diff --git a/cmd/evm/main.go b/cmd/evm/main.go
index 84ab0dc2747ed6e1caeb57cca6ef9f7c6d1f8b62..f902c99e51494299c98709c7752bf40781c49ddc 100644
--- a/cmd/evm/main.go
+++ b/cmd/evm/main.go
@@ -131,6 +131,12 @@ func (self *VMEnv) Value() *big.Int       { return self.value }
 func (self *VMEnv) GasLimit() *big.Int    { return big.NewInt(1000000000) }
 func (self *VMEnv) Depth() int            { return 0 }
 func (self *VMEnv) SetDepth(i int)        { self.depth = i }
+func (self *VMEnv) GetHash(n uint64) []byte {
+	if self.block.Number().Cmp(big.NewInt(int64(n))) == 0 {
+		return self.block.Hash()
+	}
+	return nil
+}
 func (self *VMEnv) AddLog(log state.Log) {
 	self.state.AddLog(log)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/peerserver/main.go b/cmd/peerserver/main.go
index eb0900f8b43ab3525bd75a310e2446b65d4578c2..341c4dbb9d031f6fa47829c90cd070e0a94b0d6c 100644
--- a/cmd/peerserver/main.go
+++ b/cmd/peerserver/main.go
@@ -18,9 +18,8 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"crypto/elliptic"
-	"fmt"
+	"flag"
 	"log"
-	"net"
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
@@ -28,29 +27,32 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p"
 )
 
+var (
+	natType    = flag.String("nat", "", "NAT traversal implementation")
+	pmpGateway = flag.String("gateway", "", "gateway address for NAT-PMP")
+	listenAddr = flag.String("addr", ":30301", "listen address")
+)
+
 func main() {
+	flag.Parse()
+	nat, err := p2p.ParseNAT(*natType, *pmpGateway)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal("invalid nat:", err)
+	}
+
 	logger.AddLogSystem(logger.NewStdLogSystem(os.Stdout, log.LstdFlags, logger.InfoLevel))
 	key, _ := crypto.GenerateKey()
 	marshaled := elliptic.Marshal(crypto.S256(), key.PublicKey.X, key.PublicKey.Y)
 
 	srv := p2p.Server{
 		MaxPeers:   100,
-		Identity:   p2p.NewSimpleClientIdentity("Ethereum(G)", "0.1", "Peer Server Two", string(marshaled)),
-		ListenAddr: ":30301",
-		NAT:        p2p.UPNP(),
+		Identity:   p2p.NewSimpleClientIdentity("Ethereum(G)", "0.1", "Peer Server Two", marshaled),
+		ListenAddr: *listenAddr,
+		NAT:        nat,
+		NoDial:     true,
 	}
 	if err := srv.Start(); err != nil {
-		fmt.Println("could not start server:", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
+		log.Fatal("could not start server:", err)
 	}
-
-	// add seed peers
-	seed, err := net.ResolveTCPAddr("tcp", "poc-8.ethdev.com:30303")
-	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Println("couldn't resolve:", err)
-	} else {
-		srv.SuggestPeer(seed.IP, seed.Port, nil)
-	}
-
 	select {}
 }
diff --git a/cmd/rlpdump/main.go b/cmd/rlpdump/main.go
index 8f1c4a8c2e91077457d573beef9458179b3366ea..8567dcff83e76aaeff5f35090f2ed28f67774e05 100644
--- a/cmd/rlpdump/main.go
+++ b/cmd/rlpdump/main.go
@@ -110,8 +110,7 @@ func dump(s *rlp.Stream, depth int) error {
 		s.List()
 		defer s.ListEnd()
 		if size == 0 {
-			fmt.Printf(ws(depth) + "[]")
-			return nil
+			fmt.Print(ws(depth) + "[]")
 		} else {
 			fmt.Println(ws(depth) + "[")
 			for i := 0; ; i++ {
diff --git a/eth/protocol.go b/eth/protocol.go
index b67e5aaeabb920d42a0bfc00abbb778a79a8ab7b..723ab5502e4c8f13dd92c8ff47cb7788acddcb26 100644
--- a/eth/protocol.go
+++ b/eth/protocol.go
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ func (self *ethProtocol) handle() error {
 			return self.protoError(ErrDecode, "->msg %v: %v", msg, err)
 		}
 		hashes := self.chainManager.GetBlockHashesFromHash(request.Hash, request.Amount)
-		return self.rw.EncodeMsg(BlockHashesMsg, ethutil.ByteSliceToInterface(hashes)...)
+		return p2p.EncodeMsg(self.rw, BlockHashesMsg, ethutil.ByteSliceToInterface(hashes)...)
 
