diff --git a/.jshintrc b/.jshintrc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9d37e492
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.jshintrc
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+{
+  "bitwise": false,
+  "browser": true,
+  "camelcase": false,
+  "curly": true,
+  "devel": false,
+  "eqeqeq": true,
+  "esnext": true,
+  "freeze": true,
+  "immed": true,
+  "indent": 2,
+  "latedef": true,
+  "newcap": false,
+  "noarg": true,
+  "node": true,
+  "noempty": true,
+  "nonew": true,
+  "quotmark": "single",
+  "regexp": true,
+  "smarttabs": false,
+  "strict": true,
+  "trailing": true,
+  "undef": true,
+  "unused": true,
+  "maxparams": 4,
+  "maxstatements": 15,
+  "maxcomplexity": 10,
+  "maxdepth": 3,
+  "maxlen": 120,
+  "multistr": true,
+  "predef": [
+  "after",
+  "afterEach",
+  "before",
+  "beforeEach",
+  "describe",
+  "exports",
+  "it",
+  "module",
+  "require"
+  ]
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1b275d8e..8dbc5d61 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -20,12 +20,20 @@ npm install
 var BitcoinNode = require('bitcoind.js');
 
 var configuration = {
-  directory: '~/.bitcoin',
+  datadir: '~/.bitcoin',
   testnet: true
 };
 
 var node = new BitcoinNode(configuration);
 
+node.on('ready', function() {
+  console.log('Bitcoin Node Ready');
+});
+
+node.on('error', function(err) {
+  console.error(err);
+});
+
 node.chain.on('addblock', function(block) {
   console.log('New Best Tip:', block.hash);
 });
diff --git a/benchmarks/index.js b/benchmarks/index.js
index dbe0e980..574d512c 100644
--- a/benchmarks/index.js
+++ b/benchmarks/index.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ var fixtureData = {
 };
 
 var bitcoind = require('../').daemon({
-  directory: '~/.bitcoin',
+  datadir: process.env.BITCOINDJS_DIR || '~/.bitcoin',
   testnet: true
 });
 
diff --git a/example/node.js b/example/node.js
index bafc2e37..7d50950d 100644
--- a/example/node.js
+++ b/example/node.js
@@ -6,32 +6,16 @@ var chainlib = require('chainlib');
 var log = chainlib.log;
 //log.debug = function() {};
 
-var privkey = 'tprv8ZgxMBicQKsPdj1QowoT9z1tY5Et38qaMjCHZVoPdPFb6narfmYkqTygEVHfUmY78k3HcaEpkyNCAQDANaXtwNe1HLFvcA7nqYj1B7wTSTo';
-
 var configuration = {
-  db: {
-    xprivkey: privkey,
-    path: './bitcoind.db'
-  },
-  p2p: {
-    addrs: [
-      {
-        ip: {
-          v4: '127.0.0.1'
-        },
-        port: 8333
-      }
-    ],
-    dnsSeed: false
-  },
-  testnet: false
+  datadir: process.env.BITCOINDJS_DIR || '~/.bitcoin',
+  testnet: true
 };
 
 var node = new BitcoinNode(configuration);
 
 var startHeight;
 var count = 100;
-var times = Array(count);
+var times = new Array(count);
 
 node.on('ready', function() {
   times[node.chain.tip.__height % count] = Date.now();
@@ -52,4 +36,4 @@ node.chain.on('addblock', function(block) {
   }
 
   times[node.chain.tip.__height % count] = Date.now();
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});
diff --git a/lib/node.js b/lib/node.js
index 833f4c4b..6c94173b 100644
--- a/lib/node.js
+++ b/lib/node.js
@@ -6,12 +6,14 @@ var Block = require('./block');
 var DB = require('./db');
 var chainlib = require('chainlib');
 var P2P = chainlib.P2P;
+var fs = require('fs');
 var BaseNode = chainlib.Node;
 var util = require('util');
 var log = chainlib.log;
 var bitcore = require('bitcore');
 var Networks = bitcore.Networks;
 var _ = bitcore.deps._;
+var $ = bitcore.util.preconditions;
 var genesis = require('./genesis.json');
 var daemon = require('./daemon');
 
