diff --git a/cmd/swarm/config.go b/cmd/swarm/config.go
index 0203a67984..98d4dee7b9 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/config.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/config.go
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ const (
 	SWARM_ENV_BOOTNODE_MODE           = "SWARM_BOOTNODE_MODE"
 	SWARM_ACCESS_PASSWORD             = "SWARM_ACCESS_PASSWORD"
 	SWARM_AUTO_DEFAULTPATH            = "SWARM_AUTO_DEFAULTPATH"
+	SWARM_GLOBALSTORE_API             = "SWARM_GLOBALSTORE_API"
 	GETH_ENV_DATADIR                  = "GETH_DATADIR"
 )
 
@@ -262,6 +263,10 @@ func cmdLineOverride(currentConfig *bzzapi.Config, ctx *cli.Context) *bzzapi.Con
 		currentConfig.BootnodeMode = ctx.GlobalBool(SwarmBootnodeModeFlag.Name)
 	}
 
+	if ctx.GlobalIsSet(SwarmGlobalStoreAPIFlag.Name) {
+		currentConfig.GlobalStoreAPI = ctx.GlobalString(SwarmGlobalStoreAPIFlag.Name)
+	}
+
 	return currentConfig
 
 }
@@ -375,6 +380,10 @@ func envVarsOverride(currentConfig *bzzapi.Config) (config *bzzapi.Config) {
 		currentConfig.BootnodeMode = bootnodeMode
 	}
 
+	if api := os.Getenv(SWARM_GLOBALSTORE_API); api != "" {
+		currentConfig.GlobalStoreAPI = api
+	}
+
 	return currentConfig
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/swarm/flags.go b/cmd/swarm/flags.go
index 4c186cc310..b092a77476 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/flags.go
@@ -176,4 +176,9 @@ var (
 		Name:  "user",
 		Usage: "Indicates the user who updates the feed",
 	}
+	SwarmGlobalStoreAPIFlag = cli.StringFlag{
+		Name:   "globalstore-api",
+		Usage:  "URL of the Global Store API provider (only for testing)",
+		EnvVar: SWARM_GLOBALSTORE_API,
+	}
 )
diff --git a/cmd/swarm/main.go b/cmd/swarm/main.go
index 53888b615f..a7c258ef38 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/main.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/main.go
@@ -39,13 +39,16 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/node"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/enode"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rpc"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm"
 	bzzapi "github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/api"
 	swarmmetrics "github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/metrics"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/storage/mock"
+	mockrpc "github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/storage/mock/rpc"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/tracing"
 	sv "github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/version"
 
-	"gopkg.in/urfave/cli.v1"
+	cli "gopkg.in/urfave/cli.v1"
 )
 
 const clientIdentifier = "swarm"
@@ -194,6 +197,7 @@ func init() {
 		SwarmStorePath,
 		SwarmStoreCapacity,
 		SwarmStoreCacheCapacity,
+		SwarmGlobalStoreAPIFlag,
 	}
 	rpcFlags := []cli.Flag{
 		utils.WSEnabledFlag,
@@ -322,8 +326,18 @@ func bzzd(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 func registerBzzService(bzzconfig *bzzapi.Config, stack *node.Node) {
 	//define the swarm service boot function
 	boot := func(_ *node.ServiceContext) (node.Service, error) {
-		// In production, mockStore must be always nil.
-		return swarm.NewSwarm(bzzconfig, nil)
+		var nodeStore *mock.NodeStore
+		if bzzconfig.GlobalStoreAPI != "" {
+			// connect to global store
+			client, err := rpc.Dial(bzzconfig.GlobalStoreAPI)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("global store: %v", err)
+			}
+			globalStore := mockrpc.NewGlobalStore(client)
+			// create a node store for this swarm key on global store
+			nodeStore = globalStore.NewNodeStore(common.HexToAddress(bzzconfig.BzzKey))
+		}
+		return swarm.NewSwarm(bzzconfig, nodeStore)
 	}
 	//register within the ethereum node
 	if err := stack.Register(boot); err != nil {
diff --git a/swarm/api/config.go b/swarm/api/config.go
index 54dd67ba83..b8de16f5f0 100644
--- a/swarm/api/config.go
+++ b/swarm/api/config.go
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	SwapAPI              string
 	Cors                 string
 	BzzAccount           string
+	GlobalStoreAPI       string
 	privateKey           *ecdsa.PrivateKey
 }