 	case BlockHashesMsg:
 		// TODO: redo using lazy decode , this way very inefficient on known chains
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ func (self *ethProtocol) handle() error {
 				break
 			}
 		}
-		return self.rw.EncodeMsg(BlocksMsg, blocks...)
+		return p2p.EncodeMsg(self.rw, BlocksMsg, blocks...)
 
 	case BlocksMsg:
 		msgStream := rlp.NewStream(msg.Payload)
@@ -298,12 +298,12 @@ func (self *ethProtocol) handleStatus() error {
 
 func (self *ethProtocol) requestBlockHashes(from []byte) error {
 	self.peer.Debugf("fetching hashes (%d) %x...\n", blockHashesBatchSize, from[0:4])
-	return self.rw.EncodeMsg(GetBlockHashesMsg, interface{}(from), uint64(blockHashesBatchSize))
+	return p2p.EncodeMsg(self.rw, GetBlockHashesMsg, interface{}(from), uint64(blockHashesBatchSize))
 }
 
 func (self *ethProtocol) requestBlocks(hashes [][]byte) error {
 	self.peer.Debugf("fetching %v blocks", len(hashes))
-	return self.rw.EncodeMsg(GetBlocksMsg, ethutil.ByteSliceToInterface(hashes)...)
+	return p2p.EncodeMsg(self.rw, GetBlocksMsg, ethutil.ByteSliceToInterface(hashes)...)
 }
 
 func (self *ethProtocol) protoError(code int, format string, params ...interface{}) (err *protocolError) {
diff --git a/eth/protocol_test.go b/eth/protocol_test.go
index ab2aa289f0877a8710a72692b410cbf6d04aa153..224b59abd32337cebec00c842b0471c6970def33 100644
--- a/eth/protocol_test.go
+++ b/eth/protocol_test.go
@@ -41,10 +41,6 @@ func (self *testMsgReadWriter) WriteMsg(msg p2p.Msg) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (self *testMsgReadWriter) EncodeMsg(code uint64, data ...interface{}) error {
-	return self.WriteMsg(p2p.NewMsg(code, data...))
-}
-
 func (self *testMsgReadWriter) ReadMsg() (p2p.Msg, error) {
 	msg, ok := <-self.in
 	if !ok {
diff --git a/p2p/message.go b/p2p/message.go
index a6f62ec4c861bdee96f8c620274b7ee1174a0421..daf2bf05c1c5f4908c2db67849e25c778dc31a33 100644
--- a/p2p/message.go
+++ b/p2p/message.go
@@ -71,14 +71,11 @@ type MsgReader interface {
 }
 
 type MsgWriter interface {
-	// WriteMsg sends an existing message.
-	// The Payload reader of the message is consumed.
+	// WriteMsg sends a message. It will block until the message's
+	// Payload has been consumed by the other end.
+	//
 	// Note that messages can be sent only once.
 	WriteMsg(Msg) error
-
-	// EncodeMsg writes an RLP-encoded message with the given
-	// code and data elements.
-	EncodeMsg(code uint64, data ...interface{}) error
 }
 
 // MsgReadWriter provides reading and writing of encoded messages.
@@ -87,6 +84,12 @@ type MsgReadWriter interface {
 	MsgWriter
 }
 
