diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 9f38a16..c0c2e32 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,16 @@ import {
 } from "@lumeweb/libhyperproxy";
 
 export default class HandshakeProxy extends Proxy {
-  constructor({ swarm, listen = false }: { swarm: any; listen?: boolean }) {
+  private _join: boolean;
+  constructor({
+    swarm,
+    listen = false,
+    join = false,
+  }: {
+    swarm: any;
+    listen?: boolean;
+    join?: boolean;
+  }) {
     super({
       swarm,
       listen,
@@ -49,6 +58,7 @@ export default class HandshakeProxy extends Proxy {
       },
     });
     const self = this;
+    this._join = join;
   }
 
   private _node?: any;
@@ -73,19 +83,23 @@ export default class HandshakeProxy extends Proxy {
       createSocket,
     });
 
-    if(this?._node?.http?.http?.listen){
-      this._node.http.http.listen = (port: number, host: string, cb: Function) =>
-        cb();
+    if (this?._node?.http?.http?.listen) {
+      this._node.http.http.listen = (
+        port: number,
+        host: string,
+        cb: Function
+      ) => cb();
     }
 
-
     await this._node.open();
     this._node.pool.connected = true;
     this._node.startSync();
 
-    const topic = b4a.from(PROTOCOL);
-    const topicHash = b4a.allocUnsafe(32);
-    sodium.crypto_generichash(topicHash, topic);
-    this.swarm.join(topicHash);
+    if (this._join) {
+      const topic = b4a.from(PROTOCOL);
+      const topicHash = b4a.allocUnsafe(32);
+      sodium.crypto_generichash(topicHash, topic);
+      this.swarm.join(topicHash);
+    }
   }
 }