diff --git a/src/tests/controllers/tribe3Messages.test.ts b/src/tests/controllers/tribe3Messages.test.ts
index b04a7d576..b555b4dc3 100644
--- a/src/tests/controllers/tribe3Messages.test.ts
+++ b/src/tests/controllers/tribe3Messages.test.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,20 @@ import { getCheckNewMsgs, getTribeByUuid, getCheckTribe } from '../utils/get'
 
 import nodes from '../nodes'
 
+const emptyNodeConfig = {
+  alias: '',
+  pubkey: '',
+  ip: '',
+  external_ip: '',
+  authToken: '',
+  transportToken: '',
+  contact_key: '',
+  privkey: '',
+  exported_keys: '',
+  pin: '',
+  routeHint: '',
+}
+
 /*
 npx ava test-10-tribe3Msgs.js --verbose --serial --timeout=2m
 */
@@ -18,6 +32,17 @@ test('test-10-tribe3Msgs: create tribe, two nodes join tribe, send messages, 2 n
 })
 
 export async function tribe3Msgs(t, node1, node2, node3) {
+  //This is checking if the proxy nodes exist and if they
+  // do then we'll use them
+  let useProxyNodes = false
+  let proxyNode1 = emptyNodeConfig
+  let proxyNode2 = emptyNodeConfig
+  if (nodes.length > 4) {
+    useProxyNodes = true
+    proxyNode1 = nodes[3]
+    proxyNode2 = nodes[4]
+  }
+
   // if running "no-alice" version with local relay
   const internalTribeHost = node1.ip.includes('host.docker.internal')
     ? config.tribeHost
@@ -27,6 +52,7 @@ export async function tribe3Msgs(t, node1, node2, node3) {
   t.truthy(node3, 'this test requires three nodes')
 
   console.log(`${node1.alias} and ${node2.alias} and ${node3.alias}`)
+  console.log(`also using proxy ${proxyNode1.alias}, ${proxyNode2.alias}`)
 
   //NODE1 CREATES A TRIBE
   let tribe = await createTribe(t, node1)
@@ -42,6 +68,16 @@ export async function tribe3Msgs(t, node1, node2, node3) {
   let join2 = await joinTribe(t, node3, tribe)
   t.true(join2, 'node3 should join tribe')
 
+  if (useProxyNodes) {
+    //PROXYNODE1 JOINS TRIBE CREATED BY NODE1
+    let joinProxy1 = await joinTribe(t, proxyNode1, tribe)
+    t.true(joinProxy1, 'proxyNode1 should join tribe')
+
+    //PROXYNODE2 JOINS TRIBE CREATED BY NODE1
+    let proxyJoin2 = await joinTribe(t, proxyNode2, tribe)
+    t.true(proxyJoin2, 'proxyNode2 should join tribe')
+  }
+
   //NODE1 SENDS A TEXT MESSAGE IN TRIBE
   const text = randomText()
   let tribeMessage = await sendTribeMessage(t, node1, tribe, text)
@@ -108,6 +144,55 @@ export async function tribe3Msgs(t, node1, node2, node3) {
   )
   t.true(n2check2, 'node2 should have read and decrypted node3 message')
 
