diff --git a/include/libp2p/peer/peerstore.h b/include/libp2p/peer/peerstore.h
index 6073486..47863ea 100644
--- a/include/libp2p/peer/peerstore.h
+++ b/include/libp2p/peer/peerstore.h
@@ -33,9 +33,10 @@ void libp2p_peer_entry_free(struct PeerEntry* in);
 
 /**
  * Creates a new empty peerstore
+ * @param peer_id the peer id as a null terminated string
  * @returns an empty peerstore or NULL on error
  */
-struct Peerstore* libp2p_peerstore_new();
+struct Peerstore* libp2p_peerstore_new(const char* peer_id);
 
 /**
  * Deallocate resources used by the peerstore
diff --git a/include/libp2p/peer/providerstore.h b/include/libp2p/peer/providerstore.h
index 9ded207..e79bb66 100644
--- a/include/libp2p/peer/providerstore.h
+++ b/include/libp2p/peer/providerstore.h
@@ -32,6 +32,6 @@ struct ProviderStore* libp2p_providerstore_new();
  */
 void libp2p_providerstore_free(struct ProviderStore* in);
 
-int libp2p_providerstore_add(struct ProviderStore* store, unsigned char* hash, int hash_size, unsigned char* peer_id, int peer_id_size);
+int libp2p_providerstore_add(struct ProviderStore* store, const unsigned char* hash, int hash_size, const unsigned char* peer_id, int peer_id_size);
 
 int libp2p_providerstore_get(struct ProviderStore* store, const unsigned char* hash, int hash_size, unsigned char** peer_id, int *peer_id_size);
diff --git a/peer/peerstore.c b/peer/peerstore.c
index 6af0b1e..f32e4e9 100644
--- a/peer/peerstore.c
+++ b/peer/peerstore.c
@@ -33,13 +33,22 @@ struct PeerEntry* libp2p_peer_entry_copy(struct PeerEntry* in) {
 
 /**
  * Creates a new empty peerstore
+ * @param peer_id the peer id as a null terminated string
  * @returns an empty peerstore or NULL on error
  */
-struct Peerstore* libp2p_peerstore_new() {
+struct Peerstore* libp2p_peerstore_new(const char* peer_id) {
 	struct Peerstore* out = (struct Peerstore*)malloc(sizeof(struct Peerstore));
 	if (out != NULL) {
 		out->head_entry = NULL;
 		out->last_entry = NULL;
+		// now add this peer as the first entry
+		struct Libp2pPeer* peer = libp2p_peer_new();
+		peer->connection_type = CONNECTION_TYPE_NOT_CONNECTED;
+		peer->id_size = strlen(peer_id);
+		peer->id = malloc(peer->id_size);
+		memcpy(peer->id, peer_id, peer->id_size);
+		libp2p_peerstore_add_peer(out, peer);
+		libp2p_peer_free(peer);
 	}
 	return out;
 }
diff --git a/peer/providerstore.c b/peer/providerstore.c
index 15b9a44..fabbc19 100644
--- a/peer/providerstore.c
+++ b/peer/providerstore.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ void libp2p_providerstore_free(struct ProviderStore* in) {
 	}
 }
 
-int libp2p_providerstore_add(struct ProviderStore* store, unsigned char* hash, int hash_size, unsigned char* peer_id, int peer_id_size) {
+int libp2p_providerstore_add(struct ProviderStore* store, unsigned char* hash, int hash_size, const unsigned char* peer_id, int peer_id_size) {
 	char hash_str[hash_size + 1];
 	memcpy(hash_str, hash, hash_size);
 	hash_str[hash_size] = 0;
diff --git a/test/test_peer.h b/test/test_peer.h
index 1a6ca48..31668b2 100644
--- a/test/test_peer.h
+++ b/test/test_peer.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ int test_peer() {
  * Test the peerstore
  */
 int test_peerstore() {
-	struct Peerstore* peerstore = libp2p_peerstore_new();
+	struct Peerstore* peerstore = libp2p_peerstore_new("Qmabcdefg");
 	struct PeerEntry* peer_entry = NULL;
 	struct PeerEntry* results = NULL;
 	int retVal = 0;