diff --git a/lib/node.js b/lib/node.js
index 6c94173b..07b19ca4 100644
--- a/lib/node.js
+++ b/lib/node.js
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ Node.prototype.setSyncStrategy = function(strategy) {
 };
 
 Node.prototype._loadBitcoinConf = function(config) {
+  $.checkArgument(config.datadir, 'Please specify "datadir" in configuration options');
   var datadir = config.datadir.replace(/^~/, process.env.HOME);
   this.bitcoinConfiguration = {};
   var file = fs.readFileSync(datadir + '/bitcoin.conf');
@@ -66,7 +67,6 @@ Node.prototype._loadBitcoinConf = function(config) {
 
 Node.prototype._loadBitcoind = function(config) {
   var bitcoindConfig = {};
-  $.checkArgument(config.datadir, 'Please specify "datadir" in configuration options');
   bitcoindConfig.datadir = config.datadir;
   bitcoindConfig.testnet = config.testnet;
 
@@ -134,11 +134,15 @@ Node.prototype._loadDB = function(config) {
 
   // Store the additional indexes in a new directory
   // based on the network configuration and the datadir
+  $.checkArgument(config.datadir, 'Please specify "datadir" in configuration options');
+  $.checkState(this.network, 'Network property not defined');
   var datadir = config.datadir.replace(/^~/, process.env.HOME);
   if (this.network === Networks.testnet) {
     config.db.path = datadir + '/testnet3/bitcoindjs.db';
   } else if (this.network === Networks.livenet) {
     config.db.path = datadir + '/bitcoindjs.db';
+  } else {
+    throw new Error('Unknown network: ' + this.network);
   }
   config.db.network = this.network;
 
@@ -154,7 +158,7 @@ Node.prototype._loadP2P = function(config) {
 
   // We only want to directly connect via p2p to the trusted bitcoind daemon
   var port = 8333;
-  if (this.bitcoinConfiguration.port) {
+  if (this.bitcoinConfiguration && this.bitcoinConfiguration.port) {
     port = this.bitcoinConfiguration.port;
   } else if (this.network === Networks.testnet) {
     port = 18333;
diff --git a/test/node.unit.js b/test/node.unit.js
index 31345b17..4ad34c89 100644
--- a/test/node.unit.js
+++ b/test/node.unit.js
@@ -26,9 +26,11 @@ describe('Bitcoind Node', function() {
   describe('#_loadConfiguration', function() {
     it('should call the necessary methods', function() {
       var node = new Node({});
+      node._loadBitcoinConf = sinon.spy();
       node._loadBitcoind = sinon.spy();
       node._loadConfiguration({});
       node._loadBitcoind.called.should.equal(true);
+      node._loadBitcoinConf.called.should.equal(true);
       BaseNode.prototype._loadConfiguration.called.should.equal(true);
     });
   });
@@ -182,15 +184,44 @@ describe('Bitcoind Node', function() {
   });
   describe('#_loadDB', function() {
     it('should load the db', function() {
-      var DB = function() {};
+      var DB = function(config) {
+        config.path.should.equal(process.env.HOME + '/.bitcoin/bitcoindjs.db');
+      };
       var config = {
-        DB: DB
+        DB: DB,
+        datadir: '~/.bitcoin'
       };
 
       var node = new Node(config);
+      node.network = Networks.livenet;
       node._loadDB(config);
       node.db.should.be.instanceof(DB);
     });
+    it('should load the db for testnet', function() {
+      var DB = function(config) {
+        config.path.should.equal(process.env.HOME + '/.bitcoin/testnet3/bitcoindjs.db');
+      };
+      var config = {
+        DB: DB,
+        datadir: '~/.bitcoin'
+      };
+
+      var node = new Node(config);
+      node.network = Networks.testnet;
+      node._loadDB(config);
+      node.db.should.be.instanceof(DB);
+    });
+    it('error with unknown network', function() {
+      var config = {
+        datadir: '~/.bitcoin'
+      };
+
+      var node = new Node(config);
+      node.network = 'not a network';
+      (function() {
+        node._loadDB(config);
+      }).should.throw('Unknown network');
+    });
   });
   describe('#_loadP2P', function() {
     it('should load p2p', function() {