diff --git a/src/clients/mod.rs b/src/clients/mod.rs
index 39975b339b..dd818526df 100644
--- a/src/clients/mod.rs
+++ b/src/clients/mod.rs
@@ -130,14 +130,14 @@ impl NymClient {
     }
 
     async fn start_provider_polling(provider_address: SocketAddrV4) {
-        let provider_client = ProviderClient::new();
+        let provider_client = ProviderClient::new(provider_address);
 
         loop {
             println!("[FETCH MSG] - Polling provider...");
             let delay_duration = Duration::from_secs_f64(FETCH_MESSAGES_DELAY);
             tokio::time::delay_for(delay_duration).await;
             provider_client
-                .retrieve_messages(provider_address)
+                .retrieve_messages()
                 .await
                 .unwrap();
         }
@@ -146,6 +146,12 @@ impl NymClient {
     pub fn start(self, socket_address: SocketAddr) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
         println!("starting nym client");
 
+
+        // TODO: registration here
+
+        return Ok(());
+        // don't start anything, just register
+
         let (mix_tx, mix_rx) = mpsc::unbounded();
         let mut rt = Runtime::new()?;
         let topology = get_topology(self.is_local);
diff --git a/src/clients/provider.rs b/src/clients/provider.rs
index ff2fdb6bac..5991b42288 100644
--- a/src/clients/provider.rs
+++ b/src/clients/provider.rs
@@ -1,29 +1,33 @@
 use sfw_provider_requests::requests::{ProviderRequest, PullRequest};
 use sfw_provider_requests::responses::{ProviderResponse, PullResponse};
-use std::net::Shutdown;
+use std::net::{Shutdown, SocketAddr};
 use std::net::SocketAddrV4;
 use tokio::prelude::*;
-use tokio::time::Duration;
+use std::time::Duration;
 
-pub struct ProviderClient {}
+pub struct ProviderClient {
+    address: SocketAddrV4,
+}
 
 impl ProviderClient {
-    pub fn new() -> Self {
-        ProviderClient {}
+    pub fn new(address: SocketAddrV4) -> Self {
+        ProviderClient {
+            address
+        }
     }
 
     pub async fn retrieve_messages(
         &self,
-        provider: SocketAddrV4,
     ) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
-        let address = [42; 32];
-        let pull_request = PullRequest::new(address);
+        let destination_address = [42u8; 32];
+        let dummy_auth_token_to_make_it_compile = [0u8; 32];
+        let pull_request = PullRequest::new(destination_address, dummy_auth_token_to_make_it_compile);
         let bytes = pull_request.to_bytes();
 
         // DH temporary: the provider's client port is not in the topology, but we can't change that
         // right now without messing up the existing Go mixnet. So I'm going to hardcode this
         // for the moment until the Go mixnet goes away.
-        let provider_socket = SocketAddrV4::new(*provider.ip(), 9000);
+        let provider_socket = SocketAddrV4::new(*self.address.ip(), 9000);
         println!("Provider: {:?}", provider_socket);
 
         let mut socket = tokio::net::TcpStream::connect(provider_socket).await?;