diff --git a/include/libtorrent/kademlia/put_data.hpp b/include/libtorrent/kademlia/put_data.hpp
index 5330581b5..a7d20d8bb 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/kademlia/put_data.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/kademlia/put_data.hpp
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ struct put_data: traversal_algorithm
 	put_data(node& node, put_callback const& callback);
 
 	virtual char const* name() const;
+	virtual void start() TORRENT_OVERRIDE;
 
 	void set_data(item const& data) { m_data = data; }
 
diff --git a/src/kademlia/put_data.cpp b/src/kademlia/put_data.cpp
index 51e7b4556..45bd38491 100644
--- a/src/kademlia/put_data.cpp
+++ b/src/kademlia/put_data.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,14 @@ put_data::put_data(node& dht_node, put_callback const& callback)
 
 char const* put_data::name() const { return "put_data"; }
 
+void put_data::start()
+{
+	// router nodes must not be added to puts
+	init();
+	bool is_done = add_requests();
+	if (is_done) done();
+}
+
 void put_data::set_targets(std::vector<std::pair<node_entry, std::string> > const& targets)
 {
 	for (std::vector<std::pair<node_entry, std::string> >::const_iterator i = targets.begin()
@@ -85,6 +93,9 @@ bool put_data::invoke(observer_ptr o)
 		m_invoke_count = -1;
 		return false;
 	}
+
+	// TODO: what if o is not an isntance of put_data_observer? This need to be
+	// redesigned for better type saftey.
 	put_data_observer* po = static_cast<put_data_observer*>(o.get());
 
 	entry e;