@@ -24,6 +26,7 @@ util.inherits(Node, BaseNode);
 
 Node.prototype._loadConfiguration = function(config) {
   var self = this;
+  this._loadBitcoinConf(config);
   this._loadBitcoind(config);
   Node.super_.prototype._loadConfiguration.call(self, config);
 };
@@ -47,13 +50,25 @@ Node.prototype.setSyncStrategy = function(strategy) {
 
 };
 
+Node.prototype._loadBitcoinConf = function(config) {
+  var datadir = config.datadir.replace(/^~/, process.env.HOME);
+  this.bitcoinConfiguration = {};
+  var file = fs.readFileSync(datadir + '/bitcoin.conf');
+  var unparsed = file.toString().split('\n');
+  for(var i = 0; i < unparsed.length; i++) {
+    var line = unparsed[i];
+    if (!line.match(/^\#/) && line.match(/\=/)) {
+      var option = line.split('=');
+      this.bitcoinConfiguration[option[0]] = option[1];
+    }
+  }
+};
+
 Node.prototype._loadBitcoind = function(config) {
   var bitcoindConfig = {};
-  if (config.testnet) {
-    bitcoindConfig.directory = '~/.bitcoin/testnet3';
-  } else {
-    bitcoindConfig.directory = '~/.bitcoin';
-  }
+  $.checkArgument(config.datadir, 'Please specify "datadir" in configuration options');
+  bitcoindConfig.datadir = config.datadir;
+  bitcoindConfig.testnet = config.testnet;
 
   // start the bitcoind daemon
   this.bitcoind = daemon(bitcoindConfig);
@@ -104,6 +119,7 @@ Node.prototype._loadNetwork = function(config) {
   } else {
     this.network = Networks.get('livenet');
   }
+  $.checkState(this.network, 'Unrecognized network');
 };
 
 Node.prototype._loadDB = function(config) {
@@ -116,6 +132,14 @@ Node.prototype._loadDB = function(config) {
     config.db = {};
   }
 
+  // Store the additional indexes in a new directory
+  // based on the network configuration and the datadir
+  var datadir = config.datadir.replace(/^~/, process.env.HOME);
+  if (this.network === Networks.testnet) {
+    config.db.path = datadir + '/testnet3/bitcoindjs.db';
+  } else if (this.network === Networks.livenet) {
+    config.db.path = datadir + '/bitcoindjs.db';
+  }
   config.db.network = this.network;
 
   this.db = new DB(config.db);
@@ -127,6 +151,23 @@ Node.prototype._loadP2P = function(config) {
   }
   config.p2p.noListen = true;
   config.p2p.network = this.network;
+
+  // We only want to directly connect via p2p to the trusted bitcoind daemon
+  var port = 8333;
+  if (this.bitcoinConfiguration.port) {
+    port = this.bitcoinConfiguration.port;
+  } else if (this.network === Networks.testnet) {
+    port = 18333;
+  }
+  config.p2p.addrs = [
+    {
+      ip: {
+        v4: '127.0.0.1'
+      },
+      port: port
+    }
+  ];
+  config.p2p.dnsSeed = false;
   config.p2p.Transaction = this.db.Transaction;
   config.p2p.Block = this.Block;
   config.p2p.disableSync = true; // Disable p2p syncing and instead use bitcoind sync
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b7cdd308..74b63809 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
   "scripts": {
     "preinstall": "./bin/build-libbitcoind",
     "install": "./bin/build-bindings",
-    "start": "export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=`./platform/os.sh osdir` && node example",
+    "start": "node example",
     "debug_install": "./bin/build-libbitcoind debug && ./bin/build-bindings debug",
     "test": "NODE_ENV=test mocha --recursive",
     "coverage": "istanbul cover _mocha -- --recursive"