diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index b832ce0..43582d3 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -170,6 +170,12 @@ Generate an identity seed and launch a gateway:
 			EnvVars: []string{"RAINBOW_DENYLISTS"},
 			Usage:   "Denylist HTTP subscriptions (comma-separated). Must be append-only denylists",
 		},
+		&cli.StringFlag{
+			Name:    "peering",
+			Value:   "",
+			EnvVars: []string{"RAINBOW_PEERING"},
+			Usage:   "Multiaddresses of peers to stay connected to (comma-separated)",
+		},
 	}
 
 	app.Commands = []*cli.Command{
@@ -244,6 +250,15 @@ share the same seed as long as the indexes are different.
 			return err
 		}
 
+		var peeringAddrs []peer.AddrInfo
+		for _, maStr := range getCommaSeparatedList(cctx.String("peering")) {
+			ai, err := peer.AddrInfoFromString(maStr)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			peeringAddrs = append(peeringAddrs, *ai)
+		}
+
 		cfg := Config{
 			DataDir:                 ddir,
 			GatewayDomains:          getCommaSeparatedList(cctx.String("gateway-domains")),
@@ -258,6 +273,7 @@ share the same seed as long as the indexes are different.
 			KuboRPCURLs:             getEnvs(EnvKuboRPC, DefaultKuboRPC),
 			DHTSharedHost:           cctx.Bool("dht-shared-host"),
 			DenylistSubs:            getCommaSeparatedList(cctx.String("denylists")),
+			Peering:                 peeringAddrs,
 		}
 
 		goLog.Debugf("Rainbow config: %+v", cfg)
diff --git a/setup.go b/setup.go
index 0b7a21d..af9e7da 100644
--- a/setup.go
+++ b/setup.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ipfs/boxo/ipns"
 	"github.com/ipfs/boxo/namesys"
 	"github.com/ipfs/boxo/path/resolver"
+	"github.com/ipfs/boxo/peering"
 	routingv1client "github.com/ipfs/boxo/routing/http/client"
 	httpcontentrouter "github.com/ipfs/boxo/routing/http/contentrouter"
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-cid"
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	DHTSharedHost           bool
 
 	DenylistSubs []string
+	Peering      []peer.AddrInfo
 }
 
 func Setup(ctx context.Context, cfg Config, key crypto.PrivKey, dnsCache *cachedDNS) (*Node, error) {
@@ -269,6 +271,14 @@ func Setup(ctx context.Context, cfg Config, key crypto.PrivKey, dnsCache *cached
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	ps := peering.NewPeeringService(h)
+	if err := ps.Start(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	for _, a := range cfg.Peering {
+		ps.AddPeer(a)
+	}
+
 	bsctx := metri.CtxScope(ctx, "ipfs_bitswap")
 	bn := bsnet.NewFromIpfsHost(h, cr)
 	bswap := bsclient.New(bsctx, bn, blkst,