diff --git a/toxcore/DHT.c b/toxcore/DHT.c
index fb326c9b..4830e2b1 100644
--- a/toxcore/DHT.c
+++ b/toxcore/DHT.c
@@ -2224,6 +2224,12 @@ DHT *new_DHT(Networking_Core *net)
 
 void do_DHT(DHT *dht)
 {
+    // Load friends/clients if first call to do_DHT
+    if (dht->has_loaded_friends_clients == 0) {
+        dht->has_loaded_friends_clients = 1;
+        DHT_connect_after_load(dht);
+    }
+
     unix_time_update();
 
     if (dht->last_run == unix_time()) {
@@ -2328,6 +2334,58 @@ void DHT_save(DHT *dht, uint8_t *data)
     }
 }
 
+static void DHT_bootstrap_loaded_clients(DHT *dht)
+{
+    uint32_t i;
+
+    Client_data *client_list = dht->loaded_clients_list;
+    uint32_t client_count = dht->loaded_num_clients;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < client_count; ++i) {
+        if (client_list[i].assoc4.timestamp != 0)
+            DHT_bootstrap(dht, client_list[i].assoc4.ip_port, client_list[i].client_id);
+
+        if (client_list[i].assoc6.timestamp != 0)
+            DHT_bootstrap(dht, client_list[i].assoc6.ip_port, client_list[i].client_id);
+    }
+}
+
+static void getnodes_of_loaded_friend_clients(DHT *dht)
+{
+    uint32_t i, j;
+
+    DHT_Friend *friend_list = dht->loaded_friends_list;
+    uint32_t friend_count = dht->loaded_num_friends;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < friend_count; ++i) {
+        for (j = 0; j < MAX_FRIEND_CLIENTS; ++j) {
+            Client_data *client = &friend_list[i].client_list[j];
+
+            if (client->assoc4.timestamp != 0)
+                getnodes(dht, client->assoc4.ip_port, client->client_id, friend_list[i].client_id, NULL);
+
+            if (client->assoc6.timestamp != 0)
+                getnodes(dht, client->assoc6.ip_port, client->client_id, friend_list[i].client_id, NULL);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/* Start sending packets after DHT loaded_friends_list and loaded_clients_list are set */
+int DHT_connect_after_load(DHT *dht)
+{
+    if (dht == NULL || dht->loaded_friends_list == NULL || dht->loaded_clients_list == NULL)
+        return -1;
+
+    getnodes_of_loaded_friend_clients(dht);
+    DHT_bootstrap_loaded_clients(dht);
+
+    // Loaded lists were allocd, free them
+    free(dht->loaded_friends_list);
+    free(dht->loaded_clients_list);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 static int dht_load_state_callback(void *outer, const uint8_t *data, uint32_t length, uint16_t type)
 {
     DHT *dht = outer;
@@ -2342,18 +2400,14 @@ static int dht_load_state_callback(void *outer, const uint8_t *data, uint32_t le
                 DHT_Friend *friend_list = (DHT_Friend *)data;
                 num = length / sizeof(DHT_Friend);
 
-                for (i = 0; i < num; ++i) {
+                // Copy to loaded_friends_list
+                dht->loaded_friends_list = calloc(num, sizeof(DHT_Friend));
 
-                    for (j = 0; j < MAX_FRIEND_CLIENTS; ++j) {
-                        Client_data *client = &friend_list[i].client_list[j];
+                for (i = 0; i < num; i++)
+                    memcpy(&(dht->loaded_friends_list[i]), &(friend_list[i]), sizeof(DHT_Friend));
 
-                        if (client->assoc4.timestamp != 0)
-                            getnodes(dht, client->assoc4.ip_port, client->client_id, friend_list[i].client_id, NULL);
+                dht->loaded_num_friends = num;
 
-                        if (client->assoc6.timestamp != 0)
-                            getnodes(dht, client->assoc6.ip_port, client->client_id, friend_list[i].client_id, NULL);
-                    }
-                }
             } /* localize declarations */
 
             break;
@@ -2366,13 +2420,14 @@ static int dht_load_state_callback(void *outer, const uint8_t *data, uint32_t le
                 num = length / sizeof(Client_data);
                 Client_data *client_list = (Client_data *)data;
 
-                for (i = 0; i < num; ++i) {
-                    if (client_list[i].assoc4.timestamp != 0)
-                        DHT_bootstrap(dht, client_list[i].assoc4.ip_port, client_list[i].client_id);
+                // Copy to loaded_clients_list
+                dht->loaded_clients_list = calloc(num, sizeof(Client_data));
+
+                for (i = 0; i < num; i++)
+                    memcpy(&(dht->loaded_clients_list[i]), &(client_list[i]), sizeof(Client_data));
+
+                dht->loaded_num_clients = num;
 
