diff --git a/include/neocomm/node.hpp b/include/neocomm/node.hpp
index 0260e46..00d50f9 100644
--- a/include/neocomm/node.hpp
+++ b/include/neocomm/node.hpp
@@ -48,6 +48,28 @@ public:
 			unsigned short port = 8085);
 	~node();
 
+	/**
+	 * @brief Connect the node to a given address.
+	 *
+	 * @param address The IP or domain name of the other node.
+	 * @param port The port of the other node.
+	 */
+	void connect(const std::string &address,
+			unsigned short port);
+	/**
+	 * @brief Import and connect to a list of nodes from a
+	 * previous session.
+	 *
+	 * @param node_file File containing the node list.
+	 */
+	void import_nodes(const std::string &node_file);
+	/**
+	 * @brief Export currently connected nodes to a file.
+	 *
+	 * @param node_file File to export nodes to.
+	 */
+	void export_nodes(const std::string &node_file);
+
 private:
 	dht::DhtRunner dht_node;
 };
diff --git a/src/node.cpp b/src/node.cpp
index 05a0753..aaaa369 100644
--- a/src/node.cpp
+++ b/src/node.cpp
@@ -18,10 +18,94 @@
 
 #include "neocomm/node.hpp"
 
+#include <iostream>
+#include <fstream>
+#include <stdexcept>
+
 neocomm::node::node(unsigned short port) {
-	dht_node.run(port, dht::crypto::generateIdentity(), true);
+#ifdef WOE32
+	gnutls_global_init();
+#endif
+	try {
+		dht_node.run(port,
+				dht::crypto::generateIdentity(), true);
+	}
+	catch(const std::exception &e)
+	{
+		// rethrow exception
+		throw e;
+	}
+}
+
+neocomm::node::node(const std::string &node_file,
+		unsigned short port) {
+#ifdef WOE32
+	gnutls_global_init();
+#endif
+	try {
+		dht_node.run(port,
+				dht::crypto::generateIdentity(), true);
+	}
+	catch(const std::exception &e)
+	{
+		// rethrow exception
+		throw e;
+	}
 }
 
 neocomm::node::~node() {
 	dht_node.join();
+#ifdef WOE32
+	gnutls_global_deinit();
+#endif
+}
+
+void neocomm::node::connect(const std::string &address,
+		unsigned short port) {
+	if(not dht_node.isRunning())
+		throw std::runtime_error("Node is not yet running.");
+	dht_node.bootstrap(address, std::to_string(port));
+}
+
+void neocomm::node::import_nodes(
+		const std::string &node_file) {
+	if(not dht_node.isRunning())
+		throw std::runtime_error("Node is not yet running.");
+	msgpack::unpacker upak;
+	{
+		std::ifstream import_file(node_file, std::ios::binary
+				bitor std::ios::ate);
+		if(not import_file.is_open())
+		{
+			throw std::runtime_error("Failed to open file " +
+					node_file);
+		}
+		auto file_size = import_file.tellg();
+		import_file.seekg(0, std::ios::beg);
+		upak.reserve_buffer(file_size);
+		import_file.read(upak.buffer(), file_size);
+	}
+
+	msgpack::object_handle obj_handler;
+	while(upak.next(obj_handler))
+	{
+		auto imported_nodes =
+			obj_handler.get().as<
+			std::vector<dht::NodeExport>>();
+		dht_node.bootstrap(imported_nodes);
+	}
+}
+
+void neocomm::node::export_nodes(
+		const std::string &node_file) {
+	if(not dht_node.isRunning())
+		throw std::runtime_error("Node is not yet running.");
+	std::ofstream export_file(node_file, std::ios::binary);
+	if(not export_file.is_open())
+	{
+		throw std::runtime_error("Failed to open file " +
+				node_file);
+	}
+
+	msgpack::pack(export_file, dht_node.exportNodes());
 }