diff --git a/ant-bootstrap/src/initial_peers.rs b/ant-bootstrap/src/initial_peers.rs
index 64cd6972a7..afa983b0de 100644
--- a/ant-bootstrap/src/initial_peers.rs
+++ b/ant-bootstrap/src/initial_peers.rs
@@ -79,22 +79,28 @@ pub struct PeersArgs {
 }
 
 impl PeersArgs {
-    /// Get bootstrap peers
+    /// Get bootstrap peers sorted by the failure rate. The peer with the lowest failure rate will be
+    /// the first in the list.
     /// Order of precedence:
     /// 1. Addresses from arguments
     /// 2. Addresses from environment variable SAFE_PEERS
     /// 3. Addresses from cache. `Self::bootstrap_cache_dir` will take precedence over the path provided inside `config`
     /// 4. Addresses from network contacts URL
-    pub async fn get_addrs(&self, config: Option<BootstrapCacheConfig>) -> Result<Vec<Multiaddr>> {
+    pub async fn get_addrs(
+        &self,
+        config: Option<BootstrapCacheConfig>,
+        count: Option<usize>,
+    ) -> Result<Vec<Multiaddr>> {
         Ok(self
-            .get_bootstrap_addr(config)
+            .get_bootstrap_addr(config, count)
             .await?
             .into_iter()
             .map(|addr| addr.addr)
             .collect())
     }
 
-    /// Get bootstrap peers
+    /// Get bootstrap peers sorted by the failure rate. The peer with the lowest failure rate will be
+    /// the first in the list.
     /// Order of precedence:
     /// 1. Addresses from arguments
     /// 2. Addresses from environment variable SAFE_PEERS
@@ -103,6 +109,7 @@ impl PeersArgs {
     pub async fn get_bootstrap_addr(
         &self,
         config: Option<BootstrapCacheConfig>,
+        count: Option<usize>,
     ) -> Result<Vec<BootstrapAddr>> {
         // If this is the first node, return an empty list
         if self.first {
@@ -146,12 +153,6 @@ impl PeersArgs {
             bootstrap_addresses.extend(addrs);
         }
 
-        // Return here if we fetched peers from the args
-        if !bootstrap_addresses.is_empty() {
-            bootstrap_addresses.sort_by_key(|addr| addr.failure_rate() as u64);
-            return Ok(bootstrap_addresses);
-        }
-
         // load from cache if present
         if !self.ignore_cache {
             let cfg = if let Some(config) = config {
@@ -179,11 +180,6 @@ impl PeersArgs {
             }
         }
 
-        if !bootstrap_addresses.is_empty() {
-            bootstrap_addresses.sort_by_key(|addr| addr.failure_rate() as u64);
-            return Ok(bootstrap_addresses);
-        }
-
         if !self.disable_mainnet_contacts {
             let contacts_fetcher = ContactsFetcher::with_mainnet_endpoints()?;
             let addrs = contacts_fetcher.fetch_bootstrap_addresses().await?;
@@ -192,6 +188,9 @@ impl PeersArgs {
 
         if !bootstrap_addresses.is_empty() {
             bootstrap_addresses.sort_by_key(|addr| addr.failure_rate() as u64);
+            if let Some(count) = count {
+                bootstrap_addresses.truncate(count);
+            }
             Ok(bootstrap_addresses)
         } else {
             error!("No initial bootstrap peers found through any means");
diff --git a/ant-bootstrap/tests/address_format_tests.rs b/ant-bootstrap/tests/address_format_tests.rs
index a953608039..88369f4cd8 100644
--- a/ant-bootstrap/tests/address_format_tests.rs
+++ b/ant-bootstrap/tests/address_format_tests.rs
@@ -47,12 +47,12 @@ async fn test_multiaddr_format_parsing() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error
             addrs: vec![addr.clone()],
             network_contacts_url: vec![],
             local: false,
-            disable_mainnet_contacts: false,
-            ignore_cache: false,
+            disable_mainnet_contacts: true,
+            ignore_cache: true,
             bootstrap_cache_dir: None,
         };
 
-        let bootstrap_addresses = args.get_bootstrap_addr(None).await?;
+        let bootstrap_addresses = args.get_bootstrap_addr(None, None).await?;
         assert_eq!(bootstrap_addresses.len(), 1, "Should have one peer");
         assert_eq!(
             bootstrap_addresses[0].addr, addr,
@@ -85,12 +85,12 @@ async fn test_network_contacts_format() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>
         addrs: vec![],
         network_contacts_url: vec![format!("{}/peers", mock_server.uri()).parse()?],
         local: false,
-        disable_mainnet_contacts: false,
-        ignore_cache: false,
+        disable_mainnet_contacts: true,
+        ignore_cache: true,
         bootstrap_cache_dir: None,
     };
 
-    let addrs = args.get_bootstrap_addr(None).await?;
+    let addrs = args.get_bootstrap_addr(None, None).await?;
     assert_eq!(
         addrs.len(),
         2,
diff --git a/ant-bootstrap/tests/cli_integration_tests.rs b/ant-bootstrap/tests/cli_integration_tests.rs
index 8ac0ab571b..98341ae452 100644
--- a/ant-bootstrap/tests/cli_integration_tests.rs
+++ b/ant-bootstrap/tests/cli_integration_tests.rs
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ async fn test_first_flag() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
         bootstrap_cache_dir: None,
     };
 