+// EncodeMsg writes an RLP-encoded message with the given code and
+// data elements.
+func EncodeMsg(w MsgWriter, code uint64, data ...interface{}) error {
+	return w.WriteMsg(NewMsg(code, data...))
+}
+
 var magicToken = []byte{34, 64, 8, 145}
 
 func writeMsg(w io.Writer, msg Msg) error {
@@ -209,11 +212,6 @@ func (p *MsgPipeRW) WriteMsg(msg Msg) error {
 	return ErrPipeClosed
 }
 
-// EncodeMsg is a convenient shorthand for sending an RLP-encoded message.
-func (p *MsgPipeRW) EncodeMsg(code uint64, data ...interface{}) error {
-	return p.WriteMsg(NewMsg(code, data...))
-}
-
 // ReadMsg returns a message sent on the other end of the pipe.
 func (p *MsgPipeRW) ReadMsg() (Msg, error) {
 	if atomic.LoadInt32(p.closed) == 0 {
diff --git a/p2p/message_test.go b/p2p/message_test.go
index 066d2516d4e0b55b94b0edfc76ad16d7bd7c7425..5cde9abf5b2186f933ba54dcae98f218f1ff15cf 100644
--- a/p2p/message_test.go
+++ b/p2p/message_test.go
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ func TestDecodeRealMsg(t *testing.T) {
 func ExampleMsgPipe() {
 	rw1, rw2 := MsgPipe()
 	go func() {
-		rw1.EncodeMsg(8, []byte{0, 0})
-		rw1.EncodeMsg(5, []byte{1, 1})
+		EncodeMsg(rw1, 8, []byte{0, 0})
+		EncodeMsg(rw1, 5, []byte{1, 1})
 		rw1.Close()
 	}()
 
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ loop:
 		rw1, rw2 := MsgPipe()
 		done := make(chan struct{})
 		go func() {
-			if err := rw1.EncodeMsg(1); err == nil {
+			if err := EncodeMsg(rw1, 1); err == nil {
 				t.Error("EncodeMsg returned nil error")
 			} else if err != ErrPipeClosed {
 				t.Error("EncodeMsg returned wrong error: got %v, want %v", err, ErrPipeClosed)
diff --git a/p2p/peer.go b/p2p/peer.go
index 0d7eec9f46a1988545e39eeb44dd4e57be5d247a..2380a3285b8d1875d0b3d2ed3d4e8d5651b072fa 100644
--- a/p2p/peer.go
+++ b/p2p/peer.go
@@ -460,25 +460,3 @@ func (r *eofSignal) Read(buf []byte) (int, error) {
 	}
 	return n, err
 }
-
-func (peer *Peer) PeerList() []interface{} {
-	peers := peer.otherPeers()
-	ds := make([]interface{}, 0, len(peers))
-	for _, p := range peers {
-		p.infolock.Lock()
-		addr := p.listenAddr
-		p.infolock.Unlock()
-		// filter out this peer and peers that are not listening or
-		// have not completed the handshake.
-		// TODO: track previously sent peers and exclude them as well.
-		if p == peer || addr == nil {
-			continue
-		}
-		ds = append(ds, addr)
-	}
-	ourAddr := peer.ourListenAddr
-	if ourAddr != nil && !ourAddr.IP.IsLoopback() && !ourAddr.IP.IsUnspecified() {
-		ds = append(ds, ourAddr)
-	}
-	return ds
-}
diff --git a/p2p/peer_test.go b/p2p/peer_test.go
index 5b9e9e7847583232b134c5be7d4001b933111a73..4ee88f112b0fe224297f9bb28706f8b6e0fbb561 100644
--- a/p2p/peer_test.go
+++ b/p2p/peer_test.go
@@ -126,10 +126,10 @@ func TestPeerProtoEncodeMsg(t *testing.T) {
 		Name:   "a",
 		Length: 2,
 		Run: func(peer *Peer, rw MsgReadWriter) error {
-			if err := rw.EncodeMsg(2); err == nil {
+			if err := EncodeMsg(rw, 2); err == nil {
 				t.Error("expected error for out-of-range msg code, got nil")
 			}
-			if err := rw.EncodeMsg(1, "foo", "bar"); err != nil {
+			if err := EncodeMsg(rw, 1, "foo", "bar"); err != nil {
 				t.Errorf("write error: %v", err)
 			}
 			return nil
diff --git a/p2p/protocol.go b/p2p/protocol.go
index dd8cbc4ecdbc6122f8a18d08f1bdfb05af5a0ab0..1d121a8855792384764efffed7e08dd1e0c5924f 100644
--- a/p2p/protocol.go
+++ b/p2p/protocol.go
@@ -119,14 +119,14 @@ func (bp *baseProtocol) loop(quit <-chan error) error {
 
