diff --git a/cmd/swarm/config.go b/cmd/swarm/config.go
index 32cd442a03..d50c65b438 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/config.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/config.go
@@ -135,9 +135,9 @@ func initSwarmNode(config *bzzapi.Config, stack *node.Node, ctx *cli.Context, no
 		return err
 	}
 	//configuration phase completed here
-	log.Debug("Starting Swarm with the following parameters:")
+	log.Info("Starting Swarm with the following parameters:")
 	//after having created the config, print it to screen
-	log.Debug(printConfig(config))
+	log.Info(printConfig(config))
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/swarm/config_test.go b/cmd/swarm/config_test.go
index 869edd0f70..ee6b0c0825 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/config_test.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/config_test.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rpc"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/api"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/log"
 )
 
 func TestConfigDump(t *testing.T) {
@@ -161,6 +162,16 @@ func TestConfigFileOverrides(t *testing.T) {
 	defaultConf.HiveParams.KeepAliveInterval = 6000000000
 	defaultConf.Swap.Params.Strategy.AutoCashInterval = 600 * time.Second
 	//defaultConf.SyncParams.KeyBufferSize = 512
+
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "bzztest")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+	conf, account, pk := getTestAccountWithPrivateKey(t, dir)
+	node := &testNode{Dir: dir}
+	defaultConf.Init(pk)
+
 	//create a TOML string
 	out, err := tomlSettings.Marshal(&defaultConf)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -178,14 +189,6 @@ func TestConfigFileOverrides(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	f.Sync()
 
-	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "bzztest")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
-	conf, account := getTestAccount(t, dir)
-	node := &testNode{Dir: dir}
-
 	flags := []string{
 		fmt.Sprintf("--%s", SwarmTomlConfigPathFlag.Name), f.Name(),
 		fmt.Sprintf("--%s", SwarmAccountFlag.Name), account.Address.String(),
@@ -372,6 +375,19 @@ func TestConfigCmdLineOverridesFile(t *testing.T) {
 	defaultConf.HiveParams.KeepAliveInterval = 6000000000
 	defaultConf.Swap.Params.Strategy.AutoCashInterval = 600 * time.Second
 	//defaultConf.SyncParams.KeyBufferSize = 512
+
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "bzztest")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+	conf, account, pk := getTestAccountWithPrivateKey(t, dir)
+	node := &testNode{Dir: dir}
+
+	expectNetworkId := uint64(77)
+
+	defaultConf.Init(pk)
+
 	//create a TOML file
 	out, err := tomlSettings.Marshal(&defaultConf)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -391,16 +407,6 @@ func TestConfigCmdLineOverridesFile(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	f.Sync()
 
-	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "bzztest")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
-	conf, account := getTestAccount(t, dir)
-	node := &testNode{Dir: dir}
-
-	expectNetworkId := uint64(77)
-
 	flags := []string{
 		fmt.Sprintf("--%s", SwarmNetworkIdFlag.Name), "77",
 		fmt.Sprintf("--%s", SwarmPortFlag.Name), httpPort,
@@ -411,6 +417,7 @@ func TestConfigCmdLineOverridesFile(t *testing.T) {
 		fmt.Sprintf("--%s", utils.DataDirFlag.Name), dir,
 		fmt.Sprintf("--%s", utils.IPCPathFlag.Name), conf.IPCPath,
 	}
+	log.Warn("exec with flags", "f", flags)
 	node.Cmd = runSwarm(t, flags...)
 	node.Cmd.InputLine(testPassphrase)
 	defer func() {
diff --git a/cmd/swarm/run_test.go b/cmd/swarm/run_test.go
index 9681c8990a..2fff3c7063 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/run_test.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/run_test.go
@@ -222,7 +222,12 @@ type testNode struct {
 const testPassphrase = "swarm-test-passphrase"
 
 func getTestAccount(t *testing.T, dir string) (conf *node.Config, account accounts.Account) {
-	// create key
+	conf, account, _ = getTestAccountWithPrivateKey(t, dir)
+	return
+}
+
+func getTestAccountWithPrivateKey(t *testing.T, dir string) (conf *node.Config, account accounts.Account, pk *ecdsa.PrivateKey) {
+	// create kej
 	conf = &node.Config{
 		DataDir: dir,
 		IPCPath: "bzzd.ipc",
@@ -232,17 +237,19 @@ func getTestAccount(t *testing.T, dir string) (conf *node.Config, account accoun
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	account, err = n.AccountManager().Backends(keystore.KeyStoreType)[0].(*keystore.KeyStore).NewAccount(testPassphrase)
+	ks := n.AccountManager().Backends(keystore.KeyStoreType)[0].(*keystore.KeyStore)
+	account, err = ks.NewAccount(testPassphrase)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	pk = decryptStoreAccount(ks, account.Address.String(), []string{testPassphrase})
 
