diff --git a/examples/client_test.cpp b/examples/client_test.cpp
index f41272c62..30a6c040b 100644
--- a/examples/client_test.cpp
+++ b/examples/client_test.cpp
@@ -888,6 +888,13 @@ int main(int ac, char* av[])
 #ifndef TORRENT_DISABLE_DHT
 		settings.use_dht_as_fallback = false;
 
+		ses.add_dht_router(std::make_pair(
+			std::string("router.bittorrent.com"), 6881));
+		ses.add_dht_router(std::make_pair(
+			std::string("router.utorrent.com"), 6881));
+		ses.add_dht_router(std::make_pair(
+			std::string("router.bitcomet.com"), 6881));
+
 		boost::filesystem::ifstream dht_state_file(".dht_state"
 			, std::ios_base::binary);
 		dht_state_file.unsetf(std::ios_base::skipws);
@@ -896,12 +903,6 @@ int main(int ac, char* av[])
 			std::istream_iterator<char>(dht_state_file)
 			, std::istream_iterator<char>());
 		ses.start_dht(dht_state);
-		ses.add_dht_router(std::make_pair(std::string("router.bittorrent.com")
-			, 6881));
-		ses.add_dht_router(std::make_pair(std::string("router.utorrent.com")
-			, 6881));
-		ses.add_dht_router(std::make_pair(std::string("router.bitcomet.com")
-			, 6881));
 #endif
 
 		// look for ipfilter.dat
diff --git a/include/libtorrent/aux_/session_impl.hpp b/include/libtorrent/aux_/session_impl.hpp
index e1345fab6..cc24d6987 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/aux_/session_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/aux_/session_impl.hpp
@@ -549,6 +549,10 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 			udp_socket m_dht_socket;
 
+			// these are used when starting the DHT
+			// (and bootstrapping it), and then erased
+			std::list<std::pair<std::string, int> > m_dht_router_nodes;
+
 			void on_receive_udp(error_code const& e
 				, udp::endpoint const& ep, char const* buf, int len);
 #endif
diff --git a/include/libtorrent/kademlia/dht_tracker.hpp b/include/libtorrent/kademlia/dht_tracker.hpp
index ef07b1b91..7b4a9e71f 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/kademlia/dht_tracker.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/kademlia/dht_tracker.hpp
@@ -71,8 +71,9 @@ namespace libtorrent { namespace dht
 	{
 		friend void intrusive_ptr_add_ref(dht_tracker const*);
 		friend void intrusive_ptr_release(dht_tracker const*);
-		dht_tracker(udp_socket& sock, dht_settings const& settings
-			, entry const& bootstrap);
+		dht_tracker(udp_socket& sock, dht_settings const& settings);
+
+		void start(entry const& bootstrap);
 		void stop();
 
 		void add_node(udp::endpoint node);
diff --git a/include/libtorrent/kademlia/node.hpp b/include/libtorrent/kademlia/node.hpp
index 88a1677f1..8b59e0ce8 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/kademlia/node.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/kademlia/node.hpp
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ class node_impl : boost::noncopyable
 typedef std::map<node_id, torrent_entry> table_t;
 public:
 	node_impl(boost::function<void(msg const&)> const& f
-		, dht_settings const& settings, boost::optional<node_id> node_id);
+		, dht_settings const& settings);
 
 	virtual ~node_impl() {}
 
@@ -186,7 +186,9 @@ public:
 
 	typedef table_t::iterator data_iterator;
 
+	void set_node_id(node_id const& nid) { m_id = nid; }
 	node_id const& nid() const { return m_id; }
+
 	boost::tuple<int, int> size() const{ return m_table.size(); }
 	size_type num_global_nodes() const
 	{ return m_table.num_global_nodes(); }
diff --git a/src/kademlia/dht_tracker.cpp b/src/kademlia/dht_tracker.cpp
index 34d55bb69..dbd917706 100644
--- a/src/kademlia/dht_tracker.cpp
+++ b/src/kademlia/dht_tracker.cpp
@@ -83,21 +83,6 @@ namespace
 		}
 	};
 	
-	boost::optional<node_id> read_id(libtorrent::entry const& d)
-	{
-		using namespace libtorrent;
-		using libtorrent::dht::node_id;
-
-		if (d.type() != entry::dictionary_t) return boost::optional<node_id>();
-		entry const* nid = d.find_key("node-id");
-		if (!nid
-			|| nid->type() != entry::string_t
-			|| nid->string().length() != 40)
-			return boost::optional<node_id>();
-		return boost::optional<node_id>(
-			boost::lexical_cast<node_id>(nid->string()));
-	}
-
 	template <class EndpointType>
 	void read_endpoint_list(libtorrent::entry const* n, std::vector<EndpointType>& epl)				
 	{
@@ -142,10 +127,8 @@ namespace libtorrent { namespace dht
 