 	getPeersTick := time.NewTicker(10 * time.Second)
 	defer getPeersTick.Stop()
-	err := bp.rw.EncodeMsg(getPeersMsg)
+	err := EncodeMsg(bp.rw, getPeersMsg)
 
 	for err == nil {
 		select {
 		case err = <-quit:
 			return err
 		case <-getPeersTick.C:
-			err = bp.rw.EncodeMsg(getPeersMsg)
+			err = EncodeMsg(bp.rw, getPeersMsg)
 		case event := <-activity.Chan():
 			ping.Reset(pingTimeout)
 			lastActive = event.(time.Time)
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ func (bp *baseProtocol) loop(quit <-chan error) error {
 			if lastActive.Add(pingTimeout * 2).Before(t) {
 				err = newPeerError(errPingTimeout, "")
 			} else if lastActive.Add(pingTimeout).Before(t) {
-				err = bp.rw.EncodeMsg(pingMsg)
+				err = EncodeMsg(bp.rw, pingMsg)
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -164,12 +164,12 @@ func (bp *baseProtocol) handle(rw MsgReadWriter) error {
 		return discRequestedError(reason[0])
 
 	case pingMsg:
-		return bp.rw.EncodeMsg(pongMsg)
+		return EncodeMsg(bp.rw, pongMsg)
 
 	case pongMsg:
 
 	case getPeersMsg:
-		peers := bp.peer.PeerList()
+		peers := bp.peerList()
 		// this is dangerous. the spec says that we should _delay_
 		// sending the response if no new information is available.
 		// this means that would need to send a response later when
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ func (bp *baseProtocol) handle(rw MsgReadWriter) error {
 		//
 		// TODO: add event mechanism to notify baseProtocol for new peers
 		if len(peers) > 0 {
-			return bp.rw.EncodeMsg(peersMsg, peers...)
+			return EncodeMsg(bp.rw, peersMsg, peers...)
 		}
 
 	case peersMsg:
@@ -264,3 +264,25 @@ func (bp *baseProtocol) handshakeMsg() Msg {
 		bp.peer.ourID.Pubkey()[1:],
 	)
 }
+
+func (bp *baseProtocol) peerList() []interface{} {
+	peers := bp.peer.otherPeers()
+	ds := make([]interface{}, 0, len(peers))
+	for _, p := range peers {
+		p.infolock.Lock()
+		addr := p.listenAddr
+		p.infolock.Unlock()
+		// filter out this peer and peers that are not listening or
+		// have not completed the handshake.
+		// TODO: track previously sent peers and exclude them as well.
+		if p == bp.peer || addr == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		ds = append(ds, addr)
+	}
+	ourAddr := bp.peer.ourListenAddr
+	if ourAddr != nil && !ourAddr.IP.IsLoopback() && !ourAddr.IP.IsUnspecified() {
+		ds = append(ds, ourAddr)
+	}
+	return ds
+}
diff --git a/p2p/protocol_test.go b/p2p/protocol_test.go
index ce25b3e1b541ccff6c760bbcbb8b0ce8616c86a4..b1d10ac5360f2ea61a8eb1cb87d6715b2deec944 100644
--- a/p2p/protocol_test.go
+++ b/p2p/protocol_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"reflect"
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
@@ -36,50 +37,71 @@ func newTestPeer() (peer *Peer) {
 }
 
