diff --git a/dash-spv/src/network/manager.rs b/dash-spv/src/network/manager.rs
index 1f4232cc6..a0fdf7432 100644
--- a/dash-spv/src/network/manager.rs
+++ b/dash-spv/src/network/manager.rs
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ use crate::network::{
 };
 use crate::storage::{PeerStorage, PersistentPeerStorage, PersistentStorage};
 use async_trait::async_trait;
+use dashcore::network::address::AddrV2Message;
 use dashcore::network::constants::ServiceFlags;
 use dashcore::network::message::NetworkMessage;
 use dashcore::network::message_headers2::CompressionState;
@@ -152,7 +153,11 @@ impl PeerNetworkManager {
     pub async fn start(&self) -> Result<(), Error> {
         log::info!("Starting peer network manager for {:?}", self.network);
 
-        let mut peer_addresses = self.initial_peers.clone();
+        let mut peer_addresses: Vec<AddrV2Message> = self
+            .initial_peers
+            .iter()
+            .map(|addr| AddrV2Message::new(*addr, ServiceFlags::NETWORK))
+            .collect();
 
         if self.exclusive_mode {
             log::info!(
@@ -161,7 +166,10 @@ impl PeerNetworkManager {
             );
         } else {
             // Load saved peers from disk
-            let saved_peers = self.peer_store.load_peers().await.unwrap_or_default();
+            let saved_peers = self.peer_store.load_peers().await.unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+                tracing::warn!("Failed to load peers: {}", e);
+                Vec::new()
+            });
             peer_addresses.extend(saved_peers);
 
             // If we still have no peers, immediately discover via DNS
@@ -171,10 +179,16 @@ impl PeerNetworkManager {
                     self.network
                 );
                 let dns_peers = self.discovery.discover_peers(self.network).await;
-                peer_addresses.extend(dns_peers.iter().take(TARGET_PEERS));
+                let dns_peers_found = dns_peers.len();
+                peer_addresses.extend(
+                    dns_peers
+                        .into_iter()
+                        .take(TARGET_PEERS)
+                        .map(|addr| AddrV2Message::new(addr, ServiceFlags::NETWORK)),
+                );
                 log::info!(
                     "DNS discovery found {} peers, using {} for startup",
-                    dns_peers.len(),
+                    dns_peers_found,
                     peer_addresses.len()
                 );
             } else {
@@ -185,15 +199,7 @@ impl PeerNetworkManager {
             }
         }
 
-        // Connect to peers (all in exclusive mode, or up to TARGET_PEERS in normal mode)
-        let max_connections = if self.exclusive_mode {
-            peer_addresses.len()
-        } else {
-            TARGET_PEERS
-        };
-        for addr in peer_addresses.iter().take(max_connections) {
-            self.connect_to_peer(*addr).await;
-        }
+        self.addrv2_handler.handle_addrv2(peer_addresses.clone()).await;
 
         // Start maintenance loop
         self.start_maintenance_loop().await;
diff --git a/dash-spv/src/storage/peers.rs b/dash-spv/src/storage/peers.rs
index 239905ee8..23c2261d0 100644
--- a/dash-spv/src/storage/peers.rs
+++ b/dash-spv/src/storage/peers.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ pub trait PeerStorage {
         peers: &[dashcore::network::address::AddrV2Message],
     ) -> StorageResult<()>;
 
-    async fn load_peers(&self) -> StorageResult<Vec<SocketAddr>>;
+    async fn load_peers(&self) -> StorageResult<Vec<AddrV2Message>>;
 
     async fn save_peers_reputation(
         &self,
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ impl PeerStorage for PersistentPeerStorage {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    async fn load_peers(&self) -> StorageResult<Vec<SocketAddr>> {
+    async fn load_peers(&self) -> StorageResult<Vec<AddrV2Message>> {
         let peers_file = self.peers_data_file();
 
         if !fs::try_exists(&peers_file).await? {
@@ -122,8 +122,6 @@ impl PeerStorage for PersistentPeerStorage {
         .await
         .map_err(|e| StorageError::ReadFailed(format!("Failed to load peers: {e}")))??;
 
-        let peers = peers.into_iter().filter_map(|p| p.socket_addr().ok()).collect();
-
         Ok(peers)
     }
 
@@ -190,7 +188,7 @@ mod tests {
 
         let loaded = store.load_peers().await.expect("Failed to load peers in test");
         assert_eq!(loaded.len(), 1);
-        assert_eq!(loaded[0], addr);
+        assert_eq!(loaded[0].socket_addr().unwrap(), addr);
     }
 
     #[tokio::test]
diff --git a/dash/src/network/address.rs b/dash/src/network/address.rs
index 0554e89bb..3d7ef89a7 100644
--- a/dash/src/network/address.rs
+++ b/dash/src/network/address.rs
@@ -276,6 +276,22 @@ pub struct AddrV2Message {
 }
 
 impl AddrV2Message {
+    pub fn new(socket_addr: SocketAddr, flags: ServiceFlags) -> Self {
+        let time = std::time::SystemTime::now()
+            .duration_since(std::time::UNIX_EPOCH)
+            .unwrap_or_default()
+            .as_secs() as u32;
+        let addr_v2 = match socket_addr.ip() {
+            std::net::IpAddr::V4(v4) => AddrV2::Ipv4(v4),
+            std::net::IpAddr::V6(v6) => AddrV2::Ipv6(v6),
+        };
+        Self {
+            time,
+            services: flags,
+            addr: addr_v2,
+            port: socket_addr.port(),
+        }
+    }
     /// Extract socket address from an [AddrV2Message] message.
     /// This will return [io::Error] [io::ErrorKind::AddrNotAvailable]
     /// if the address type can't be converted into a [SocketAddr].