diff --git a/zebra-network/src/peer/connector.rs b/zebra-network/src/peer/connector.rs
index bf76126f5..70668c0aa 100644
--- a/zebra-network/src/peer/connector.rs
+++ b/zebra-network/src/peer/connector.rs
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ where
     }
 }
 
-impl<S> Service<SocketAddr> for PeerConnector<S>
+impl<S> Service<(TcpStream, SocketAddr)> for PeerConnector<S>
 where
     S: Service<Request, Response = Response, Error = BoxedStdError> + Clone + Send + 'static,
     S::Future: Send,
@@ -74,7 +74,9 @@ where
         Poll::Ready(Ok(()))
     }
 
-    fn call(&mut self, addr: SocketAddr) -> Self::Future {
+    fn call(&mut self, req: (TcpStream, SocketAddr)) -> Self::Future {
+        let (tcp_stream, addr) = req;
+
         let connector_span = span!(Level::INFO, "connector", addr = ?addr);
         let connection_span = span!(Level::INFO, "peer", addr = ?addr);
 
@@ -86,12 +88,9 @@ where
 
         let fut = async move {
             info!("connecting to remote peer");
-            debug!("opening tcp stream");
 
-            let mut stream = Framed::new(
-                TcpStream::connect(addr).await.expect("PeerError does not contain an io::Error variant, but this code will be removed in the next PR, so there's no need to handle this error"),
-                Codec::builder().for_network(network).finish(),
-            );
+            let mut stream =
+                Framed::new(tcp_stream, Codec::builder().for_network(network).finish());
 
             let version = Message::Version {
                 version: constants::CURRENT_VERSION,
diff --git a/zebrad/src/commands.rs b/zebrad/src/commands.rs
index c599496ed..09c9b79ec 100644
--- a/zebrad/src/commands.rs
+++ b/zebrad/src/commands.rs
@@ -11,10 +11,11 @@
 //! application's configuration file.
 
 mod connect;
+mod listen;
 mod start;
 mod version;
 
-use self::{connect::ConnectCmd, start::StartCmd, version::VersionCmd};
+use self::{connect::ConnectCmd, listen::ListenCmd, start::StartCmd, version::VersionCmd};
 use crate::config::ZebradConfig;
 use abscissa_core::{
     config::Override, Command, Configurable, FrameworkError, Help, Options, Runnable,
@@ -42,6 +43,10 @@ pub enum ZebradCmd {
     /// The `connect` subcommand
     #[options(help = "testing stub for dumping network messages")]
     Connect(ConnectCmd),
+
+    /// The `listen` subcommand
+    #[options(help = "testing stub for dumping network messages")]
+    Listen(ListenCmd),
 }
 
 /// This trait allows you to define how application configuration is loaded.
diff --git a/zebrad/src/commands/connect.rs b/zebrad/src/commands/connect.rs
index b5fb7c461..df8b9b8a7 100644
--- a/zebrad/src/commands/connect.rs
+++ b/zebrad/src/commands/connect.rs
@@ -73,11 +73,15 @@ impl ConnectCmd {
             1,
         );
 
+        use tokio::net::TcpStream;
+
         let config = app_config().network.clone();
         let collector = TimestampCollector::new();
         let mut pc = PeerConnector::new(config, Network::Mainnet, node, &collector);
-        // no need to call ready because pc is always ready
-        let mut client = pc.call(self.addr.clone()).await?;
+
+        let tcp_stream = TcpStream::connect(self.addr).await?;
+        pc.ready().await?;
+        let mut client = pc.call((tcp_stream, self.addr)).await?;
 
         client.ready().await?;
 
@@ -90,6 +94,7 @@ impl ConnectCmd {
             "got addresses from first connected peer"
         );
 
+/*
         use failure::Error;
         use futures::{
             future,
@@ -148,6 +153,7 @@ impl ConnectCmd {
             // empty loop ensures we don't exit the application,
             // and this is throwaway code
         }
+        */
 
         Ok(())
     }
diff --git a/zebrad/src/commands/listen.rs b/zebrad/src/commands/listen.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8c60162d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zebrad/src/commands/listen.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+//! `listen` subcommand - test stub for talking to zcashd
+
+use crate::prelude::*;
+
+use abscissa_core::{Command, Options, Runnable};
+
+/// `listen` subcommand
+#[derive(Command, Debug, Options)]
+pub struct ListenCmd {
+    /// The address of the node to connect to.
+    #[options(help = "The address to listen on.", default = "127.0.0.1:28233")]
+    addr: std::net::SocketAddr,
+}
+
+impl Runnable for ListenCmd {
+    /// Start the application.
+    fn run(&self) {
+        info!(connect.addr = ?self.addr);
+
+        use crate::components::tokio::TokioComponent;
+
+        let wait = tokio::future::pending::<()>();
+        // Combine the connect future with an infinite wait
+        // so that the program has to be explicitly killed and
+        // won't die before all tracing messages are written.
+        let fut = futures::future::join(
+            async {
+                match self.listen().await {
+                    Ok(()) => {}
+                    Err(e) => {
+                        // Print any error that occurs.
+                        error!(?e);
+                    }
+                }
+            },
+            wait,
+        );
+
+        let _ = app_reader()
+            .state()
+            .components
+            .get_downcast_ref::<TokioComponent>()
+            .expect("TokioComponent should be available")
+            .rt
+            .block_on(fut);
+    }
+}
+
+impl ListenCmd {
+    async fn listen(&self) -> Result<(), failure::Error> {
+        use zebra_network::{
+            peer::PeerConnector,
+            peer_set::PeerSet,
+            protocol::internal::{Request, Response},
+            timestamp_collector::TimestampCollector,
+            Network,
+        };
+
+        info!("begin tower-based peer handling test stub");
+
+        use tower::{buffer::Buffer, service_fn, Service, ServiceExt};
+
+        let node = Buffer::new(
+            service_fn(|req| {
+                async move {
+                    info!(?req);
+                    Ok::<Response, failure::Error>(Response::Ok)
+                }
+            }),
+            1,
+        );
+
+        use tokio::net::{TcpListener, TcpStream};
+
+        let config = app_config().network.clone();
+        let collector = TimestampCollector::new();
+        let mut pc = PeerConnector::new(config, Network::Mainnet, node, &collector);
+
+        let mut listener = TcpListener::bind(self.addr).await?;
+
+        loop {
+            let (tcp_stream, addr) = listener.accept().await?;
+
+            pc.ready().await?;
+            let mut client = pc.call((tcp_stream, addr)).await?;
+
+            let addrs = match client.call(Request::GetPeers).await? {
+                Response::Peers(addrs) => addrs,
+                _ => bail!("Got wrong response type"),
+            };
+            info!(
+                addrs.len = addrs.len(),
+                "asked for addresses from remote peer"
+            );
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}