 	// use a unique IPCPath when running tests on Windows
 	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
 		conf.IPCPath = fmt.Sprintf("bzzd-%s.ipc", account.Address.String())
 	}
 
-	return conf, account
+	return conf, account, pk
 }
 
 func existingTestNode(t *testing.T, dir string, bzzaccount string) *testNode {
diff --git a/p2p/simulations/adapters/exec.go b/p2p/simulations/adapters/exec.go
index 6d1c13f3c7..4ca8e1e11b 100644
--- a/p2p/simulations/adapters/exec.go
+++ b/p2p/simulations/adapters/exec.go
@@ -118,6 +118,9 @@ func (e *ExecAdapter) NewNode(config *NodeConfig) (Node, error) {
 	// listen on a localhost port, which we set when we
 	// initialise NodeConfig (usually a random port)
 	conf.Stack.P2P.ListenAddr = fmt.Sprintf(":%d", config.Port)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
 	node := &ExecNode{
 		ID:      config.ID,
diff --git a/p2p/simulations/adapters/types.go b/p2p/simulations/adapters/types.go
index ed4013cb74..74a144a713 100644
--- a/p2p/simulations/adapters/types.go
+++ b/p2p/simulations/adapters/types.go
@@ -267,14 +267,15 @@ func RegisterServices(services Services) {
 	}
 }
 
-// adds the host part to the configuration's ENR, signs it
-// creates and  the corresponding enode object to the configuration
 func (n *NodeConfig) initEnode(ip net.IP, tcpport int, udpport int) error {
-	enrIp := enr.IP(ip)
+
+	// dialer in simulations based on ENR records
+	// doesn't work unless we explicitly set localhost record
+	enrIp := enr.IP(net.IPv4(127, 0, 0, 1))
 	n.Record.Set(&enrIp)
-	enrTcpPort := enr.TCP(tcpport)
+	enrTcpPort := enr.TCP(0)
 	n.Record.Set(&enrTcpPort)
-	enrUdpPort := enr.UDP(tcpport)
+	enrUdpPort := enr.UDP(0)
 	n.Record.Set(&enrUdpPort)
 
 	err := enode.SignV4(&n.Record, n.PrivateKey)
diff --git a/swarm/api/config.go b/swarm/api/config.go
index 0a7100c574..ad2e4f827a 100644
--- a/swarm/api/config.go
+++ b/swarm/api/config.go
@@ -47,17 +47,18 @@ type Config struct {
 	*storage.FileStoreParams
 	*storage.LocalStoreParams
 	*network.HiveParams
-	Swap                 *swap.LocalProfile
-	Pss                  *pss.PssParams
-	Contract             common.Address
-	EnsRoot              common.Address
-	EnsAPIs              []string
-	Path                 string
-	ListenAddr           string
-	Port                 string
-	PublicKey            string
-	BzzKey               string
-	Enode                *enode.Node `toml:"-"`
+	Swap       *swap.LocalProfile
+	Pss        *pss.PssParams
+	Contract   common.Address
+	EnsRoot    common.Address
+	EnsAPIs    []string
+	Path       string
+	ListenAddr string
+	Port       string
+	PublicKey  string
+	BzzKey     string
+	//NodeID               string
+	Enode                *enode.Node `toml:",omit"`
 	NetworkID            uint64
 	SwapEnabled          bool
 	SyncEnabled          bool
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@ func NewConfig() (c *Config) {
 		ListenAddr:           DefaultHTTPListenAddr,
 		Port:                 DefaultHTTPPort,
 		Path:                 node.DefaultDataDir(),
+		Enode:                &enode.Node{},
 		EnsAPIs:              nil,
 		EnsRoot:              ens.TestNetAddress,
 		NetworkID:            network.DefaultNetworkID,
diff --git a/swarm/swarm.go b/swarm/swarm.go
index 61813e23fc..05833cf15e 100644
--- a/swarm/swarm.go
+++ b/swarm/swarm.go
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ func NewSwarm(config *api.Config, mockStore *mock.NodeStore) (self *Swarm, err e
 	}
 
 	nodeID := config.Enode.ID()
+	bzzconfig.UnderlayAddr = []byte(nodeID.String())
 
 	syncing := stream.SyncingAutoSubscribe
 	if !config.SyncEnabled || config.LightNodeEnabled {