diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 6a1dee22fe..49e150649a 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -924,6 +924,7 @@ dependencies = [
 name = "nym-mixnode"
 version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
+ "base64 0.11.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "clap 2.33.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "curve25519-dalek 1.2.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "nym-client 0.1.0",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 737f97603a..47f4f140e2 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ edition = "2018"
 # See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
 
 [dependencies]
+base64 = "0.11.0"
 clap = "2.33.0"
 curve25519-dalek = "1.2.3"
 nym-client = { path = "../nym-client" }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 86882ebce0..a7f299ab5f 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -32,12 +32,6 @@ fn main() {
                         .takes_value(true)
                         .required(true),
                 )
-                .arg(
-                    Arg::with_name("keyfile")
-                        .long("keyfile")
-                        .help("Optional path to the persistent keyfile of the node")
-                        .takes_value(true),
-                )
                 .arg(
                     Arg::with_name("local")
                         .long("local")
diff --git a/src/mix_peer.rs b/src/mix_peer.rs
index 6573c448f7..c2fbde8477 100644
--- a/src/mix_peer.rs
+++ b/src/mix_peer.rs
@@ -1,18 +1,20 @@
 use std::error::Error;
+use std::net::{Ipv4Addr, SocketAddrV4};
 use tokio::prelude::*;
 
 pub struct MixPeer {
-    connection: String,
+    connection: SocketAddrV4,
 }
 
 impl MixPeer {
     // note that very soon `next_hop_address` will be changed to `next_hop_metadata`
     pub fn new(next_hop_address: [u8; 32]) -> MixPeer {
-        let address = String::from_utf8_lossy(&next_hop_address)
-            .trim_end_matches(char::from(0))
-            .to_string();
+        let b = next_hop_address;
+        let host = Ipv4Addr::new(b[0], b[1], b[2], b[3]);
+        let port: u16 = u16::from_be_bytes([b[4], b[5]]);
+        let socket_address = SocketAddrV4::new(host, port);
         MixPeer {
-            connection: address,
+            connection: socket_address,
         }
     }
 
@@ -22,4 +24,8 @@ impl MixPeer {
         stream.write_all(&bytes).await?;
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    pub fn to_string(&self) -> String {
+        self.connection.to_string()
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/node/mod.rs b/src/node/mod.rs
index 2e0ff0ed38..36b1674b44 100644
--- a/src/node/mod.rs
+++ b/src/node/mod.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ use std::net::SocketAddr;
 use std::sync::{Arc, RwLock};
 use std::time::Duration;
 
+use curve25519_dalek::montgomery::MontgomeryPoint;
 use curve25519_dalek::scalar::Scalar;
 use sphinx::header::delays::Delay as SphinxDelay;
 use sphinx::{ProcessedPacket, SphinxPacket};
@@ -13,6 +14,22 @@ use crate::mix_peer::MixPeer;
 mod presence;
 pub mod runner;
 
+pub struct Config {
+    directory_server: String,
+    layer: usize,
+    public_key: MontgomeryPoint,
+    secret_key: Scalar,
+    socket_address: SocketAddr,
+}
+
+impl Config {
+    pub fn public_key_string(&self) -> String {
+        let key_bytes = self.public_key.to_bytes().to_vec();
+        let b64 = base64::encode_config(&key_bytes, base64::URL_SAFE);
+        b64.to_string()
+    }
+}
+
 // TODO: this will probably need to be moved elsewhere I imagine
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub enum MixProcessingError {
@@ -113,11 +130,11 @@ pub struct MixNode {
 }
 
