diff --git a/whisper/whisperv5/peer_test.go b/whisper/whisperv5/peer_test.go
index 051b52dcf891..256a670aa485 100644
--- a/whisper/whisperv5/peer_test.go
+++ b/whisper/whisperv5/peer_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package whisperv5
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"crypto/ecdsa"
-	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
@@ -108,8 +107,6 @@ func TestSimulation(t *testing.T) {
 
 func initialize(t *testing.T) {
 	var err error
-	ip := net.IPv4(127, 0, 0, 1)
-	port0 := 30303
 
 	for i := 0; i < NumNodes; i++ {
 		var node TestNode
@@ -128,29 +125,15 @@ func initialize(t *testing.T) {
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("failed convert the key: %s.", keys[i])
 		}
-		port := port0 + i
-		addr := fmt.Sprintf(":%d", port) // e.g. ":30303"
 		name := common.MakeName("whisper-go", "2.0")
-		var peers []*discover.Node
-		if i > 0 {
-			peerNodeId := nodes[i-1].id
-			peerPort := uint16(port - 1)
-			peerNode := discover.PubkeyID(&peerNodeId.PublicKey)
-			peer := discover.NewNode(peerNode, ip, peerPort, peerPort)
-			peers = append(peers, peer)
-		}
-
 		node.server = &p2p.Server{
 			Config: p2p.Config{
-				PrivateKey:     node.id,
-				MaxPeers:       NumNodes/2 + 1,
-				Name:           name,
-				Protocols:      node.shh.Protocols(),
-				ListenAddr:     addr,
-				NAT:            nat.Any(),
-				BootstrapNodes: peers,
-				StaticNodes:    peers,
-				TrustedNodes:   peers,
+				PrivateKey: node.id,
+				MaxPeers:   NumNodes/2 + 1,
+				Name:       name,
+				Protocols:  node.shh.Protocols(),
+				ListenAddr: "127.0.0.1:0",
+				NAT:        nat.Any(),
 			},
 		}
 
@@ -159,6 +142,15 @@ func initialize(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatalf("failed to start server %d.", i)
 		}
 
+		for j := 0; j < i; j++ {
+			peerNodeId := nodes[j].id
+			address, _ := net.ResolveTCPAddr("tcp", nodes[j].server.ListenAddr)
+			peerPort := uint16(address.Port)
+			peerNode := discover.PubkeyID(&peerNodeId.PublicKey)
+			peer := discover.NewNode(peerNode, address.IP, peerPort, peerPort)
+			node.server.AddPeer(peer)
+		}
+
 		nodes[i] = &node
 	}
 }
diff --git a/whisper/whisperv6/peer_test.go b/whisper/whisperv6/peer_test.go
index ec985ae65b93..18184de04713 100644
--- a/whisper/whisperv6/peer_test.go
+++ b/whisper/whisperv6/peer_test.go
@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@ import (
 	"crypto/ecdsa"
 	"fmt"
 	mrand "math/rand"
-	"net"
 	"sync"
-	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"net"
+
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common/hexutil"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
@@ -173,8 +173,6 @@ func initialize(t *testing.T) {
 	initBloom(t)
 
 	var err error
-	ip := net.IPv4(127, 0, 0, 1)
-	port0 := 30303
 
 	for i := 0; i < NumNodes; i++ {
 		var node TestNode
@@ -199,49 +197,35 @@ func initialize(t *testing.T) {
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("failed convert the key: %s.", keys[i])
 		}
-		port := port0 + i
-		addr := fmt.Sprintf(":%d", port) // e.g. ":30303"
 		name := common.MakeName("whisper-go", "2.0")
-		var peers []*discover.Node
-		if i > 0 {
-			peerNodeID := nodes[i-1].id
-			peerPort := uint16(port - 1)
-			peerNode := discover.PubkeyID(&peerNodeID.PublicKey)
-			peer := discover.NewNode(peerNode, ip, peerPort, peerPort)
-			peers = append(peers, peer)
-		}
 
 		node.server = &p2p.Server{
 			Config: p2p.Config{
-				PrivateKey:     node.id,
-				MaxPeers:       NumNodes/2 + 1,
-				Name:           name,
-				Protocols:      node.shh.Protocols(),
-				ListenAddr:     addr,
-				NAT:            nat.Any(),
-				BootstrapNodes: peers,
-				StaticNodes:    peers,
-				TrustedNodes:   peers,
+				PrivateKey: node.id,
+				MaxPeers:   NumNodes/2 + 1,
+				Name:       name,
+				Protocols:  node.shh.Protocols(),
+				ListenAddr: "127.0.0.1:0",
+				NAT:        nat.Any(),
 			},
 		}
 
-		nodes[i] = &node
-	}
-
-	for i := 0; i < NumNodes; i++ {
-		go startServer(t, nodes[i].server)
-	}
+		err = node.server.Start()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to start server %d.", i)
+		}
 
-	waitForServersToStart(t)
-}
+		for j := 0; j < i; j++ {
+			peerNodeId := nodes[j].id
+			address, _ := net.ResolveTCPAddr("tcp", nodes[j].server.ListenAddr)
+			peerPort := uint16(address.Port)
+			peerNode := discover.PubkeyID(&peerNodeId.PublicKey)
+			peer := discover.NewNode(peerNode, address.IP, peerPort, peerPort)
+			node.server.AddPeer(peer)
+		}
 
-func startServer(t *testing.T, s *p2p.Server) {
-	err := s.Start()
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("failed to start the fisrt server.")
+		nodes[i] = &node
 	}
-
-	atomic.AddInt64(&result.started, 1)
 }
 
 func stopServers() {
@@ -499,16 +483,3 @@ func checkBloomFilterExchange(t *testing.T) {
 		time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
 	}
 }
-
-func waitForServersToStart(t *testing.T) {
-	const iterations = 200
-	var started int64
-	for j := 0; j < iterations; j++ {
-		time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
-		started = atomic.LoadInt64(&result.started)
-		if started == NumNodes {
-			return
-		}
-	}
-	t.Fatalf("Failed to start all the servers, running: %d", started)
-}