diff --git a/nym-api/src/main.rs b/nym-api/src/main.rs
index 1d16067f75..1320efa590 100644
--- a/nym-api/src/main.rs
+++ b/nym-api/src/main.rs
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ async fn start_nym_api_tasks(
     // let cache = refresher.get_shared_cache();
     node_describe_cache::new_refresher_with_initial_value(
         &config.topology_cacher,
+        nym_contract_cache_state.clone(),
         described_nodes_state.to_owned(),
     )
     .named("node-self-described-data-refresher")
diff --git a/nym-api/src/node_describe_cache/mod.rs b/nym-api/src/node_describe_cache/mod.rs
index cc2b547402..6b3a4f57ea 100644
--- a/nym-api/src/node_describe_cache/mod.rs
+++ b/nym-api/src/node_describe_cache/mod.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright 2023 - Nym Technologies SA <contact@nymtech.net>
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
+use crate::nym_contract_cache::cache::NymContractCache;
 use crate::support::caching::cache::{SharedCache, UninitialisedCache};
 use crate::support::caching::refresher::{CacheItemProvider, CacheRefresher};
 use crate::support::config;
@@ -8,11 +9,10 @@ use crate::support::config::DEFAULT_NODE_DESCRIBE_BATCH_SIZE;
 use futures_util::{stream, StreamExt};
 use nym_api_requests::models::NymNodeDescription;
 use nym_contracts_common::IdentityKey;
-use nym_mixnet_contract_common::{Gateway, GatewayBond};
+use nym_mixnet_contract_common::Gateway;
 use nym_node_requests::api::client::{NymNodeApiClientError, NymNodeApiClientExt};
 use nym_node_requests::api::v1::gateway::models::WebSockets;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
-use std::ops::Deref;
 use thiserror::Error;
 
 // type alias for ease of use
@@ -47,15 +47,16 @@ pub enum NodeDescribeCacheError {
 
 pub struct NodeDescriptionProvider {
     // for now we only care about gateways, nothing more
-    network_gateways: SharedCache<Vec<GatewayBond>>,
+    // network_gateways: SharedCache<Vec<GatewayBond>>,
+    contract_cache: NymContractCache,
 
     batch_size: usize,
 }
 
 impl NodeDescriptionProvider {
-    pub(crate) fn new() -> NodeDescriptionProvider {
+    pub(crate) fn new(contract_cache: NymContractCache) -> NodeDescriptionProvider {
         NodeDescriptionProvider {
-            network_gateways: SharedCache::new(),
+            contract_cache,
             batch_size: DEFAULT_NODE_DESCRIBE_BATCH_SIZE,
         }
     }
@@ -98,15 +99,25 @@ impl CacheItemProvider for NodeDescriptionProvider {
     type Item = HashMap<IdentityKey, NymNodeDescription>;
     type Error = NodeDescribeCacheError;
 
+    async fn wait_until_ready(&self) {
+        self.contract_cache.wait_for_initial_values().await
+    }
+
     async fn try_refresh(&self) -> Result<Self::Item, Self::Error> {
-        let guard = self.network_gateways.get().await?;
-        let gateways = &*guard;
+        let gateways = self.contract_cache.gateways_all().await;
+
+        // let guard = self.network_gateways.get().await?;
+        // let gateways = &*guard;
+
+        if gateways.is_empty() {
+            return Ok(HashMap::new());
+        }
 
         // TODO: somehow bypass the 'higher-ranked lifetime error' and remove that redundant clone
         let websockets = stream::iter(
             gateways
-                .deref()
-                .clone()
+                // .deref()
+                // .clone()
                 .into_iter()
                 .map(|bond| bond.gateway)
                 .map(get_gateway_websocket_support),
@@ -135,10 +146,14 @@ impl CacheItemProvider for NodeDescriptionProvider {
 #[allow(dead_code)]
 pub(crate) fn new_refresher(
     config: &config::TopologyCacher,
+    contract_cache: NymContractCache,
+    // hehe. we can't do that yet
+    // network_gateways: SharedCache<Vec<GatewayBond>>,
 ) -> CacheRefresher<DescribedNodes, NodeDescribeCacheError> {
     CacheRefresher::new(
         Box::new(
-            NodeDescriptionProvider::new().with_batch_size(config.debug.node_describe_batch_size),
+            NodeDescriptionProvider::new(contract_cache)
+                .with_batch_size(config.debug.node_describe_batch_size),
         ),
         config.debug.node_describe_caching_interval,
     )
@@ -146,11 +161,15 @@ pub(crate) fn new_refresher(
 
 pub(crate) fn new_refresher_with_initial_value(
     config: &config::TopologyCacher,
+    contract_cache: NymContractCache,
+    // hehe. we can't do that yet
+    // network_gateways: SharedCache<Vec<GatewayBond>>,
     initial: SharedCache<DescribedNodes>,
 ) -> CacheRefresher<DescribedNodes, NodeDescribeCacheError> {
     CacheRefresher::new_with_initial_value(
         Box::new(
-            NodeDescriptionProvider::new().with_batch_size(config.debug.node_describe_batch_size),
+            NodeDescriptionProvider::new(contract_cache)
+                .with_batch_size(config.debug.node_describe_batch_size),
         ),
         config.debug.node_describe_caching_interval,
         initial,
diff --git a/nym-api/src/support/caching/refresher.rs b/nym-api/src/support/caching/refresher.rs
index bb8a25527a..9487f5130c 100644
--- a/nym-api/src/support/caching/refresher.rs
+++ b/nym-api/src/support/caching/refresher.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ pub trait CacheItemProvider {
     type Item;
     type Error: std::error::Error;
 
+    async fn wait_until_ready(&self) {}
+
     async fn try_refresh(&self) -> Result<Self::Item, Self::Error>;
 }
 
@@ -110,6 +112,8 @@ where
     }
 
     pub async fn run(&self, mut task_client: TaskClient) {
+        self.provider.wait_until_ready().await;
+        
         let mut refresh_interval = interval(self.refreshing_interval);
         while !task_client.is_shutdown() {
             tokio::select! {