diff --git a/test/p2p/local_testnet_start.sh b/test/p2p/local_testnet_start.sh
index 3b842480..9a280c59 100644
--- a/test/p2p/local_testnet_start.sh
+++ b/test/p2p/local_testnet_start.sh
@@ -6,17 +6,19 @@ NETWORK_NAME=$2
 N=$3
 APP_PROXY=$4
 
+set +u
+SEEDS=$5
+if [[ "$SEEDS" != "" ]]; then
+	echo "Seeds: $SEEDS"
+	SEEDS="--seeds $SEEDS"
+fi
+set -u
+
 cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint
 
 # create docker network
 docker network create --driver bridge --subnet 172.57.0.0/16 $NETWORK_NAME
 
-seeds="$(test/p2p/ip.sh 1):46656"
-for i in `seq 2 $N`; do
-	seeds="$seeds,$(test/p2p/ip.sh $i):46656"
-done
-echo "Seeds: $seeds"
-
 for i in `seq 1 $N`; do
-	bash test/p2p/peer.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME $i $APP_PROXY "--seeds $seeds --pex"
+	bash test/p2p/peer.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME $i $APP_PROXY "$SEEDS --pex"
 done
diff --git a/test/p2p/pex/dial_seeds.sh b/test/p2p/pex/dial_seeds.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..15c22af6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/p2p/pex/dial_seeds.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#! /bin/bash 
+set -u
+
+N=$1
+
+cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint
+
+echo "Waiting for nodes to come online"
+for i in `seq 1 $N`; do
+	addr=$(test/p2p/ip.sh $i):46657
+	curl -s $addr/status > /dev/null
+	ERR=$?
+	while [ "$ERR" != 0 ]; do
+		sleep 1	
+		curl -s $addr/status > /dev/null
+		ERR=$?
+	done
+	echo "... node $i is up"
+done
+
+set -e
+# seeds need quotes
+seeds="\"$(test/p2p/ip.sh 1):46656\""
+for i in `seq 2 $N`; do
+	seeds="$seeds,\"$(test/p2p/ip.sh $i):46656\""
+done
+echo $seeds
+
+echo $seeds
+IP=$(test/p2p/ip.sh 1)
+curl --data-urlencode "seeds=[$seeds]" "$IP:46657/dial_seeds"
diff --git a/test/p2p/pex/test.sh b/test/p2p/pex/test.sh
index 3c624e27..d54d8135 100644
--- a/test/p2p/pex/test.sh
+++ b/test/p2p/pex/test.sh
@@ -6,42 +6,10 @@ NETWORK_NAME=$2
 N=$3
 PROXY_APP=$4
 
-ID=1
+cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint
 
-echo "----------------------------------------------------------------------"
-echo "Testing pex creates the addrbook and uses it if seeds are not provided"
-echo "(assuming peers are started with pex enabled)"
+echo "Test reconnecting from the address book"
+bash test/p2p/pex/test_addrbook.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME $N $PROXY_APP
 
