diff --git a/CodexDistTestCore/Config/CodexDockerImage.cs b/CodexDistTestCore/Config/CodexDockerImage.cs
index 333ec0d..5855f71 100644
--- a/CodexDistTestCore/Config/CodexDockerImage.cs
+++ b/CodexDistTestCore/Config/CodexDockerImage.cs
@@ -14,10 +14,10 @@ namespace CodexDistTestCore.Config
             return "b20483";
         }
 
-        public List<V1EnvVar> CreateEnvironmentVariables(OfflineCodexNodes node, CodexNodeContainer environment)
+        public List<V1EnvVar> CreateEnvironmentVariables(OfflineCodexNodes node, CodexNodeContainer container)
         {
             var formatter = new EnvFormatter();
-            formatter.Create(node, environment);
+            formatter.Create(node, container);
             return formatter.Result;
         }
 
@@ -50,6 +50,17 @@ namespace CodexDistTestCore.Config
                     AddVar("METRICS_ADDR", "0.0.0.0");
                     AddVar("METRICS_PORT", container.MetricsPort.ToString());
                 }
+                if (container.GethCompanionNodeContainer != null)
+                {
+                    // well, darn: To get the account here, the geth companion needs to have been started and account string fetched.
+                    // but the codex node and geth companion node are in the same pod. so they start at the same time.
+                    // so we cannot start the codex node with the correct account string at the same time as we start the geth node that
+                    // is supposed to generate that string.
+                    // begin rework: Separate pod for geth companion node.
+//ETH_PROVIDER
+//ETH_ACCOUNT
+//ETH_DEPLOYMENT
+                }
             }
 
             private void AddVar(string key, string value)
diff --git a/CodexDistTestCore/K8sManager.cs b/CodexDistTestCore/K8sManager.cs
index c9e27ff..3e1eeac 100644
--- a/CodexDistTestCore/K8sManager.cs
+++ b/CodexDistTestCore/K8sManager.cs
@@ -123,8 +123,8 @@ namespace CodexDistTestCore
 
         private void ConnectMarketplace(CodexNodeGroup group, OnlineCodexNode node)
         {
-            var access = new MarketplaceAccess(this, log);
-            access.Initialize(group.PodInfo!, node.Container.GethCompanionNodeContainer!);
+            var access = new MarketplaceAccess(this, marketplaceController, log, group, node.Container.GethCompanionNodeContainer!);
+            access.Initialize();
             node.Marketplace = access;
         }
 
diff --git a/CodexDistTestCore/Marketplace/MarketplaceAccess.cs b/CodexDistTestCore/Marketplace/MarketplaceAccess.cs
index a49eab4..9dcd1c9 100644
--- a/CodexDistTestCore/Marketplace/MarketplaceAccess.cs
+++ b/CodexDistTestCore/Marketplace/MarketplaceAccess.cs
@@ -14,30 +14,33 @@ namespace CodexDistTestCore.Marketplace
     public class MarketplaceAccess : IMarketplaceAccess
     {
         private readonly K8sManager k8sManager;
+        private readonly MarketplaceController marketplaceController;
         private readonly TestLog log;
+        private readonly CodexNodeGroup group;
+        private readonly GethCompanionNodeContainer gethCompanionNodeContainer;
         private string account = string.Empty;
 
-        public MarketplaceAccess(K8sManager k8sManager, TestLog log)
+        public MarketplaceAccess(
+                                K8sManager k8sManager, 
+                                MarketplaceController marketplaceController,
+                                TestLog log,
+                                CodexNodeGroup group, 
+                                GethCompanionNodeContainer gethCompanionNodeContainer)
         {
             this.k8sManager = k8sManager;
+            this.marketplaceController = marketplaceController;
             this.log = log;
+            this.group = group;
+            this.gethCompanionNodeContainer = gethCompanionNodeContainer;
         }
 
-        public void Initialize(PodInfo pod, GethCompanionNodeContainer gethCompanionNodeContainer)
+        public void Initialize()
         {
-            FetchAccount(pod, gethCompanionNodeContainer);
-            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(account))
-            {
-                Thread.Sleep(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(15));
-                FetchAccount(pod, gethCompanionNodeContainer);
-            }
-            Assert.That(account, Is.Not.Empty, "Unable to fetch account for geth companion node. Test infra failure.");
-            log.Log($"Initialized Geth companion node with account '{account}'");
-        }
+            EnsureAccount();
 
-        private void FetchAccount(PodInfo pod, GethCompanionNodeContainer gethCompanionNodeContainer)
-        {
-            account = k8sManager.ExecuteCommand(pod, gethCompanionNodeContainer.Name, "cat", GethDockerImage.AccountFilename);
+            marketplaceController.AddToBalance(account, group.Origin.MarketplaceConfig!.InitialBalance);
+
+            log.Log($"Initialized Geth companion node with account '{account}' and initial balance {group.Origin.MarketplaceConfig!.InitialBalance}");
         }
 
         public void AdvertiseContract(ContentId contentId, float maxPricePerMBPerSecond, float minRequiredCollateral, float minRequiredNumberOfDuplicates)
@@ -59,6 +62,22 @@ namespace CodexDistTestCore.Marketplace
         {
             throw new NotImplementedException();
         }
+
+        private void EnsureAccount()
+        {
+            FetchAccount();
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(account))
+            {
+                Thread.Sleep(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(15));
+                FetchAccount();
+            }
+            Assert.That(account, Is.Not.Empty, "Unable to fetch account for geth companion node. Test infra failure.");
+        }
+
+        private void FetchAccount()
+        {
+            account = k8sManager.ExecuteCommand(group.PodInfo!, gethCompanionNodeContainer.Name, "cat", GethDockerImage.AccountFilename);
+        }
     }
 
     public class MarketplaceUnavailable : IMarketplaceAccess
diff --git a/CodexDistTestCore/Marketplace/MarketplaceController.cs b/CodexDistTestCore/Marketplace/MarketplaceController.cs
index d4dbbce..9b2c960 100644
--- a/CodexDistTestCore/Marketplace/MarketplaceController.cs
+++ b/CodexDistTestCore/Marketplace/MarketplaceController.cs
@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@ namespace CodexDistTestCore.Marketplace
             return gethBootstrapNode;
         }
 
+        public void AddToBalance(string account, int amount)
+        {
+            if (amount < 1 || string.IsNullOrEmpty(account)) Assert.Fail("Invalid arguments for AddToBalance");
+
+            // call the bootstrap node and convince it to give 'account' 'amount' tokens somehow.
+            throw new NotImplementedException();
+        }
+
         private void ExtractAccountAndGenesisJson()
         {
             FetchAccountAndGenesisJson();