-    let addrs = args.get_addrs(Some(config)).await?;
+    let addrs = args.get_addrs(Some(config), None).await?;
 
     assert!(addrs.is_empty(), "First node should have no addrs");
 
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ async fn test_peer_argument() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
         bootstrap_cache_dir: None,
     };
 
-    let addrs = args.get_addrs(None).await?;
+    let addrs = args.get_addrs(None, None).await?;
 
     assert_eq!(addrs.len(), 1, "Should have one addr");
     assert_eq!(addrs[0], peer_addr, "Should have the correct address");
@@ -94,12 +94,12 @@ async fn test_network_contacts_fallback() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Erro
         addrs: vec![],
         network_contacts_url: vec![format!("{}/peers", mock_server.uri()).parse()?],
         local: false,
-        disable_mainnet_contacts: false,
-        ignore_cache: false,
+        disable_mainnet_contacts: true,
+        ignore_cache: true,
         bootstrap_cache_dir: None,
     };
 
-    let addrs = args.get_addrs(Some(config)).await?;
+    let addrs = args.get_addrs(Some(config), None).await?;
     assert_eq!(
         addrs.len(),
         2,
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ async fn test_local_mode() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
         bootstrap_cache_dir: None,
     };
 
-    let addrs = args.get_addrs(Some(config)).await?;
+    let addrs = args.get_addrs(Some(config), None).await?;
 
     assert!(addrs.is_empty(), "Local mode should have no peers");
 
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ async fn test_test_network_peers() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
         bootstrap_cache_dir: None,
     };
 
-    let addrs = args.get_addrs(Some(config)).await?;
+    let addrs = args.get_addrs(Some(config), None).await?;
 
     assert_eq!(addrs.len(), 1, "Should have exactly one test network peer");
     assert_eq!(
diff --git a/ant-cli/src/access/network.rs b/ant-cli/src/access/network.rs
index acf7acfae6..8c428e06d3 100644
--- a/ant-cli/src/access/network.rs
+++ b/ant-cli/src/access/network.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ use color_eyre::Result;
 use color_eyre::Section;
 
 pub async fn get_peers(peers: PeersArgs) -> Result<Vec<Multiaddr>> {
-    peers.get_addrs(None).await
+    peers.get_addrs(None, Some(100)).await
         .wrap_err("Please provide valid Network peers to connect to")
         .with_suggestion(|| format!("make sure you've provided network peers using the --peers option or the {ANT_PEERS_ENV} env var"))
         .with_suggestion(|| "a peer address looks like this: /ip4/42.42.42.42/udp/4242/quic-v1/p2p/B64nodePeerIDvdjb3FAJF4ks3moreBase64CharsHere")
diff --git a/ant-node-manager/src/cmd/local.rs b/ant-node-manager/src/cmd/local.rs
index cdf0bd375c..2f0b3b465b 100644
--- a/ant-node-manager/src/cmd/local.rs
+++ b/ant-node-manager/src/cmd/local.rs
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ pub async fn join(
     log_format: Option<LogFormat>,
     owner: Option<String>,
     owner_prefix: Option<String>,
-    peers_args: PeersArgs,
+    _peers_args: PeersArgs,
     rpc_port: Option<PortRange>,
     rewards_address: RewardsAddress,
     evm_network: Option<EvmNetwork>,
@@ -70,21 +70,6 @@ pub async fn join(
     )
     .await?;
 
-    // If no peers are obtained we will attempt to join the existing local network, if one
-    // is running.
-    let peers = match peers_args.get_addrs(None).await {
-        Ok(peers) => Some(peers),
-        Err(err) => match err {
-            ant_bootstrap::error::Error::NoBootstrapPeersFound => {
-                warn!("PeersNotObtained, peers is set to None");
-                None
-            }
-            _ => {
-                error!("Failed to obtain peers: {err:?}");
-                return Err(err.into());
-            }
-        },
-    };
     let options = LocalNetworkOptions {
         antnode_bin_path,
         enable_metrics_server,
@@ -95,7 +80,7 @@ pub async fn join(
         node_port,
         owner,
         owner_prefix,
-        peers,
+        peers: None,
         rpc_port,
         skip_validation,
         log_format,
diff --git a/ant-node/src/bin/antnode/main.rs b/ant-node/src/bin/antnode/main.rs
index 6246206211..ec8d759f7b 100644
--- a/ant-node/src/bin/antnode/main.rs
+++ b/ant-node/src/bin/antnode/main.rs
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
     // another process with these args.
     #[cfg(feature = "metrics")]
     rt.spawn(init_metrics(std::process::id()));
-    let initial_peres = rt.block_on(opt.peers.get_addrs(None))?;
+    let initial_peres = rt.block_on(opt.peers.get_addrs(None, Some(100)))?;
     debug!("Node's owner set to: {:?}", opt.owner);
     let restart_options = rt.block_on(async move {
         let mut node_builder = NodeBuilder::new(