diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b935a381..fdf3aea5 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -28,10 +28,12 @@ BUG FIXES:
 ## 0.16.0 (TBD)
 
 BREAKING CHANGES:
-- rpc: `/unsafe_dial_seeds` renamed to `/unsafe_dial_persistent_peers`
 - [p2p] old `seeds` is now `persistent_peers` (persistent peers to which TM will always connect to)
 - [p2p] now `seeds` only used for getting addresses (if addrbook is empty; not persistent)
 
+FEATURES:
+- [p2p] added new `/dial_persistent_peers` **unsafe** endpoint
+
 ## 0.15.0 (December 29, 2017)
 
 BREAKING CHANGES:
diff --git a/docs/specification/rpc.rst b/docs/specification/rpc.rst
index daafce11..e273ce84 100644
--- a/docs/specification/rpc.rst
+++ b/docs/specification/rpc.rst
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ An HTTP Get request to the root RPC endpoint (e.g.
     http://localhost:46657/broadcast_tx_commit?tx=_
     http://localhost:46657/broadcast_tx_sync?tx=_
     http://localhost:46657/commit?height=_
+    http://localhost:46657/dial_seeds?seeds=_
     http://localhost:46657/dial_persistent_peers?persistent_peers=_
     http://localhost:46657/subscribe?event=_
     http://localhost:46657/tx?hash=_&prove=_
diff --git a/rpc/client/localclient.go b/rpc/client/localclient.go
index af91ac79..cc23b944 100644
--- a/rpc/client/localclient.go
+++ b/rpc/client/localclient.go
@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@ func (Local) DumpConsensusState() (*ctypes.ResultDumpConsensusState, error) {
 	return core.DumpConsensusState()
 }
 
+func (Local) DialSeeds(seeds []string) (*ctypes.ResultDialSeeds, error) {
+	return core.UnsafeDialSeeds(seeds)
+}
+
 func (Local) DialPersistentPeers(persistent_peers []string) (*ctypes.ResultDialPersistentPeers, error) {
 	return core.UnsafeDialPersistentPeers(persistent_peers)
 }
diff --git a/rpc/client/mock/client.go b/rpc/client/mock/client.go
index 469e80a6..913812d6 100644
--- a/rpc/client/mock/client.go
+++ b/rpc/client/mock/client.go
@@ -107,6 +107,10 @@ func (c Client) NetInfo() (*ctypes.ResultNetInfo, error) {
 	return core.NetInfo()
 }
 
+func (c Client) DialSeeds(seeds []string) (*ctypes.ResultDialSeeds, error) {
+	return core.UnsafeDialSeeds(seeds)
+}
+
 func (c Client) DialPersistentPeers(persistent_peers []string) (*ctypes.ResultDialPersistentPeers, error) {
 	return core.UnsafeDialPersistentPeers(persistent_peers)
 }
diff --git a/rpc/core/doc.go b/rpc/core/doc.go
index 030e5d61..a801cd0d 100644
--- a/rpc/core/doc.go
+++ b/rpc/core/doc.go
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ Endpoints that require arguments:
 /broadcast_tx_commit?tx=_
 /broadcast_tx_sync?tx=_
 /commit?height=_
+/dial_seeds?seeds=_
 /dial_persistent_peers?persistent_peers=_
 /subscribe?event=_
 /tx?hash=_&prove=_
diff --git a/rpc/core/net.go b/rpc/core/net.go
index c79c55de..b528e1e3 100644
--- a/rpc/core/net.go
+++ b/rpc/core/net.go
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 package core
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	ctypes "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/rpc/core/types"
 )
 
@@ -54,10 +53,22 @@ func NetInfo() (*ctypes.ResultNetInfo, error) {
 	}, nil
 }
 
-func UnsafeDialPersistentPeers(persistent_peers []string) (*ctypes.ResultDialPersistentPeers, error) {
+func UnsafeDialSeeds(seeds []string) (*ctypes.ResultDialSeeds, error) {
+	if len(seeds) == 0 {
+		return &ctypes.ResultDialSeeds{}, errors.New("No seeds provided")
+	}
+	// starts go routines to dial each peer after random delays
+	logger.Info("DialSeeds", "addrBook", addrBook, "seeds", seeds)
+	err := p2pSwitch.DialPeersAsync(addrBook, seeds, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		return &ctypes.ResultDialSeeds{}, err
+	}
+	return &ctypes.ResultDialSeeds{"Dialing seeds in progress. See /net_info for details"}, nil
+}
 
+func UnsafeDialPersistentPeers(persistent_peers []string) (*ctypes.ResultDialPersistentPeers, error) {
 	if len(persistent_peers) == 0 {
-		return &ctypes.ResultDialPersistentPeers{}, fmt.Errorf("No persistent peers provided")
+		return &ctypes.ResultDialPersistentPeers{}, errors.New("No persistent peers provided")
 	}
 	// starts go routines to dial each peer after random delays
 	logger.Info("DialPersistentPeers", "addrBook", addrBook, "persistent_peers", persistent_peers)
diff --git a/rpc/core/routes.go b/rpc/core/routes.go
index 0bf7af62..d00165e6 100644
--- a/rpc/core/routes.go
+++ b/rpc/core/routes.go
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ var Routes = map[string]*rpc.RPCFunc{
 
 func AddUnsafeRoutes() {
 	// control API
+	Routes["dial_seeds"] = rpc.NewRPCFunc(UnsafeDialSeeds, "seeds")
 	Routes["dial_persistent_peers"] = rpc.NewRPCFunc(UnsafeDialPersistentPeers, "persistent_peers")
 	Routes["unsafe_flush_mempool"] = rpc.NewRPCFunc(UnsafeFlushMempool, "")
 
diff --git a/rpc/core/types/responses.go b/rpc/core/types/responses.go
index 59c2aeea..c26defb7 100644
--- a/rpc/core/types/responses.go
+++ b/rpc/core/types/responses.go
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ type ResultNetInfo struct {
 	Peers     []Peer   `json:"peers"`
 }
 
+type ResultDialSeeds struct {
+	Log string `json:"log"`
+}
+
 type ResultDialPersistentPeers struct {
 	Log string `json:"log"`
 }
diff --git a/test/p2p/pex/dial_manual_peers.sh b/test/p2p/pex/dial_persistent_peers.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from test/p2p/pex/dial_manual_peers.sh
rename to test/p2p/pex/dial_persistent_peers.sh
diff --git a/test/p2p/pex/test.sh b/test/p2p/pex/test.sh
index 7cf6151d..06d40c3e 100644
--- a/test/p2p/pex/test.sh
+++ b/test/p2p/pex/test.sh
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@ NETWORK_NAME=$2
 N=$3
 PROXY_APP=$4
 
-cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint
+cd "$GOPATH/src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint"
 
 echo "Test reconnecting from the address book"
-bash test/p2p/pex/test_addrbook.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME $N $PROXY_APP
+bash test/p2p/pex/test_addrbook.sh "$DOCKER_IMAGE" "$NETWORK_NAME" "$N" "$PROXY_APP"
 
 echo "Test connecting via /dial_persistent_peers"
-bash test/p2p/pex/test_dial_persistent_peers.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME $N $PROXY_APP
+bash test/p2p/pex/test_dial_persistent_peers.sh "$DOCKER_IMAGE" "$NETWORK_NAME" "$N" "$PROXY_APP"
diff --git a/test/p2p/pex/test_dial_manual_peers.sh b/test/p2p/pex/test_dial_persistent_peers.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from test/p2p/pex/test_dial_manual_peers.sh
rename to test/p2p/pex/test_dial_persistent_peers.sh