 func TestBaseProtocolPeers(t *testing.T) {
-	cannedPeerList := []*peerAddr{
+	peerList := []*peerAddr{
 		{IP: net.ParseIP("1.2.3.4"), Port: 2222, Pubkey: []byte{}},
 		{IP: net.ParseIP("5.6.7.8"), Port: 3333, Pubkey: []byte{}},
 	}
-	var ownAddr *peerAddr = &peerAddr{IP: net.ParseIP("1.3.5.7"), Port: 1111, Pubkey: []byte{}}
+	listenAddr := &peerAddr{IP: net.ParseIP("1.3.5.7"), Port: 1111, Pubkey: []byte{}}
 	rw1, rw2 := MsgPipe()
+	defer rw1.Close()
+	wg := new(sync.WaitGroup)
+
 	// run matcher, close pipe when addresses have arrived
-	addrChan := make(chan *peerAddr, len(cannedPeerList))
+	numPeers := len(peerList) + 1
+	addrChan := make(chan *peerAddr)
+	wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
-		for _, want := range cannedPeerList {
-			got := <-addrChan
-			t.Logf("got peer: %+v", got)
+		i := 0
+		for got := range addrChan {
+			var want *peerAddr
+			switch {
+			case i < len(peerList):
+				want = peerList[i]
+			case i == len(peerList):
+				want = listenAddr // listenAddr should be the last thing sent
+			}
+			t.Logf("got peer %d/%d: %v", i+1, numPeers, got)
 			if !reflect.DeepEqual(want, got) {
-				t.Errorf("mismatch:  got %#v, want %#v", got, want)
+				t.Errorf("mismatch: got %+v, want %+v", got, want)
+			}
+			i++
+			if i == numPeers {
+				break
 			}
 		}
-		close(addrChan)
-		var own []*peerAddr
-		var got *peerAddr
-		for got = range addrChan {
-			own = append(own, got)
-		}
-		if len(own) != 1 || !reflect.DeepEqual(ownAddr, own[0]) {
-			t.Errorf("mismatch: peers own address is incorrectly or not given, got %v, want %#v", ownAddr)
+		if i != numPeers {
+			t.Errorf("wrong number of peers received: got %d, want %d", i, numPeers)
 		}
-		rw2.Close()
+		rw1.Close()
+		wg.Done()
 	}()
-	// run first peer
+
+	// run first peer (in background)
 	peer1 := newTestPeer()
-	peer1.ourListenAddr = ownAddr
+	peer1.ourListenAddr = listenAddr
 	peer1.otherPeers = func() []*Peer {
-		pl := make([]*Peer, len(cannedPeerList))
-		for i, addr := range cannedPeerList {
+		pl := make([]*Peer, len(peerList))
+		for i, addr := range peerList {
 			pl[i] = &Peer{listenAddr: addr}
 		}
 		return pl
 	}
-	go runBaseProtocol(peer1, rw1)
+	wg.Add(1)
+	go func() {
+		runBaseProtocol(peer1, rw1)
+		wg.Done()
+	}()
+
 	// run second peer
 	peer2 := newTestPeer()
 	peer2.newPeerAddr = addrChan // feed peer suggestions into matcher
 	if err := runBaseProtocol(peer2, rw2); err != ErrPipeClosed {
 		t.Errorf("peer2 terminated with unexpected error: %v", err)
 	}
+
+	// terminate matcher
+	close(addrChan)
+	wg.Wait()
 }
 
 func TestBaseProtocolDisconnect(t *testing.T) {
@@ -93,7 +115,7 @@ func TestBaseProtocolDisconnect(t *testing.T) {
 		if err := expectMsg(rw2, handshakeMsg); err != nil {
 			t.Error(err)
 		}
-		err := rw2.EncodeMsg(handshakeMsg,
+		err := EncodeMsg(rw2, handshakeMsg,
 			baseProtocolVersion,
 			"",
 			[]interface{}{},
@@ -106,7 +128,7 @@ func TestBaseProtocolDisconnect(t *testing.T) {
 		if err := expectMsg(rw2, getPeersMsg); err != nil {
 			t.Error(err)
 		}
-		if err := rw2.EncodeMsg(discMsg, DiscQuitting); err != nil {
+		if err := EncodeMsg(rw2, discMsg, DiscQuitting); err != nil {
 			t.Error(err)
 		}