diff --git a/app/Main.hs b/app/Main.hs
index 03f72f1..cc93c26 100644
--- a/app/Main.hs
+++ b/app/Main.hs
@@ -21,17 +21,8 @@ main = do
     (serverSock, thisNode) <- fediChordInit conf
     -- currently no masking is necessary, as there is nothing to clean up
     cacheWriterThread <- forkIO $ cacheWriter thisNode
-    thisNodeSnap <- readTVarIO thisNode
-    realNode <- readTVarIO $ parentRealNode thisNodeSnap
     -- try joining the DHT using one of the provided bootstrapping nodes
-    let
-        tryJoining (bn:bns) = do
-            j <- fediChordBootstrapJoin thisNode bn
-            case j of
-              Left err -> putStrLn ("join error: " <> err) >> tryJoining bns
-              Right joined -> pure $ Right joined
-        tryJoining [] = pure $ Left "Exhausted all bootstrap points for joining."
-    joinedState <- tryJoining $ bootstrapNodes realNode
+    joinedState <- tryBootstrapJoining thisNode
     either (\err -> do
         -- handle unsuccessful join
 
diff --git a/src/Hash2Pub/FediChord.hs b/src/Hash2Pub/FediChord.hs
index ba7edb4..de9a462 100644
--- a/src/Hash2Pub/FediChord.hs
+++ b/src/Hash2Pub/FediChord.hs
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ module Hash2Pub.FediChord (
   , fediChordInit
   , fediChordJoin
   , fediChordBootstrapJoin
+  , tryBootstrapJoining
   , fediMainThreads
   , RealNode (..)
   , nodeStateInit
@@ -166,6 +167,25 @@ fediChordBootstrapJoin nsSTM (joinHost, joinPort) =
                                                    )
        `catch` (\e -> pure . Left $ "Error at bootstrap joining: " <> displayException (e :: IOException))
 
+
+-- | Try joining the DHT through any of the bootstrapping nodes until it succeeds.
+tryBootstrapJoining :: LocalNodeStateSTM -> IO (Either String LocalNodeStateSTM)
+tryBootstrapJoining nsSTM = do
+    bss <- atomically $ do
+        nsSnap <- readTVar nsSTM
+        realNodeSnap <- readTVar $ parentRealNode nsSnap
+        pure $ bootstrapNodes realNodeSnap
+    tryJoining bss
+  where
+    tryJoining (bn:bns) = do
+        j <- fediChordBootstrapJoin nsSTM bn
+        case j of
+          Left err     -> putStrLn ("join error: " <> err) >> tryJoining bns
+          Right joined -> pure $ Right joined
+    tryJoining [] = pure $ Left "Exhausted all bootstrap points for joining."
+
+
+
 -- | join a node to the DHT, using the provided cache snapshot for resolving the new
 -- node's position.
 fediChordJoin :: NodeCache                          -- ^ a snapshot of the NodeCache to