diff --git a/nimbus/rpc/waku.nim b/nimbus/rpc/waku.nim
index c21b32517..b07506510 100644
--- a/nimbus/rpc/waku.nim
+++ b/nimbus/rpc/waku.nim
@@ -268,10 +268,10 @@ proc setupWakuRPC*(node: EthereumNode, keys: KeyStorage, rpcsrv: RpcServer) =
     # there to have a full node no matter what message filters.
     # Could also be moved to waku_protocol.nim
     let config = node.protocolState(Waku).config
-    if config.wakuMode == WakuChan:
+    if config.topics.isSome():
       try:
         # TODO: an addTopics call would probably be more useful
-        let result = await node.setTopics(config.topics.concat(filter.topics))
+        let result = await node.setTopics(config.topics.get().concat(filter.topics))
         if not result:
           raise newException(ValueError, "Too many topics")
       except CatchableError:
diff --git a/vendor/nim-eth b/vendor/nim-eth
index 3ee5651b7..b89874f6c 160000
--- a/vendor/nim-eth
+++ b/vendor/nim-eth
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 3ee5651b7c1b967e9aa115d99125ed35ac3ab2f1
+Subproject commit b89874f6cc35f2506de5d97c9a50978c77e0048f
diff --git a/vendor/nim-nat-traversal b/vendor/nim-nat-traversal
index bfc48eda5..2403c3392 160000
--- a/vendor/nim-nat-traversal
+++ b/vendor/nim-nat-traversal
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit bfc48eda54a35b7c19cbb2994470655ad7a3bdd1
+Subproject commit 2403c33929c74f2d150f50dc8bc3a598af70661a
diff --git a/vendor/nim-stew b/vendor/nim-stew
index 1c4293b3e..50562b515 160000
--- a/vendor/nim-stew
+++ b/vendor/nim-stew
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 1c4293b3e754b5ea68a188b60b192801162cd44e
+Subproject commit 50562b515a771cfc443557ee8e2dceee59207d52
diff --git a/waku/config.nim b/waku/config.nim
index a4f01623b..3c8262bbd 100644
--- a/waku/config.nim
+++ b/waku/config.nim
@@ -72,10 +72,10 @@ type
       defaultValue: false
       name: "light-node" }: bool
 
-    wakuMode* {.
-      desc: "Select the Waku mode.",
-      defaultValue: WakuSan
-      name: "waku-mode" }: WakuMode
+    wakuTopicInterest* {.
+      desc: "Run as node with a topic-interest",
+      defaultValue: false
+      name: "waku-topic-interest" }: bool
 
     wakuPow* {.
       desc: "PoW requirement of Waku node.",
diff --git a/waku/start_network.nim b/waku/start_network.nim
index fa7d40c1c..6bdb929a3 100644
--- a/waku/start_network.nim
+++ b/waku/start_network.nim
@@ -10,9 +10,8 @@ const
 
 type
   NodeType = enum
-    FullNode = "--waku-mode:WakuSan",
+    FullNode = "",
     LightNode = "--light-node:on",
-    WakuNode = "--light-node:on --waku-mode:WakuChan"
 
   Topology = enum
     Star,
@@ -43,8 +42,8 @@ type
     label: string
 
 proc initNodeCmd(nodeType: NodeType, shift: int, staticNodes: seq[string] = @[],
-    discovery = false, bootNodes: seq[string] = @[], master = false,
-    label: string): NodeInfo =
+    discovery = false, bootNodes: seq[string] = @[], topicInterest = false,
+    master = false, label: string): NodeInfo =
   let
     keypair = newKeyPair()
     address = Address(ip: parseIpAddress("127.0.0.1"),
@@ -53,6 +52,7 @@ proc initNodeCmd(nodeType: NodeType, shift: int, staticNodes: seq[string] = @[],
 
   result.cmd = wakuNodeBin & " " & defaults & " "
   result.cmd &= $nodeType & " "
+  result.cmd &= "--waku-topic-interest:" & $topicInterest & " "
   result.cmd &= "--nodekey:" & $keypair.seckey & " "
   result.cmd &= "--ports-shift:" & $shift & " "
   if discovery:
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@ proc generatePrometheusConfig(nodes: seq[NodeInfo], outputFile: string) =
           node: '{count}'"""
     count += 1
 
+  var (path, file) = splitPath(outputFile)
+  createDir(path)
   writeFile(outputFile, config)
 
 proc proccessGrafanaDashboard(nodes: int, inputFile: string,
@@ -167,8 +169,9 @@ when isMainModule:
   for i in 0..<conf.testNodePeers:
     # TODO: could also select nodes randomly
     staticnodes.add(nodes[i].enode)
-  # Waku light node
-  nodes.add(initNodeCmd(WakuNode, 0, staticnodes, label = "light Waku node"))
+  # light node with topic interest
+  nodes.add(initNodeCmd(LightNode, 0, staticnodes, topicInterest = true,
+    label = "light node topic interest"))
   # Regular light node
   nodes.add(initNodeCmd(LightNode, 1, staticnodes, label = "light node"))
 
diff --git a/waku/wakunode.nim b/waku/wakunode.nim
index 2729e97c5..e7d7aa0db 100644
--- a/waku/wakunode.nim
+++ b/waku/wakunode.nim
@@ -76,12 +76,15 @@ proc run(config: WakuNodeConf) =
     addAllCapabilities = false)
   if not config.bootnodeOnly:
     node.addCapability Waku # Always enable Waku protocol
+    var topicInterest: Option[seq[waku_protocol.Topic]]
+    if config.wakuTopicInterest:
+      var topics: seq[waku_protocol.Topic]
+      topicInterest = some(topics)
     let wakuConfig = WakuConfig(powRequirement: config.wakuPow,
                                 bloom: fullBloom(),
                                 isLightNode: config.lightNode,
                                 maxMsgSize: waku_protocol.defaultMaxMsgSize,
-                                wakuMode: config.wakuMode,
-                                topics: @[])
+                                topics: topicInterest)
     node.configureWaku(wakuConfig)
     if config.whisper or config.whisperBridge:
       node.addCapability Whisper