diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index e230b9e6..ad717af8 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const Persistent = require('./lib/persistent')
 const Router = require('./lib/router')
 const Server = require('./lib/server')
 const connect = require('./lib/connect')
-const { FIREWALL, BOOTSTRAP_NODES, COMMANDS } = require('./lib/constants')
+const { FIREWALL, BOOTSTRAP_NODES, KNOWN_NODES, COMMANDS } = require('./lib/constants')
 const { hash, createKeyPair } = require('./lib/crypto')
 const { decode } = require('hypercore-id-encoding')
 const RawStreamSet = require('./lib/raw-stream-set')
@@ -21,8 +21,11 @@ class HyperDHT extends DHT {
   constructor (opts = {}) {
     const port = opts.port || 49737
     const bootstrap = opts.bootstrap || BOOTSTRAP_NODES
+    const knownNodes = opts.knownNodes || KNOWN_NODES
 
-    super({ ...opts, port, bootstrap, addNode })
+    super({ ...opts, port, bootstrap, filterNode })
+
+    for (const node of knownNodes) this.addNode(node)
 
     const { router, persistent } = defaultCacheOpts(opts)
 
@@ -543,7 +546,7 @@ function toRange (n) {
   return typeof n === 'number' ? [n, n] : n
 }
 
-function addNode (node) {
+function filterNode (node) {
   // always skip these testnet nodes that got mixed in by accident, until they get updated
   return !(node.port === 49738 && (node.host === '134.209.28.98' || node.host === '167.99.142.185')) &&
     !(node.port === 9400 && node.host === '35.233.47.252') && !(node.host === '150.136.142.116')
diff --git a/lib/constants.js b/lib/constants.js
index 1981801d..d1948371 100644
--- a/lib/constants.js
+++ b/lib/constants.js
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ exports.BOOTSTRAP_NODES = [
   '138.68.147.8@node3.hyperdht.org:49737'
 ]
 
+exports.KNOWN_NODES = global.Pear?.config.dht || []
+
 exports.FIREWALL = {
   UNKNOWN: 0,
   OPEN: 1,
diff --git a/test/connections.js b/test/connections.js
index adb7c6f4..1adb25a1 100644
--- a/test/connections.js
+++ b/test/connections.js
@@ -788,3 +788,18 @@ test('fail to bootstrap completely', async function (t) {
 
   await a.destroy()
 })
+
+test('Populate DHT with options.knownNodes', async function (t) {
+  const a = new DHT({ bootstrap: [] })
+  await a.ready()
+  const knownNodes = [{ host: '127.0.0.1', port: a.address().port }]
+
+  const b = new DHT({ knownNodes, bootstrap: [] })
+  await b.ready()
+
+  t.alike(b.toArray(), [{ host: '127.0.0.1', port: a.address().port }])
+
+  a.destroy()
+  b.destroy()
+  delete global.Pear
+})