diff --git a/beacon_chain/eth2_network.nim b/beacon_chain/eth2_network.nim
index 7f660b435..80da0c98b 100644
--- a/beacon_chain/eth2_network.nim
+++ b/beacon_chain/eth2_network.nim
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ when networkBackend == rlpxBackend:
 
 else:
   import
-    random,
-    libp2p/daemon/daemonapi, eth/async_utils,
+    os, random, std_shims/io,
+    libp2p/crypto/crypto, libp2p/daemon/daemonapi, eth/async_utils,
     ssz
 
   when networkBackend == libp2pSpecBackend:
@@ -136,6 +136,9 @@ else:
     BootstrapAddr* = PeerInfo
     Eth2NodeIdentity* = PeerInfo
 
+  const
+    networkKeyFilename = "privkey.protobuf"
+
   proc writeValue*(writer: var JsonWriter, value: PeerID) {.inline.} =
     writer.writeValue value.pretty
 
@@ -151,20 +154,26 @@ else:
   proc init*(T: type BootstrapAddr, str: string): T =
     Json.decode(str, PeerInfo)
 
-  proc createEth2Node*(conf: BeaconNodeConf): Future[Eth2Node] {.async.} =
-    var node = new Eth2Node
-    await node.init()
-    return node
+  proc ensureNetworkIdFile(conf: BeaconNodeConf): string =
+    result = conf.dataDir / networkKeyFilename
+    if not fileExists(result):
+      createDir conf.dataDir.string
+      let pk = PrivateKey.random(Ed25519)
+      writeFile(result, pk.getBytes)
 
   proc getPersistentNetIdentity*(conf: BeaconNodeConf): Eth2NodeIdentity =
     # Using waitFor here is reasonable, because this proc is needed only
     # prior to connecting to the network. The RLPx alternative reads from
     # file and it's much easier to use if it's not async.
     # TODO: revisit in the future when we have our own Lib2P2 implementation.
-    let daemon = waitFor newDaemonApi()
+    let daemon = waitFor newDaemonApi(id = conf.ensureNetworkIdFile)
     result = waitFor daemon.identity()
     waitFor daemon.close()
 
+  proc createEth2Node*(conf: BeaconNodeConf): Future[Eth2Node] {.async.} =
+    var daemon = await newDaemonApi({PSGossipSub}, id = conf.ensureNetworkIdFile)
+    return await Eth2Node.init(daemon)
+
   proc getPersistenBootstrapAddr*(conf: BeaconNodeConf,
                                   ip: IpAddress, port: Port): BootstrapAddr =
     # TODO what about the ports?
diff --git a/beacon_chain/libp2p_backend.nim b/beacon_chain/libp2p_backend.nim
index ac2bf3efc..254b0258c 100644
--- a/beacon_chain/libp2p_backend.nim
+++ b/beacon_chain/libp2p_backend.nim
@@ -91,19 +91,20 @@ include libp2p_backends_common
 include eth/p2p/p2p_backends_helpers
 include eth/p2p/p2p_tracing
 
-proc init*(node: Eth2Node) {.async.} =
-  node.daemon = await newDaemonApi({PSGossipSub})
-  node.daemon.userData = node
-  init node.peers
+proc init*(T: type Eth2Node, daemon: DaemonAPI): Future[T] {.async.} =
+  new result
+  result.daemon = daemon
+  result.daemon.userData = result
+  init result.peers
 
-  newSeq node.protocolStates, allProtocols.len
+  newSeq result.protocolStates, allProtocols.len
   for proto in allProtocols:
     if proto.networkStateInitializer != nil:
-      node.protocolStates[proto.index] = proto.networkStateInitializer(node)
+      result.protocolStates[proto.index] = proto.networkStateInitializer(result)
 
     for msg in proto.messages:
       if msg.libp2pProtocol.len > 0:
-        await node.daemon.addHandler(@[msg.libp2pProtocol], msg.thunk)
+        await daemon.addHandler(@[msg.libp2pProtocol], msg.thunk)
 
 proc readMsg(stream: P2PStream, MsgType: type,
              deadline: Future[void]): Future[Option[MsgType]] {.async.} =
diff --git a/beacon_chain/libp2p_spec_backend.nim b/beacon_chain/libp2p_spec_backend.nim
index eca716db7..cb17794e6 100644
--- a/beacon_chain/libp2p_spec_backend.nim
+++ b/beacon_chain/libp2p_spec_backend.nim
@@ -160,17 +160,18 @@ include eth/p2p/p2p_tracing
 
 proc handleConnectingBeaconChainPeer(daemon: DaemonAPI, stream: P2PStream) {.async, gcsafe.}
 
-proc init*(node: Eth2Node) {.async.} =
-  node.daemon = await newDaemonApi({PSGossipSub})
-  node.daemon.userData = node
-  init node.peers
+proc init*(T: type Eth2Node, daemon: DaemonAPI): Future[Eth2Node] {.async.} =
+  new result
+  result.daemon = daemon
+  result.daemon.userData = result
+  result.peers = initTable[PeerID, Peer]()
 
-  newSeq node.protocolStates, allProtocols.len
+  newSeq result.protocolStates, allProtocols.len
   for proto in allProtocols:
     if proto.networkStateInitializer != nil:
-      node.protocolStates[proto.index] = proto.networkStateInitializer(node)
+      result.protocolStates[proto.index] = proto.networkStateInitializer(result)
 
-  await node.daemon.addHandler(@[beaconChainProtocol], handleConnectingBeaconChainPeer)
+  await daemon.addHandler(@[beaconChainProtocol], handleConnectingBeaconChainPeer)
 
 proc init*(T: type Peer, network: Eth2Node, id: PeerID): Peer =
   new result
diff --git a/tests/test_peer_connection.nim b/tests/test_peer_connection.nim
index d5d923c29..5de2b3d82 100644
--- a/tests/test_peer_connection.nim
+++ b/tests/test_peer_connection.nim
@@ -13,12 +13,24 @@ asyncTest "connect two nodes":
 
   var c1 = BeaconNodeConf.defaults
   c1.dataDir = OutDir(tempDir / "node-1")
+
+  var n1PersistentAddress = c1.getPersistenBootstrapAddr(
+    parseIpAddress("127.0.0.1"), Port 50000)
+
   var n1 = await createEth2Node(c1)
-  var n1Address = getPersistenBootstrapAddr(c1, parseIpAddress("127.0.0.1"), Port 50000)
+  var n1ActualAddress = await n1.daemon.identity()
+
+  echo "persistent: ", n1PersistentAddress
+  echo "actual:", n1ActualAddress
+  doAssert n1PersistentAddress == n1ActualAddress
+
+  echo "Node 1 address: ", n1PersistentAddress
+  echo "Press any key to continue"
+  discard stdin.readLine()
 
   var c2 = BeaconNodeConf.defaults
   c2.dataDir = OutDir(tempDir / "node-2")
   var n2 = await createEth2Node(c2)
 
-  await n2.connectToNetwork(bootstrapNodes = @[n1Address])
+  await n2.connectToNetwork(bootstrapNodes = @[n1ActualAddress])