diff --git a/dist/index.d.ts b/dist/index.d.ts
index a926f10..aca2663 100644
--- a/dist/index.d.ts
+++ b/dist/index.d.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import { Proxy } from "@lumeweb/libhyperproxy";
 export default class HandshakeProxy extends Proxy {
-    constructor({ swarm, listen }: {
+    private _join;
+    constructor({ swarm, listen, join, }: {
         swarm: any;
         listen?: boolean;
+        join?: boolean;
     });
     private _node?;
     get node(): any;
diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index 463e0ea..4c8cde6 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const b4a_1 = __importDefault(require("b4a"));
 const PROTOCOL = "lumeweb.proxy.handshake";
 const libhyperproxy_1 = require("@lumeweb/libhyperproxy");
 class HandshakeProxy extends libhyperproxy_1.Proxy {
-    constructor({ swarm, listen = false }) {
+    constructor({ swarm, listen = false, join = false, }) {
         super({
             swarm,
             listen,
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ class HandshakeProxy extends libhyperproxy_1.Proxy {
             },
         });
         const self = this;
+        this._join = join;
     }
     get node() {
         return this._node;
@@ -64,10 +65,12 @@ class HandshakeProxy extends libhyperproxy_1.Proxy {
         await this._node.open();
         this._node.pool.connected = true;
         this._node.startSync();
-        const topic = b4a_1.default.from(PROTOCOL);
-        const topicHash = b4a_1.default.allocUnsafe(32);
-        sodium_universal_1.default.crypto_generichash(topicHash, topic);
-        this.swarm.join(topicHash);
+        if (this._join) {
+            const topic = b4a_1.default.from(PROTOCOL);
+            const topicHash = b4a_1.default.allocUnsafe(32);
+            sodium_universal_1.default.crypto_generichash(topicHash, topic);
+            this.swarm.join(topicHash);
+        }
     }
 }
 exports.default = HandshakeProxy;