diff --git a/swarm/network/simulation/node.go b/swarm/network/simulation/node.go
index 5210054530..09b6b35a25 100644
--- a/swarm/network/simulation/node.go
+++ b/swarm/network/simulation/node.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"math/rand"
 	"os"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
@@ -34,6 +35,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/network"
 )
 
+var (
+	BucketKeyBzzPrivateKey BucketKey = "bzzprivkey"
+)
+
 // NodeIDs returns NodeIDs for all nodes in the network.
 func (s *Simulation) NodeIDs() (ids []enode.ID) {
 	nodes := s.Net.GetNodes()
@@ -111,6 +116,8 @@ func (s *Simulation) AddNode(opts ...AddNodeOption) (id enode.ID, err error) {
 		PrivateKey: conf.PrivateKey,
 	}
 	record, err := network.NewEnodeRecord(enodeParams)
+
+	bzzPrivateKey, bzzKey, err := BzzKeyFromConfig(conf)
 	if err != nil {
 		return enode.ID{}, err
 	}
@@ -121,6 +128,8 @@ func (s *Simulation) AddNode(opts ...AddNodeOption) (id enode.ID, err error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return id, err
 	}
+	s.buckets[node.ID()] = new(sync.Map)
+	s.SetNodeItem(node.ID(), BucketKeyBzzPrivateKey, bzzPrivateKey)
 
 	return node.ID(), s.Net.Start(node.ID())
 }
@@ -320,13 +329,14 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 // derive a private key for swarm for the node key
-func BzzKeyFromConfig(conf *adapters.NodeConfig) ([]byte, error) {
+// returns the private key used to generate the bzz key AND the generated bzz key
+func BzzKeyFromConfig(conf *adapters.NodeConfig) (*ecdsa.PrivateKey, []byte, error) {
 	// ecdsa.GenerateKey takes 40 bytes entropy
 	privKeyBuf := append(crypto.FromECDSA(conf.PrivateKey), []byte{0x62, 0x7a, 0x7a, 0x62, 0x7a, 0x7a, 0x62, 0x7a}...)
 	bzzPrivateKey, err := ecdsa.GenerateKey(crypto.S256(), bytes.NewReader(privKeyBuf))
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 	bzzKey := network.PrivateKeyToBzzKey(bzzPrivateKey)
-	return bzzKey, nil
+	return bzzPrivateKey, bzzKey, nil
 }
diff --git a/swarm/network/simulation/simulation.go b/swarm/network/simulation/simulation.go
index e18d19a67c..788442a3ce 100644
--- a/swarm/network/simulation/simulation.go
+++ b/swarm/network/simulation/simulation.go
@@ -85,7 +85,11 @@ func New(services map[string]ServiceFunc) (s *Simulation) {
 		name, serviceFunc := name, serviceFunc
 		s.serviceNames = append(s.serviceNames, name)
 		adapterServices[name] = func(ctx *adapters.ServiceContext) (node.Service, error) {
-			b := new(sync.Map)
+			var b *sync.Map
+			var ok bool
+			if b, ok = s.buckets[ctx.Config.ID]; !ok {
+				b = new(sync.Map)
+			}
 			service, cleanup, err := serviceFunc(ctx, b)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
diff --git a/swarm/pss/prox_test.go b/swarm/pss/prox_test.go
index d963f31f39..57db026c71 100644
--- a/swarm/pss/prox_test.go
+++ b/swarm/pss/prox_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package pss
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"crypto/ecdsa"
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
@@ -382,15 +383,17 @@ func newProxServices(tstdata *testData, allowRaw bool, handlerContextFuncs map[T
 	return map[string]simulation.ServiceFunc{
 		"bzz": func(ctx *adapters.ServiceContext, b *sync.Map) (node.Service, func(), error) {
 			var err error
+			var bzzPrivateKey *ecdsa.PrivateKey
 			// normally translation of enode id to swarm address is concealed by the network package
 			// however, we need to keep track of it in the test driver as well.
 			// if the translation in the network package changes, that can cause these tests to unpredictably fail
 			// therefore we keep a local copy of the translation here
 			addr := network.NewAddr(ctx.Config.Node())
-			addr.OAddr, err = simulation.BzzKeyFromConfig(ctx.Config)
+			bzzPrivateKey, addr.OAddr, err = simulation.BzzKeyFromConfig(ctx.Config)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, nil, err
 			}
+			b.Store(simulation.BucketKeyBzzPrivateKey, bzzPrivateKey)
 			hp := network.NewHiveParams()
 			hp.Discovery = false
 			config := &network.BzzConfig{
@@ -411,7 +414,7 @@ func newProxServices(tstdata *testData, allowRaw bool, handlerContextFuncs map[T
 			privkey, err := w.GetPrivateKey(keys)
 			pssp := NewPssParams().WithPrivateKey(privkey)
 			pssp.AllowRaw = allowRaw
-			bzzKey, err := simulation.BzzKeyFromConfig(ctx.Config)
+			_, bzzKey, err := simulation.BzzKeyFromConfig(ctx.Config)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, nil, err
 			}