diff --git a/app/Main.hs b/app/Main.hs
index 3bdb4d4..4810fb0 100644
--- a/app/Main.hs
+++ b/app/Main.hs
@@ -45,13 +45,19 @@ main = do
 
 readConfig :: IO (FediChordConf, ServiceConf)
 readConfig = do
-    confDomainString : ipString : portString : bootstrapHost : bootstrapPortString : servicePortString : speedup : _ <- getArgs
+    confDomainString : ipString : portString : servicePortString : speedup : remainingArgs <- getArgs
+    -- allow starting the initial node without bootstrapping info to avoid
+    -- waiting for timeout
     let
+        confBootstrapNodes' = case remainingArgs of
+            bootstrapHost : bootstrapPortString : _ ->
+                [(bootstrapHost, read bootstrapPortString)]
+            _ -> []
         fConf = FediChordConf {
         confDomain = confDomainString
       , confIP = toHostAddress6 . read $ ipString
       , confDhtPort = read portString
-      , confBootstrapNodes = [(bootstrapHost, read bootstrapPortString)]
+      , confBootstrapNodes = confBootstrapNodes'
       --, confStabiliseInterval = 60
       , confBootstrapSamplingInterval = 180
       , confMaxLookupCacheAge = 300