diff --git a/node/config/def.go b/node/config/def.go
index 23644f799..446eb9080 100644
--- a/node/config/def.go
+++ b/node/config/def.go
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ type API struct {
 type Libp2p struct {
 	ListenAddresses []string
 	BootstrapPeers  []string
+	ProtectedPeers  []string
 }
 
 // // Full Node
diff --git a/node/hello/hello.go b/node/hello/hello.go
index 916236a8a..c3415f926 100644
--- a/node/hello/hello.go
+++ b/node/hello/hello.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ type Message struct {
 
 type NewStreamFunc func(context.Context, peer.ID, ...protocol.ID) (inet.Stream, error)
 type Service struct {
-	newStream NewStreamFunc
+	h host.Host
 
 	cs     *store.ChainStore
 	syncer *chain.Syncer
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func NewHelloService(h host.Host, cs *store.ChainStore, syncer *chain.Syncer, pm
 	}
 
 	return &Service{
-		newStream: h.NewStream,
+		h: h,
 
 		cs:     cs,
 		syncer: syncer,
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ func (hs *Service) HandleStream(s inet.Stream) {
 	}
 
 	if ts.TipSet().Height() > 0 {
+		hs.h.ConnManager().TagPeer(s.Conn().RemotePeer(), "fcpeer", 1)
+
 		// don't bother informing about genesis
 		log.Infof("Got new tipset through Hello: %s from %s", ts.Cids(), s.Conn().RemotePeer())
 		hs.syncer.InformNewHead(s.Conn().RemotePeer(), ts)
@@ -110,7 +112,7 @@ func (hs *Service) HandleStream(s inet.Stream) {
 }
 
 func (hs *Service) SayHello(ctx context.Context, pid peer.ID) error {
-	s, err := hs.newStream(ctx, pid, ProtocolID)
+	s, err := hs.h.NewStream(ctx, pid, ProtocolID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/node/modules/lp2p/libp2p.go b/node/modules/lp2p/libp2p.go
index 511b5c775..e50c8a922 100644
--- a/node/modules/lp2p/libp2p.go
+++ b/node/modules/lp2p/libp2p.go
@@ -63,9 +63,17 @@ func genLibp2pKey() (crypto.PrivKey, error) {
 
 // Misc options
 
-func ConnectionManager(low, high int, grace time.Duration) func() (opts Libp2pOpts, err error) {
-	return func() (opts Libp2pOpts, err error) {
+func ConnectionManager(low, high int, grace time.Duration, protected []string) func() (opts Libp2pOpts, err error) {
+	return func() (Libp2pOpts, error) {
 		cm := connmgr.NewConnManager(low, high, grace)
+		for _, p := range protected {
+			pid, err := peer.IDFromString(p)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, xerrors.Errorf("failed to parse peer ID in protected peers array: %w", err)
+			}
+
+			cm.Protect(pid, "config-prot")
+		}
 		opts.Opts = append(opts.Opts, libp2p.ConnectionManager(cm))
 		return
 	}