diff --git a/llarp/ev_epoll.hpp b/llarp/ev_epoll.hpp
index fe262efe3..e0c1ad5c7 100644
--- a/llarp/ev_epoll.hpp
+++ b/llarp/ev_epoll.hpp
@@ -391,6 +391,8 @@ struct llarp_epoll_loop : public llarp_ev_loop
         llarp::ev_io* ev = static_cast< llarp::ev_io* >(events[idx].data.ptr);
         if(ev)
         {
+          llarp::LogDebug(idx, " of ", result,
+                          " events=", std::to_string(events[idx].events));
           if(events[idx].events & EPOLLERR)
           {
             ev->error();
diff --git a/llarp/router.cpp b/llarp/router.cpp
index 6e99f5a37..3532ccc07 100644
--- a/llarp/router.cpp
+++ b/llarp/router.cpp
@@ -1430,6 +1430,20 @@ namespace llarp
     }
     else if(StrEq(section, "router"))
     {
+      if(StrEq(key, "netid"))
+      {
+        if(strlen(val) <= self->_rc.netID.size())
+        {
+          llarp::LogWarn("!!!! you have manually set netid to be '", val,
+                         "' which does not equal '", LLARP_NET_ID,
+                         "' you will run as a different network, good luck and "
+                         "don't forget: something something MUH traffic shape "
+                         "correlation !!!!");
+          llarp::NetID::DefaultValue = (const byte_t *)strdup(val);
+        }
+        else
+          llarp::LogError("invalid netid '", val, "', is too long");
+      }
       if(StrEq(key, "nickname"))
       {
         self->_rc.SetNick(val);
diff --git a/llarp/router_contact.cpp b/llarp/router_contact.cpp
index d262d0d7c..a2d3d2cfe 100644
--- a/llarp/router_contact.cpp
+++ b/llarp/router_contact.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 
 namespace llarp
 {
+  const byte_t *NetID::DefaultValue = (const byte_t *)LLARP_NET_ID;
+
   bool RouterContact::IgnoreBogons = false;
 
 #ifdef TESTNET
@@ -21,7 +23,7 @@ namespace llarp
   /// 1 day for real network
   llarp_time_t RouterContact::Lifetime = 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;
 #endif
-  NetID::NetID() : AlignedBuffer< 8 >((const byte_t *)LLARP_NET_ID)
+  NetID::NetID() : AlignedBuffer< 8 >(DefaultValue)
   {
   }
 
@@ -74,9 +76,8 @@ namespace llarp
     /* write netid */
     if(!bencode_write_bytestring(buf, "i", 1))
       return false;
-    if(!bencode_write_bytestring(buf, netID.data(), netID.size()))
+    if(!netID.BEncode(buf))
       return false;
-
     /* write signing pubkey */
     if(!bencode_write_bytestring(buf, "k", 1))
       return false;
@@ -238,7 +239,7 @@ namespace llarp
   bool
   RouterContact::Verify(llarp::Crypto *crypto, llarp_time_t now) const
   {
-    if(netID.ToString() != LLARP_NET_ID)
+    if(netID != NetID())
       return false;
     if(IsExpired(now))
       return false;
diff --git a/llarp/router_contact.hpp b/llarp/router_contact.hpp
index b9d0e5eb1..186eb73d7 100644
--- a/llarp/router_contact.hpp
+++ b/llarp/router_contact.hpp
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ namespace llarp
   /// NetID
   struct NetID final : public AlignedBuffer< 8 >
   {
+    static const byte_t *DefaultValue;
+
     NetID();
 
     bool
diff --git a/llarp/version.hpp b/llarp/version.hpp
index 6b4212159..9bb415049 100644
--- a/llarp/version.hpp
+++ b/llarp/version.hpp
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifndef LLARP_VERSION_MIN
-#define LLARP_VERSION_MIN "3"
+#define LLARP_VERSION_MIN "4"
 #endif
 
 #ifndef LLARP_VERSION_PATCH
-#define LLARP_VERSION_PATCH "1"
+#define LLARP_VERSION_PATCH "0"
 #endif
 
 #ifndef LLARP_VERSION_NUM
diff --git a/motto.txt b/motto.txt
index 77b19f65b..19fa2505b 100644
--- a/motto.txt
+++ b/motto.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-kuz yolo
+subscribe to pewdiepie
diff --git a/test/utp_unittest.cpp b/test/utp_unittest.cpp
index 77399b906..48f7c5e2b 100644
--- a/test/utp_unittest.cpp
+++ b/test/utp_unittest.cpp
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ struct UTPTest : public ::testing::Test
     || (__APPLE__ && __MACH__)
       return "lo0";
 #else
-      return "lo"
+      return "lo";
 #endif
     }