-                    if (client_list[i].assoc6.timestamp != 0)
-                        DHT_bootstrap(dht, client_list[i].assoc6.ip_port, client_list[i].client_id);
-                }
             } /* localize declarations */
 
             break;
diff --git a/toxcore/DHT.h b/toxcore/DHT.h
index 563ae08c..4beda37e 100644
--- a/toxcore/DHT.h
+++ b/toxcore/DHT.h
@@ -200,6 +200,14 @@ typedef struct {
     DHT_Friend    *friends_list;
     uint16_t       num_friends;
 
+    // Used after loading of file (tox_load), but no longer needed after connect (tox_connect)
+    // Unsure if friends_list and num_friends could just be used instead?
+    int has_loaded_friends_clients; // Whether or not we have loaded on the first do_DHT
+    DHT_Friend    *loaded_friends_list;
+    uint32_t       loaded_num_friends;
+    Client_data   *loaded_clients_list;
+    uint32_t       loaded_num_clients;
+
     Shared_Keys shared_keys_recv;
     Shared_Keys shared_keys_sent;
 
@@ -332,6 +340,12 @@ void DHT_bootstrap(DHT *dht, IP_Port ip_port, const uint8_t *public_key);
 int DHT_bootstrap_from_address(DHT *dht, const char *address, uint8_t ipv6enabled,
                                uint16_t port, const uint8_t *public_key);
 
+/* Start sending packets after DHT loaded_friends_list and loaded_clients_list are set.
+ *
+ * returns 0 if successful
+ * returns -1 otherwise
+ */
+int DHT_connect_after_load(DHT *dht);
 
 /* ROUTING FUNCTIONS */
 
diff --git a/toxcore/Messenger.c b/toxcore/Messenger.c
index 930ad67c..2a0e3f6b 100644
--- a/toxcore/Messenger.c
+++ b/toxcore/Messenger.c
@@ -2408,6 +2408,17 @@ uint32_t messenger_run_interval(Messenger *m)
 /* The main loop that needs to be run at least 20 times per second. */
 void do_messenger(Messenger *m)
 {
+    // Add the TCP relays, but only if this is the first time calling do_messenger
+    if (m->has_added_relays == 0) {
+        m->has_added_relays = 1;
+
+        int i;
+
+        for (i = 0; i < NUM_SAVED_TCP_RELAYS; ++i) {
+            add_tcp_relay(m->net_crypto, m->loaded_relays[i].ip_port, m->loaded_relays[i].client_id);
+        }
+    }
+
     unix_time_update();
 
     if (!m->options.udp_disabled) {
@@ -2554,7 +2565,6 @@ void do_messenger(Messenger *m)
 #define MESSENGER_STATE_TYPE_PATH_NODE     11
 
 #define SAVED_FRIEND_REQUEST_SIZE 1024
-#define NUM_SAVED_TCP_RELAYS 8
 #define NUM_SAVED_PATH_NODES 8
 struct SAVED_FRIEND {
     uint8_t status;
@@ -2803,18 +2813,11 @@ static int messenger_load_state_callback(void *outer, const uint8_t *data, uint3
             break;
 
         case MESSENGER_STATE_TYPE_TCP_RELAY: {
-            Node_format relays[NUM_SAVED_TCP_RELAYS];
-
-            if (length != sizeof(relays)) {
+            if (length != sizeof(m->loaded_relays)) {
                 return -1;
             }
 
-            memcpy(relays, data, length);
-            uint32_t i;
-
-            for (i = 0; i < NUM_SAVED_TCP_RELAYS; ++i) {
-                add_tcp_relay(m->net_crypto, relays[i].ip_port, relays[i].client_id);
-            }
+            memcpy(m->loaded_relays, data, length);
 
             break;
         }
diff --git a/toxcore/Messenger.h b/toxcore/Messenger.h
index cead6411..6c641a9a 100644
--- a/toxcore/Messenger.h
+++ b/toxcore/Messenger.h
@@ -219,6 +219,10 @@ typedef struct Messenger {
 
     uint64_t last_LANdiscovery;
 
+#define NUM_SAVED_TCP_RELAYS 8
+    uint8_t has_added_relays; // If the first connection has occurred in do_messenger
+    Node_format loaded_relays[NUM_SAVED_TCP_RELAYS]; // Relays loaded from config
+
     void (*friend_message)(struct Messenger *m, int32_t, const uint8_t *, uint16_t, void *);
     void *friend_message_userdata;
     void (*friend_action)(struct Messenger *m, int32_t, const uint8_t *, uint16_t, void *);