-echo "1. restart peer $ID"
-docker stop "local_testnet_$ID"
-# preserve addrbook.json
-docker cp "local_testnet_$ID:/go/src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint/test/p2p/data/mach1/core/addrbook.json" "/tmp/addrbook.json"
-docker rm -vf "local_testnet_$ID"
-
-# NOTE that we do not provide seeds
-bash test/p2p/peer.sh "$DOCKER_IMAGE" "$NETWORK_NAME" "$ID" "$PROXY_APP" "--pex"
-docker cp "/tmp/addrbook.json" "local_testnet_$ID:/go/src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint/test/p2p/data/mach1/core/addrbook.json"
-echo "with the following addrbook:"
-docker exec "local_testnet_$ID" cat "/go/src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint/test/p2p/data/mach1/core/addrbook.json"
-echo ""
-
-# if the client runs forever, it means addrbook wasn't saved or was empty
-bash test/p2p/client.sh "$DOCKER_IMAGE" "$NETWORK_NAME" "pex_$ID" "test/p2p/pex/check_peer.sh $ID $N"
-
-echo "----------------------------------------------------------------------"
-echo "Testing other peers connect to us if we have neither seeds nor the addrbook"
-echo "(assuming peers are started with pex enabled)"
-
-echo "1. restart peer $ID"
-docker stop "local_testnet_$ID"
-docker rm -vf "local_testnet_$ID"
-
-# NOTE that we do not provide seeds
-bash test/p2p/peer.sh "$DOCKER_IMAGE" "$NETWORK_NAME" "$ID" "$PROXY_APP" "--pex"
-
-# if the client runs forever, it means other peers have removed us from their books (which should not happen)
-bash test/p2p/client.sh "$DOCKER_IMAGE" "$NETWORK_NAME" "pex_$ID" "test/p2p/pex/check_peer.sh $ID $N"
-
-echo ""
-echo "PASS"
-echo ""
+echo "Test connecting via /dial_seeds"
+bash test/p2p/pex/test_dial_seeds.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME $N $PROXY_APP
diff --git a/test/p2p/pex/test_addrbook.sh b/test/p2p/pex/test_addrbook.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c472dff6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/p2p/pex/test_addrbook.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#! /bin/bash
+set -eu
+
+DOCKER_IMAGE=$1
+NETWORK_NAME=$2
+N=$3
+PROXY_APP=$4
+
+ID=1
+
+echo "----------------------------------------------------------------------"
+echo "Testing pex creates the addrbook and uses it if seeds are not provided"
+echo "(assuming peers are started with pex enabled)"
+
+echo "1. restart peer $ID"
+docker stop "local_testnet_$ID"
+# preserve addrbook.json
+docker cp "local_testnet_$ID:/go/src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint/test/p2p/data/mach1/core/addrbook.json" "/tmp/addrbook.json"
+set +e #CIRCLE
+docker rm -vf "local_testnet_$ID"
+set -e
+
+# NOTE that we do not provide seeds
+bash test/p2p/peer.sh "$DOCKER_IMAGE" "$NETWORK_NAME" "$ID" "$PROXY_APP" "--pex"
+docker cp "/tmp/addrbook.json" "local_testnet_$ID:/go/src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint/test/p2p/data/mach1/core/addrbook.json"
+echo "with the following addrbook:"
+docker exec "local_testnet_$ID" cat "/go/src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint/test/p2p/data/mach1/core/addrbook.json"
+echo ""
+
+# if the client runs forever, it means addrbook wasn't saved or was empty
+bash test/p2p/client.sh "$DOCKER_IMAGE" "$NETWORK_NAME" "pex_$ID" "test/p2p/pex/check_peer.sh $ID $N"
+
+echo "----------------------------------------------------------------------"
+echo "Testing other peers connect to us if we have neither seeds nor the addrbook"
+echo "(assuming peers are started with pex enabled)"
+
+echo "1. restart peer $ID"
+docker stop "local_testnet_$ID"
+set +e #CIRCLE
+docker rm -vf "local_testnet_$ID"
+set -e 
+
+# NOTE that we do not provide seeds
+bash test/p2p/peer.sh "$DOCKER_IMAGE" "$NETWORK_NAME" "$ID" "$PROXY_APP" "--pex"
+
+# if the client runs forever, it means other peers have removed us from their books (which should not happen)
+bash test/p2p/client.sh "$DOCKER_IMAGE" "$NETWORK_NAME" "pex_$ID" "test/p2p/pex/check_peer.sh $ID $N"
+
+echo ""
+echo "PASS"
+echo ""
diff --git a/test/p2p/pex/test_dial_seeds.sh b/test/p2p/pex/test_dial_seeds.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5b0bfffb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/p2p/pex/test_dial_seeds.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#! /bin/bash
+set -eu
+
+DOCKER_IMAGE=$1
+NETWORK_NAME=$2
+N=$3
+PROXY_APP=$4
+
+ID=1
+
+cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint
+
+echo "----------------------------------------------------------------------"
+echo "Testing full network connection using one /dial_seeds call"
+echo "(assuming peers are started with pex enabled)"
+
+# stop the existing testnet and remove local network
+set +e
+bash test/p2p/local_testnet_stop.sh $NETWORK_NAME $N
+set -e
+
+# start the testnet on a local network
+# NOTE we re-use the same network for all tests
+SEEDS=""
+bash test/p2p/local_testnet_start.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME $N $PROXY_APP $SEEDS
+
+# dial seeds from one node
+bash test/p2p/client.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME dial_seeds "test/p2p/pex/dial_seeds.sh $N"
+
+# test basic connectivity and consensus
+# start client container and check the num peers and height for all nodes
+bash test/p2p/client.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME basic "test/p2p/basic/test.sh $N"
diff --git a/test/p2p/seeds.sh b/test/p2p/seeds.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..471476ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/p2p/seeds.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#! /bin/bash
+set -eu
+
+N=$1
+
+cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint
+
+seeds="$(test/p2p/ip.sh 1):46656"
+for i in `seq 2 $N`; do
+	seeds="$seeds,$(test/p2p/ip.sh $i):46656"
+done
+echo $seeds
diff --git a/test/p2p/test.sh b/test/p2p/test.sh
index 1157ac06..0522a422 100644
--- a/test/p2p/test.sh
+++ b/test/p2p/test.sh
@@ -13,9 +13,11 @@ set +e
 bash test/p2p/local_testnet_stop.sh $NETWORK_NAME $N
 set -e
 
+SEEDS=$(bash test/p2p/seeds.sh $N)
+
 # start the testnet on a local network
 # NOTE we re-use the same network for all tests
-bash test/p2p/local_testnet_start.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME $N $PROXY_APP
+bash test/p2p/local_testnet_start.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME $N $PROXY_APP $SEEDS
 
 # test basic connectivity and consensus
 # start client container and check the num peers and height for all nodes