diff --git a/lib/services/header/index.js b/lib/services/header/index.js
index 7e17e57a..1040642a 100644
--- a/lib/services/header/index.js
+++ b/lib/services/header/index.js
@@ -415,6 +415,11 @@ HeaderService.prototype._onHeader = function(header) {
 HeaderService.prototype._onHeaders = function(headers) {
 
   var self = this;
+
+  if (self._headerInterval) {
+    clearInterval(self._headerInterval);
+  }
+
   log.debug('Header Service: Received: ' + headers.length + ' header(s).');
 
   var dbOps = [];
@@ -666,10 +671,26 @@ HeaderService.prototype._startSync = function() {
 
 HeaderService.prototype._sync = function() {
 
-  log.info('Header Service: download progress: ' + this._tip.height + '/' +
-    this._bestHeight + '  (' + (this._tip.height / this._bestHeight*100.00).toFixed(2) + '%)');
+  var self = this;
 
-  this._p2p.getHeaders({ startHash: this._tip.hash });
+  var progress;
+  if (self._bestHeight === 0) {
+    progress = 0;
+  } else {
+    progress = (self._tip.height / self._bestHeight*100.00).toFixed(2);
+  }
+
+  log.info('Header Service: download progress: ' + self._tip.height + '/' +
+    self._bestHeight + '  (' + progress + '%)');
+
+  self._p2p.getHeaders({ startHash: self._tip.hash });
+
+  // when connecting to a peer that isn't yet responding to getHeaders, we will start a interval timer
+  // to retry until we can get headers, this may be a very long interval
+  self._headerInterval = setInterval(function() {
+    log.info('Header Service: retrying get headers since ' + self._tip.hash);
+    self._p2p.getHeaders({ startHash: self._tip.hash });
+  }, 2000);
 
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/services/p2p/bcoin.js b/lib/services/p2p/bcoin.js
index fcff73c9..c3baa8fb 100644
--- a/lib/services/p2p/bcoin.js
+++ b/lib/services/p2p/bcoin.js
@@ -3,14 +3,12 @@
 var index = require('../../');
 var log = index.log;
 var bcoin = require('bcoin');
-var EE = require('events').EventEmitter;
 
 var Bcoin = function(options) {
   this._config = this._getConfig(options);
-  this.emitter = new EE();
 };
 
-Bcoin.prototype.start = function(done) {
+Bcoin.prototype.start = function(callback) {
   var self = this;
   self._bcoin = bcoin.fullnode(self._config);
 
@@ -20,12 +18,8 @@ Bcoin.prototype.start = function(done) {
     self._bcoin.connect().then(function() {
       log.info('Waiting for Bcoin to sync');
       self._bcoin.startSync();
-      if (self._bcoin.chain.synced){
-        return done();
-      }
-      self._bcoin.chain.once('full', function() {
-        done();
-      });
+      // this will instruct the p2p service to start trying to connect to bcoin right away
+      callback();
     });
   });
 };
diff --git a/lib/services/p2p/index.js b/lib/services/p2p/index.js
index 55461e48..487ee3bc 100644
--- a/lib/services/p2p/index.js
+++ b/lib/services/p2p/index.js
@@ -128,9 +128,11 @@ P2P.prototype._disconnectPool = function() {
 };
 
 P2P.prototype.stop = function(callback) {
+
   if (this._bcoin){
     return this._bcoin.stop(callback);
   }
+
   setImmediate(callback);
 };
 
@@ -297,10 +299,31 @@ P2P.prototype._onPeerInventory = function(peer, message) {
   }
 };
 
+P2P.prototype._matchNetwork = function(network) {
+
+  if (this.node.network !== network.name &&
+    this.node.network !== network.alias) {
+    log.error('Configured network: "' + this.node.network +
+      '" does not match our peer\'s reported network: "' +
+      network.name + '".');
+    return this.node.stop();
+  }
+
+  return this.node.network === network.name ? network.name : network.alias;
+
+};
+
 P2P.prototype._onPeerReady = function(peer, addr) {
 
+  // want to make sure the peer we are connecting to matches our network config.
+  var network = this._matchNetwork(peer.network);
+
+  if (!network) {
+    return;
+  }
+
   log.info('Connected to peer: ' + addr.ip.v4 + ', network: ' +
-    peer.network.alias + ', version: ' + peer.version + ', subversion: ' +
+    network + ', version: ' + peer.version + ', subversion: ' +
       peer.subversion + ', status: ' + peer.status + ', port: ' +
       peer.port + ', best height: ' + peer.bestHeight);
 
@@ -362,20 +385,36 @@ P2P.prototype._setResourceFilter = function(filter, resource) {
 };
 
 P2P.prototype._startBcoin = function(callback) {
+
   var self = this;
-  const network = ['livenet', 'live', 'main', 'mainnet'].indexOf(this.node.network) !== -1? 'main' : 'testnet';
+
+  var network;
+  var port;
+  if (['livenet', 'live', 'main', 'mainnet'].indexOf(this.node.network) !== -1) {
+    network = 'main';
+    port = this._configPeers[0].port || 8333;
+  } else if (this.node.network !== 'regtest') {
+    network = 'testnet';
+    port = this._configPeers[0].port || 18333;
+  } else {
+    network = this.node.network;
+    port = this._configPeers[0].port || 48444;
+  }
+
   self._bcoin = new Bcoin({
     network: network,
     prefix: self.node.datadir,
-    port: 48333
+    port: port
   });
+
   self._bcoin.start(callback);
+
 };
 
 P2P.prototype._startBcoinIfNecessary = function(callback) {
   if (!this._hasPeers()) {
     log.info('Peers not explicitly configured, starting a local bcoin node.');
-    this._configPeers = [{ip: {v4: '127.0.0.1'}, port: 48333}];
+    this._configPeers = [{ ip: { v4: '127.0.0.1'} }];
     return this._startBcoin(callback);
   }
   setImmediate(callback);
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index ceb7d68b..bbc98cc2 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "bitcore-node",
-  "version": "5.0.0-beta.3",
+  "version": "5.0.0-beta.4",
   "lockfileVersion": 1,
   "requires": true,
   "dependencies": {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index cfb70c37..92536e36 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
   ],
   "dependencies": {
     "async": "^2.5.0",
-    "bcoin": "bcoin-org/bcoin#57b98b2368c8106a9c215d73e40e1a7ae39042f3",
+    "bcoin": "1.0.0-beta.14",
     "bitcoind-rpc": "^0.6.0",
     "bitcore-lib": "5.0.0-beta.1",
     "bitcore-p2p": "5.0.0-beta.1",
diff --git a/test/services/db/index.unit.js b/test/services/db/index.unit.js
index b04dc692..d2f2833c 100644
--- a/test/services/db/index.unit.js
+++ b/test/services/db/index.unit.js
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ describe('DB', function() {
   });
 
   describe('#close', function() {
+    this.timeout(3000);
     it('should close the store if there is a store and it is open', function(done) {
 
       var close = sandbox.stub().callsArgWith(0, null);
@@ -246,6 +247,7 @@ describe('DB', function() {
         done();
       });
     });
+    this.timeout(2000);
   });
 
   describe('#getServiceTip', function() {