diff --git a/swarm/network/hive.go b/swarm/network/hive.go
index 3ce4748d6d87..8783da2c18da 100644
--- a/swarm/network/hive.go
+++ b/swarm/network/hive.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/adapters"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/discover"
 )
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ func NewHive(params *HiveParams, overlay Overlay) *Hive {
 // connectPeer is a function to connect to a peer based on its NodeID or enode URL
 // these are called on the p2p.Server which runs on the node
 // af() returns an arbitrary ticker channel
-func (self *Hive) Start(connectPeer func(string) error, af func() <-chan time.Time) error {
+func (self *Hive) Start(server p2p.Server, af func() <-chan time.Time) error {
 
 	self.toggle = make(chan bool)
 	self.more = make(chan bool, 1)
@@ -113,9 +114,11 @@ func (self *Hive) Start(connectPeer func(string) error, af func() <-chan time.Ti
 
 			if addr != nil {
 				log.Info(fmt.Sprintf("========> connect to bee %v", addr))
-				err := connectPeer(NodeId(addr).NodeID.String())
-				if err != nil {
-					log.Error(fmt.Sprintf("===X====> connect to bee %v failed: %v", addr, err))
+				node, err := discover.ParseNode(NodeId(addr).NodeID.String())
+				if err == nil {
+					server.AddPeer(node)
+				} else {
+					log.Error(fmt.Sprintf("===X====> connect to bee %v failed: invalid node URL: %v", addr, err))
 				}
 			} else {
 				log.Trace("cannot suggest peers")
diff --git a/swarm/network/simulations/discovery/discovery_test.go b/swarm/network/simulations/discovery/discovery_test.go
index 37087958df50..5957d07e554c 100644
--- a/swarm/network/simulations/discovery/discovery_test.go
+++ b/swarm/network/simulations/discovery/discovery_test.go
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import (
 	p2pnode "github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/node"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/adapters"
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/discover"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/simulations"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rpc"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/network"
@@ -246,15 +245,7 @@ func (n *node) APIs() []rpc.API {
 }
 
 func (n *node) Start(server p2p.Server) error {
-	connectPeer := func(url string) error {
-		node, err := discover.ParseNode(url)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("invalid node URL: %v", err)
-		}
-		server.AddPeer(node)
-		return nil
-	}
-	return n.Hive.Start(connectPeer, n.hiveKeepAlive)
+	return n.Hive.Start(server, n.hiveKeepAlive)
 }
 
 func (n *node) Stop() error {
diff --git a/swarm/network/simulations/overlay.go b/swarm/network/simulations/overlay.go
index fc4fae45af1f..9cdea711026d 100644
--- a/swarm/network/simulations/overlay.go
+++ b/swarm/network/simulations/overlay.go
@@ -50,15 +50,7 @@ func af() <-chan time.Time {
 // Start() starts up the hive
 // makes SimNode implement node.Service
 func (self *SimNode) Start(server p2p.Server) error {
-	connectPeer := func(url string) error {
-		node, err := discover.ParseNode(url)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("invalid node URL: %v", err)
-		}
-		server.AddPeer(node)
-		return nil
-	}
-	return self.hive.Start(connectPeer, af)
+	return self.hive.Start(server, af)
 }
 
 // Stop() shuts down the hive