 impl MixNode {
-    pub fn new(network_address: SocketAddr, secret_key: Scalar, layer: usize) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(config: &Config) -> Self {
         MixNode {
-            network_address,
-            secret_key,
-            layer,
+            network_address: config.socket_address,
+            secret_key: config.secret_key,
+            layer: config.layer,
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/node/presence.rs b/src/node/presence.rs
index dac82d66cc..c2acff1fc2 100644
--- a/src/node/presence.rs
+++ b/src/node/presence.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use crate::node;
 use nym_client::clients::directory;
 use nym_client::clients::directory::presence::MixNodePresence;
 use nym_client::clients::directory::requests::presence_mixnodes_post::PresenceMixNodesPoster;
@@ -11,17 +12,14 @@ pub struct Notifier {
 }
 
 impl Notifier {
-    pub fn new(is_local: bool) -> Notifier {
-        let url = if is_local {
-            "http://localhost:8080".to_string()
-        } else {
-            "https://directory.nymtech.net".to_string()
+    pub fn new(node_config: &node::Config) -> Notifier {
+        let config = directory::Config {
+            base_url: node_config.directory_server.clone(),
         };
-        let config = directory::Config { base_url: url };
         let net_client = directory::Client::new(config);
         let presence = MixNodePresence {
-            host: "halpin.org:6666".to_string(),
-            pub_key: "superkey".to_string(),
+            host: node_config.socket_address.to_string(), // note: the directory server formats the real incoming IP itself
+            pub_key: node_config.public_key_string(),
             layer: 666,
             last_seen: 666,
         };
diff --git a/src/node/runner.rs b/src/node/runner.rs
index e91f0c53cd..c841069dd9 100644
--- a/src/node/runner.rs
+++ b/src/node/runner.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 use crate::banner;
+use crate::node;
 use crate::node::presence;
 use crate::node::MixNode;
 use clap::ArgMatches;
 
-use curve25519_dalek::scalar::Scalar;
 use std::net::ToSocketAddrs;
 use std::thread;
 
@@ -11,6 +11,20 @@ pub fn start(matches: &ArgMatches) {
     println!("{}", banner());
     println!("Starting mixnode...");
 
+    let config = new_config(matches);
+
+    // println!("Startup on: {}", config.socket_address);
+    println!("Listening for incoming packets...");
+
+    let mix = MixNode::new(&config);
+    thread::spawn(move || {
+        let notifier = presence::Notifier::new(&config);
+        notifier.run();
+    });
+    mix.start_listening().unwrap();
+}
+
+fn new_config(matches: &ArgMatches) -> node::Config {
     let host = matches.value_of("host").unwrap_or("0.0.0.0");
 
     let port = match matches.value_of("port").unwrap().parse::<u16>() {
@@ -23,17 +37,6 @@ pub fn start(matches: &ArgMatches) {
         Err(err) => panic!("Invalid layer value provided - {:?}", err),
     };
 
-    let secret_key: Scalar = match matches.value_of("keyfile") {
-        Some(keyfile) => {
-            // println!("TODO: load keyfile from <{:?}>", keyfile);
-            Default::default()
-        }
-        None => {
-            // println!("TODO: generate fresh sphinx keypair");
-            Default::default()
-        }
-    };
-
     let is_local = matches.is_present("local");
 
     let socket_address = (host, port)
@@ -42,15 +45,19 @@ pub fn start(matches: &ArgMatches) {
         .next()
         .expect("Failed to extract the socket address from the iterator");
 
-    thread::spawn(move || {
-        let notifier = presence::Notifier::new(is_local.clone());
-        notifier.run();
-    });
+    let (secret_key, public_key) = sphinx::crypto::keygen();
 
-    println!("Startup complete on: {}", socket_address);
-    println!("Listening for incoming packets...");
-    // make sure our socket_address is equal to our predefined-hardcoded value
-    // assert_eq!("127.0.0.1:8080", socket_address.to_string());
-    let mix = MixNode::new(socket_address, secret_key, layer);
-    mix.start_listening().unwrap();
+    let directory_server = if is_local {
+        "http://localhost:8080".to_string()
+    } else {
+        "https://directory.nymtech.net".to_string()
+    };
+
+    node::Config {
+        directory_server,
+        layer,
+        public_key,
+        socket_address,
+        secret_key,
+    }
 }