1;
+	exit:
+	if (peer_id_1 != NULL)
+		free(peer_id_1);
+	if (peer_id_2 != NULL)
+		free(peer_id_2);
+	if (ma_vector2 != NULL) {
+		libp2p_utils_vector_free(ma_vector2);
+	}
+	if (result != NULL)
+		ipfs_block_free(result);
+	if (cid != NULL)
+		ipfs_cid_free(cid);
+	return retVal;
+}
+
+
+
+
 /***
  * Attempt to retrieve a file from a previously unknown node
  */
diff --git a/test/testit.c b/test/testit.c
index f9aa439..02917cc 100644
--- a/test/testit.c
+++ b/test/testit.c
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ const char* names[] = {
 		"test_bitswap_new_free",
 		"test_bitswap_peer_request_queue_new",
 		"test_bitswap_retrieve_file",
+		"test_bitswap_retrieve_file_known_remote",
+		"test_bitswap_retrieve_file_remote",
 		"test_bitswap_retrieve_file_third_party",
 		"test_cid_new_free",
 		"test_cid_cast_multihash",
@@ -91,6 +93,8 @@ int (*funcs[])(void) = {
 		test_bitswap_new_free,
 		test_bitswap_peer_request_queue_new,
 		test_bitswap_retrieve_file,
+		test_bitswap_retrieve_file_known_remote,
+		test_bitswap_retrieve_file_remote,
 		test_bitswap_retrieve_file_third_party,
 		test_cid_new_free,
 		test_cid_cast_multihash,