diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d593f07..36b67ec 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
     "main": "dist/index.js",
     "dependencies": {
         "@lumeweb/libkernel-universal": "git+https://git.lumeweb.com/LumeWeb/libkernel-universal.git",
+        "@noble/hashes": "^1.2.0",
         "@siaweb/libweb": "git+https://git.lumeweb.com/LumeWeb/libsiaweb.git",
         "backoff.js": "^1.0.4",
         "eventemitter3": "^5.0.0"
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 55c98b3..0dad892 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 import { Buffer } from "buffer";
 import { Client, factory } from "@lumeweb/libkernel-universal";
 import { DataFn, ErrTuple, hexToBuf } from "@siaweb/libweb";
+import { blake2b } from "@noble/hashes/blake2b";
 
 import type { EventEmitter } from "eventemitter3";
 
 // @ts-ignore
 import Backoff from "backoff.js";
 
+const PROTOCOL = "lumeweb.proxy.handshake";
+
 export class SwarmClient extends Client {
   private useDefaultSwarm: boolean;
   private id: number = 0;
@@ -103,7 +106,11 @@ export class SwarmClient extends Client {
     return this.callModuleReturn("getRelays", { swarm: this.swarm });
   }
 
-  public async join(topic: Buffer | Uint8Array): Promise<void> {
+  public async join(topic: Buffer | Uint8Array | string): Promise<void> {
+    if (typeof topic === "string") {
+      topic = blake2b(PROTOCOL);
+    }
+
     this._topics.add(topic);
     this.callModule("join", { id: this.id, topic });
   }