 	// class that puts the networking and the kademlia node in a single
 	// unit and connecting them together.
-	dht_tracker::dht_tracker(udp_socket& sock, dht_settings const& settings
-		, entry const& bootstrap)
-		: m_dht(bind(&dht_tracker::send_packet, this, _1), settings
-			, read_id(bootstrap))
+	dht_tracker::dht_tracker(udp_socket& sock, dht_settings const& settings)
+		: m_dht(bind(&dht_tracker::send_packet, this, _1), settings)
 		, m_sock(sock)
 		, m_last_new_key(time_now() - minutes(key_refresh))
 		, m_timer(sock.get_io_service())
@@ -185,6 +168,10 @@ namespace libtorrent { namespace dht
 //		dht_tracker_log.enable(false);
 
 #endif
+	}
+
+	void dht_tracker::start(entry const& bootstrap)
+	{
 		std::vector<udp::endpoint> initial_nodes;
 
 		if (bootstrap.type() == entry::dictionary_t)
@@ -194,6 +181,12 @@ namespace libtorrent { namespace dht
 			if (entry const* nodes = bootstrap.find_key("nodes"))
 				read_endpoint_list<udp::endpoint>(nodes, initial_nodes);
 			} catch (std::exception&) {}
+			
+			entry const* nid = bootstrap.find_key("node-id");
+			if (nid
+				&& nid->type() == entry::string_t
+				&& nid->string().length() == 40)
+				m_dht.set_node_id(boost::lexical_cast<node_id>(nid->string()));
 		}
 
 		m_timer.expires_from_now(seconds(1));
@@ -465,6 +458,8 @@ namespace libtorrent { namespace dht
 			m.transaction_id = e["t"].string();
 
 #ifdef TORRENT_DHT_VERBOSE_LOGGING
+			log_line << " t: " << to_hex(m.transaction_id);
+
 			try
 			{
 				entry const* ver = e.find_key("v");
@@ -512,8 +507,7 @@ namespace libtorrent { namespace dht
 			if (msg_type == "r")
 			{
 #ifdef TORRENT_DHT_VERBOSE_LOGGING
-				log_line << " r: " << messages::ids[m.message_id]
-					<< " t: " << to_hex(m.transaction_id);
+				log_line << " r: " << messages::ids[m.message_id];
 #endif
 
 				m.reply = true;
@@ -616,7 +610,7 @@ namespace libtorrent { namespace dht
 					if (target.size() != 20) throw std::runtime_error("invalid size of target id");
 					std::copy(target.begin(), target.end(), m.info_hash.begin());
 #ifdef TORRENT_DHT_VERBOSE_LOGGING
-					log_line << " t: " << boost::lexical_cast<std::string>(m.info_hash);
+					log_line << " target: " << boost::lexical_cast<std::string>(m.info_hash);
 #endif
 
 					m.message_id = libtorrent::dht::messages::find_node;
diff --git a/src/kademlia/node.cpp b/src/kademlia/node.cpp
index 63a8ac84b..67c6174e2 100644
--- a/src/kademlia/node.cpp
+++ b/src/kademlia/node.cpp
@@ -91,9 +91,9 @@ void purge_peers(std::set<peer_entry>& peers)
 void nop() {}
 
 node_impl::node_impl(boost::function<void(msg const&)> const& f
-	, dht_settings const& settings, boost::optional<node_id> node_id)
+	, dht_settings const& settings)
 	: m_settings(settings)
-	, m_id(node_id ? *node_id : generate_id())
+	, m_id(generate_id())
 	, m_table(m_id, 8, settings)
 	, m_rpc(bind(&node_impl::incoming_request, this, _1)
 		, m_id, m_table, f)
diff --git a/src/session_impl.cpp b/src/session_impl.cpp
index 5f28c8832..fea26fd5e 100644
--- a/src/session_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/session_impl.cpp
@@ -2047,11 +2047,20 @@ namespace aux {
 				, m_dht_settings.service_port
 				, m_dht_settings.service_port);
 		}
-		m_dht = new dht::dht_tracker(m_dht_socket, m_dht_settings, startup_state);
+		m_dht = new dht::dht_tracker(m_dht_socket, m_dht_settings);
 		if (!m_dht_socket.is_open() || m_dht_socket.local_port() != m_dht_settings.service_port)
 		{
 			m_dht_socket.bind(m_dht_settings.service_port);
 		}
+
+		for (std::list<std::pair<std::string, int> >::iterator i = m_dht_router_nodes.begin()
+			, end(m_dht_router_nodes.end()); i != end; ++i)
+		{
+			m_dht->add_router_node(*i);
+		}
+		std::list<std::pair<std::string, int> >().swap(m_dht_router_nodes);
+
+		m_dht->start(startup_state);
 	}
 
 	void session_impl::stop_dht()
@@ -2115,9 +2124,10 @@ namespace aux {
 
 	void session_impl::add_dht_router(std::pair<std::string, int> const& node)
 	{
-		TORRENT_ASSERT(m_dht);
+		// router nodes should be added before the DHT is started (and bootstrapped)
 		mutex_t::scoped_lock l(m_mutex);
-		m_dht->add_router_node(node);
+		if (m_dht) m_dht->add_router_node(node);
+		else m_dht_router_nodes.push_back(node);
 	}
 
 #endif