diff --git a/toxcore/DHT.c b/toxcore/DHT.c
index 6bd23081..ac43371e 100644
--- a/toxcore/DHT.c
+++ b/toxcore/DHT.c
@@ -2333,6 +2333,58 @@ 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;
@@ -2347,18 +2399,12 @@ 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(i = 0; i < num; i++)
+					memcpy(&(dht->loaded_friends_list[i]), &(friend_list[i]), sizeof(DHT_Friend));
+				dht->loaded_num_friends = num;
 
-                    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);
-                    }
-                }
             } /* localize declarations */
 
             break;
@@ -2371,13 +2417,12 @@ 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..1ead6f5e 100644
--- a/toxcore/DHT.h
+++ b/toxcore/DHT.h
@@ -200,6 +200,13 @@ 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?
+	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 +339,12 @@ 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 7ea89ea6..e138b23e 100644
--- a/toxcore/Messenger.c
+++ b/toxcore/Messenger.c
@@ -2803,18 +2803,11 @@ 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;
         }
@@ -2866,6 +2859,25 @@ int messenger_load(Messenger *m, const uint8_t *data, uint32_t length)
         return -1;
 }
 
+/* Connect after loading messenger from file */
+int messenger_connect(Messenger *m)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	if(m == NULL)
+		return -1;
+
+	DHT *dht = m->dht;
+	if(DHT_connect_after_load(dht) == -1)
+		return -1;
+
+	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);
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /* Return the number of friends in the instance m.
  * You should use this to determine how much memory to allocate
  * for copy_friendlist. */
diff --git a/toxcore/Messenger.h b/toxcore/Messenger.h
index cead6411..520fc460 100644
--- a/toxcore/Messenger.h
+++ b/toxcore/Messenger.h
@@ -219,6 +219,10 @@ typedef struct Messenger {
 
     uint64_t last_LANdiscovery;
 
+	// Relays loaded from config
+	// 8 should be NUM_SAVED_TCP_RELAYS but it is defined in c file
+	Node_format loaded_relays[8];
+
     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 *);
@@ -776,6 +780,9 @@ void messenger_save(const Messenger *m, uint8_t *data);
 /* Load the messenger from data of size length. */
 int messenger_load(Messenger *m, const uint8_t *data, uint32_t length);
 
+/* Connect after loading messenger from file */
+int messenger_connect(Messenger *m);
+
 /* Return the number of friends in the instance m.
  * You should use this to determine how much memory to allocate
  * for copy_friendlist. */
diff --git a/toxcore/tox.c b/toxcore/tox.c
index b2aadd39..2b412ce8 100644
--- a/toxcore/tox.c
+++ b/toxcore/tox.c
@@ -928,3 +928,10 @@ int tox_load(Tox *tox, const uint8_t *data, uint32_t length)
     Messenger *m = tox;
     return messenger_load(m, data, length);
 }
+
+/* Connect after loading the messenger from file */
+int tox_connect(Tox *tox)
+{
+	Messenger *m = tox;
+	return messenger_connect(m);
+}
diff --git a/toxcore/tox.h b/toxcore/tox.h
index 1f251085..8a564e6b 100644
--- a/toxcore/tox.h
+++ b/toxcore/tox.h
@@ -723,6 +723,13 @@ void tox_save(const Tox *tox, uint8_t *data);
  */
 int tox_load(Tox *tox, const uint8_t *data, uint32_t length);
 
+/* Perform connections after messenger has been loaded from file.
+ *
+ * returns 0 on success
+ * returns -1 on failure
+ */
+int tox_connect(Tox *tox);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif