diff --git a/pkg/engine/dispatcher_test.go b/pkg/engine/dispatcher_test.go
index 9754f697..0a7aa03c 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/dispatcher_test.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/dispatcher_test.go
@@ -1,93 +1,44 @@
 package engine
 
 import (
-	"context"
 	"github.com/indra-labs/indra"
-	"net/netip"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/multiformats/go-multiaddr"
-
-	"github.com/indra-labs/indra/pkg/crypto"
-	"github.com/indra-labs/indra/pkg/engine/node"
 	"github.com/indra-labs/indra/pkg/engine/transport"
 	log2 "github.com/indra-labs/indra/pkg/proc/log"
 )
 
 func TestEngine_Dispatcher(t *testing.T) {
-	if indra.CI=="false" {
+	if indra.CI == "false" {
 		log2.SetLogLevel(log2.Trace)
 	}
-	var e error
 	const nTotal = 26
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-	var listeners []*transport.Listener
-	var keys []*crypto.Keys
-	var nodes []*node.Node
+	var cancel func()
+	var e error
 	var engines []*Engine
 	var seed string
 	for i := 0; i < nTotal; i++ {
-		var k *crypto.Keys
-		if k, e = crypto.GenerateKeys(); fails(e) {
-			t.FailNow()
-		}
-		keys = append(keys, k)
-		var l *transport.Listener
 		dataPath, err := os.MkdirTemp(os.TempDir(), "badger")
 		if err != nil {
 			t.FailNow()
 		}
-		if l, e = transport.NewListener(seed, transport.LocalhostZeroIPv4TCP,
-			dataPath, k, ctx, transport.DefaultMTU); fails(e) {
-			os.RemoveAll(dataPath)
-			t.FailNow()
-		}
-		sa := transport.GetHostAddress(l.Host)
-		if i == 0 {
-			seed = sa
-		}
-		listeners = append(listeners, l)
-		var addr netip.AddrPort
-		var ma multiaddr.Multiaddr
-		if ma, e = multiaddr.NewMultiaddr(sa); fails(e) {
-			os.RemoveAll(dataPath)
-			t.FailNow()
-		}
-
-		var ip, port string
-		if ip, e = ma.ValueForProtocol(multiaddr.P_IP4); fails(e) {
-			// we specified ipv4 previously.
-			os.RemoveAll(dataPath)
-			t.FailNow()
-		}
-		if port, e = ma.ValueForProtocol(multiaddr.P_TCP); fails(e) {
-			os.RemoveAll(dataPath)
-			t.FailNow()
-		}
-		if addr, e = netip.ParseAddrPort(ip + ":" + port); fails(e) {
-			os.RemoveAll(dataPath)
-			t.FailNow()
-		}
-		var nod *node.Node
-		if nod, _ = node.NewNode(&addr, k, nil, 50000); fails(e) {
-			os.RemoveAll(dataPath)
-			t.FailNow()
-		}
-		nodes = append(nodes, nod)
 		var eng *Engine
-		if eng, e = NewEngine(Params{
-			Listener: l,
-			Keys:     k,
-			Node:     nod,
-		}); fails(e) {
-			os.RemoveAll(dataPath)
-			t.FailNow()
+		if eng, cancel, e = CreateMockEngine(seed, dataPath); fails(e) {
+			return
 		}
 		engines = append(engines, eng)
+		if i == 0 {
+			seed = transport.GetHostAddress(eng.Manager.Listener.Host)
+		}
 		defer os.RemoveAll(dataPath)
+		go eng.Start()
+		log.D.Ln("started engine", i)
 	}
-	time.Sleep(time.Second * 2)
+	time.Sleep(time.Second * 1)
 	cancel()
+	for i := range engines {
+		engines[i].Shutdown()
+	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/engine/mock.go b/pkg/engine/mock.go
index 0de4caf1..e10873eb 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/mock.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/mock.go
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/indra-labs/indra/pkg/engine/transport"
 	log2 "github.com/indra-labs/indra/pkg/proc/log"
 	"github.com/indra-labs/indra/pkg/util/slice"
+	"github.com/multiformats/go-multiaddr"
+	"net/netip"
+	"os"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -84,3 +87,60 @@ func createNMockCircuits(inclSessions bool, nCircuits int,
 	}
 	return
 }
+
+// CreateMockEngine creates an indra Engine with a random localhost listener.
+func CreateMockEngine(seed, dataPath string) (ng *Engine, cancel func(), e error) {
+	var ctx context.Context
+	ctx, cancel = context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	var keys []*crypto.Keys
+	var nodes []*node.Node
+	var k *crypto.Keys
+	if k, e = crypto.GenerateKeys(); fails(e) {
+		return
+	}
+	keys = append(keys, k)
+	var l *transport.Listener
+	if l, e = transport.NewListener(seed, transport.LocalhostZeroIPv4TCP,
+		dataPath, k, ctx, transport.DefaultMTU); fails(e) {
+		os.RemoveAll(dataPath)
+		return
+	}
+	sa := transport.GetHostAddress(l.Host)
+	var addr netip.AddrPort
+	var ma multiaddr.Multiaddr
+	if ma, e = multiaddr.NewMultiaddr(sa); fails(e) {
+		e = os.RemoveAll(dataPath)
+		return
+	}
+
+	var ip, port string
+	if ip, e = ma.ValueForProtocol(multiaddr.P_IP4); fails(e) {
+		// we specified ipv4 previously.
+		fails(os.RemoveAll(dataPath))
+		return
+	}
+	if port, e = ma.ValueForProtocol(multiaddr.P_TCP); fails(e) {
+		fails(os.RemoveAll(dataPath))
+		return
+	}
+	if addr, e = netip.ParseAddrPort(ip + ":" + port); fails(e) {
+		fails(os.RemoveAll(dataPath))
+		return
+	}
+	var nod *node.Node
+	if nod, _ = node.NewNode(&addr, k, nil, 50000); fails(e) {
+		fails(os.RemoveAll(dataPath))
+		return
+	}
+	nodes = append(nodes, nod)
+	if ng, e = NewEngine(Params{
+		Transport: transport.NewByteChan(transport.ConnBufs),
+		Listener: l,
+		Keys:     k,
+		Node:     nod,
+	}); fails(e) {
+		os.RemoveAll(dataPath)
+		return
+	}
+	return
+}
diff --git a/pkg/engine/transport/peerstore.go b/pkg/engine/transport/peerstore.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0af57f94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/engine/transport/peerstore.go
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+package transport
+
+import "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/core/peer"
+
+func (l *Listener) Publish(p peer.ID, key string, val interface{}) error {
+	return l.Host.Peerstore().Put(p, key, val)
+}
+
+func (l *Listener) FindPeerRecord(p peer.ID, key string) (val interface{}, e error) {
+	return l.Host.Peerstore().Get(p, key)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/engine/transport/transport_test.go b/pkg/engine/transport/transport_test.go
index d716fbf8..6086072b 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/transport/transport_test.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/transport/transport_test.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestNewListener(t *testing.T) {
 	if indra.CI=="false" {
-		log2.SetLogLevel(log2.Debug)
+		log2.SetLogLevel(log2.Trace)
 	}
 	var e error
 	var l1, l2 *Listener