diff --git a/blockchain/pool.go b/blockchain/pool.go
index 07d4a7705..7b4e2145a 100644
--- a/blockchain/pool.go
+++ b/blockchain/pool.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ const (
 // numTotal = numPending + blocks in the pool we havnt synced yet
 
 var (
-	requestTimeoutSeconds = time.Duration(1)
+	requestTimeoutSeconds = time.Duration(3)
 )
 
 /*
diff --git a/blockchain/reactor.go b/blockchain/reactor.go
index 62d398cc8..971c72a36 100644
--- a/blockchain/reactor.go
+++ b/blockchain/reactor.go
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ const (
 	trySyncIntervalMS      = 100
 	// stop syncing when last block's time is
 	// within this much of the system time.
-	stopSyncingDurationMinutes = 10
+	// stopSyncingDurationMinutes = 10
+
 	// ask for best height every 10s
 	statusUpdateIntervalSeconds = 10
 	// check if we should switch to consensus reactor
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 1c5462f0d..121861a7d 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -39,7 +39,11 @@ Moniker = "anonymous"
 Network = "tendermint_testnet3"
 ListenAddr = "0.0.0.0:46656"
 # First node to connect to.  Command-line overridable.
-SeedNode = "188.166.55.222:46656"
+SeedNode = ""
+# Pool of seeds. Best to use these, and specify one on command line 
+# if needed to override
+SeedNodes = ["navytoad.chaintest.net:46656", "whiteferret.chaintest.net:46656", "magentagriffin.chaintest.net:46656", "greensalamander.chaintest.net:46656", "blackshadow.chaintest.net:46656", "purpleanteater.chaintest.net:46656", "pinkpenguin.chaintest.net:46656", "polkapig.chaintest.net:46656", "128.199.230.153:8080"]
+
 
 [DB]
 # The only other available backend is "memdb"
@@ -153,7 +157,7 @@ func Init(rootDir string) {
 	}
 
 	// Confused?
-	// app.Debug()
+	//app.Debug()
 }
 
 // Check if a file exists; if not, ensure the directory is made and write the file
@@ -182,7 +186,7 @@ func ParseFlags(args []string) {
 	// Declare flags
 	flags.BoolVar(&printHelp, "help", false, "Print this help message.")
 	flags.String("listen_addr", app.GetString("ListenAddr"), "Listen address. (0.0.0.0:0 means any interface, any port)")
-	flags.String("seed_node", app.GetString("SeedNode"), "Address of seed node")
+	flags.String("seed_node", app.GetString("SeedNode"), "Address of seed nodes")
 	flags.String("rpc_http_listen_addr", app.GetString("RPC.HTTP.ListenAddr"), "RPC listen address. Port required")
 	flags.Bool("fast_sync", app.GetBool("FastSync"), "Fast blockchain syncing")
 	flags.String("log_stdout_level", app.GetString("Log.Stdout.Level"), "Stdout log level")
diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index 52e2d26fd..3bbd2897f 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package node
 
 import (
+	"math/rand"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
@@ -143,7 +144,26 @@ func (n *Node) AddListener(l p2p.Listener) {
 }
 
 func (n *Node) DialSeed() {
-	addr := p2p.NewNetAddressString(config.App().GetString("SeedNode"))
+	// if the single seed node is available, use only it
+	prioritySeed := config.App().GetString("SeedNode")
+	if prioritySeed != "" {
+		addr := p2p.NewNetAddressString(prioritySeed)
+		n.dialSeed(addr)
+		return
+	}
+
+	// permute the list, dial half of them
+	seeds := config.App().GetStringSlice("SeedNodes")
+	perm := rand.Perm(len(seeds))
+	// TODO: we shouldn't necessarily connect to all of them every time ...
+	for i := 0; i < len(perm); i++ {
+		j := perm[i]
+		addr := p2p.NewNetAddressString(seeds[j])
+		n.dialSeed(addr)
+	}
+}
+
+func (n *Node) dialSeed(addr *p2p.NetAddress) {
 	peer, err := n.sw.DialPeerWithAddress(addr)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Error("Error dialing seed", "error", err)
@@ -221,7 +241,7 @@ func RunNode() {
 	n.Start()
 
 	// If seedNode is provided by config, dial out.
-	if config.App().GetString("SeedNode") != "" {
+	if config.App().GetString("SeedNode") != "" || len(config.App().GetStringSlice("SeedNodes")) != 0 {
 		n.DialSeed()
 	}