+  if (useProxyNodes) {
+    //proxyNode1 SENDS A TEXT MESSAGE IN TRIBE
+    const text4 = randomText()
+    let tribeMessage4 = await sendTribeMessage(t, proxyNode2, tribe, text4)
+
+    //CHECK THAT proxyNode1'S DECRYPTED MESSAGE IS SAME AS INPUT From node1's point of view
+    const n1check3 = await checkMessageDecryption(
+      t,
+      node1,
+      tribeMessage4.uuid,
+      text4
+    )
+    t.true(
+      n1check3,
+      "node1 should have read and decrypted proxyNode1's message"
+    )
+
+    //CHECK THAT NODE2'S DECRYPTED MESSAGE IS SAME AS INPUT
+    const n4check2 = await checkMessageDecryption(
+      t,
+      proxyNode1,
+      tribeMessage2.uuid,
+      text2
+    )
+    t.true(n4check2, 'proxyNode1 should have read and decrypted node2 message')
+
+    //PROXYNODE2 SENDS A TEXT MESSAGE IN TRIBE
+    const text5 = randomText()
+    let tribeMessage5 = await sendTribeMessage(t, proxyNode2, tribe, text5)
+
+    //CHECK THAT NODE3'S DECRYPTED MESSAGE IS SAME AS INPUT AS NODE1
+    const n5check2 = await checkMessageDecryption(
+      t,
+      node1,
+      tribeMessage5.uuid,
+      text5
+    )
+    t.true(n5check2, 'node1 should have read and decrypted node3 message')
+
+    //CHECK THAT NODE2'S DECRYPTED MESSAGE IS SAME AS INPUT
+    const n5check3 = await checkMessageDecryption(
+      t,
+      proxyNode2,
+      tribeMessage2.uuid,
+      text2
+    )
+    t.true(n5check3, 'node2 should have read and decrypted node3 message')
+  }
+
   /*****
 				Here we want to create a new message channel for a tribe
 ******/
diff --git a/src/utils/tribes.ts b/src/utils/tribes.ts
index 41d124c2a..cbd58e1c7 100644
--- a/src/utils/tribes.ts
+++ b/src/utils/tribes.ts
@@ -56,68 +56,66 @@ async function initializeClient(
   host: string,
   onMessage?: (topic: string, message: Buffer) => void
 ): Promise<mqtt.Client> {
-  return new Promise(async (resolve) => {
-    let connected = false
-    async function reconnect() {
-      try {
-        const pwd = await genSignedTimestamp(pubkey)
-        if (connected) return
-        const url = mqttURL(host)
-        const cl = mqtt.connect(url, {
-          username: pubkey,
-          password: pwd,
-          reconnectPeriod: 0, // dont auto reconnect
+  let connected = false
+  async function reconnect() {
+    try {
+      const pwd = await genSignedTimestamp(pubkey)
+      if (connected) return
+      const url = mqttURL(host)
+      const cl = mqtt.connect(url, {
+        username: pubkey,
+        password: pwd,
+        reconnectPeriod: 0, // dont auto reconnect
+      })
+      sphinxLogger.info(`try to connect: ${url}`, logging.Tribes)
+      cl.on('connect', async function () {
+        // first check if its already connected to this host (in case it takes a long time)
+        connected = true
+        if (
+          clients[pubkey] &&
+          clients[pubkey][host] &&
+          clients[pubkey][host].connected
+        ) {
+          return clients[pubkey][host]
+          return
+        }
+        sphinxLogger.info(`connected!`, logging.Tribes)
+        if (!clients[pubkey]) clients[pubkey] = {}
+        clients[pubkey][host] = cl // ADD TO MAIN STATE
+        cl.on('close', function (e) {
+          sphinxLogger.info(`CLOSE ${e}`, logging.Tribes)
+          // setTimeout(() => reconnect(), 2000);
+          connected = false
+          if (clients[pubkey] && clients[pubkey][host]) {
+            delete clients[pubkey][host]
+          }
         })
-        sphinxLogger.info(`try to connect: ${url}`, logging.Tribes)
-        cl.on('connect', async function () {
-          // first check if its already connected to this host (in case it takes a long time)
-          connected = true
-          if (
-            clients[pubkey] &&
-            clients[pubkey][host] &&
-            clients[pubkey][host].connected
-          ) {
-            resolve(clients[pubkey][host])
-            return
+        cl.on('error', function (e) {
+          sphinxLogger.error(`error:  ${e.message}`, logging.Tribes)
+        })
+        cl.on('message', function (topic, message) {
+          // console.log("============>>>>> GOT A MSG", topic, message)
+          if (onMessage) onMessage(topic, message)
+        })
+        cl.subscribe(`${pubkey}/#`, function (err) {
+          if (err)
+            sphinxLogger.error(`error subscribing ${err}`, logging.Tribes)
+          else {
+            sphinxLogger.info(`subscribed! ${pubkey}/#`, logging.Tribes)
+            return cl
           }
-          sphinxLogger.info(`connected!`, logging.Tribes)
-          if (!clients[pubkey]) clients[pubkey] = {}
-          clients[pubkey][host] = cl // ADD TO MAIN STATE
-          cl.on('close', function (e) {
-            sphinxLogger.info(`CLOSE ${e}`, logging.Tribes)
-            // setTimeout(() => reconnect(), 2000);
-            connected = false
-            if (clients[pubkey] && clients[pubkey][host]) {
-              delete clients[pubkey][host]
-            }
-          })
-          cl.on('error', function (e) {
-            sphinxLogger.error(`error:  ${e.message}`, logging.Tribes)
-          })
-          cl.on('message', function (topic, message) {
-            // console.log("============>>>>> GOT A MSG", topic, message)
-            if (onMessage) onMessage(topic, message)
-          })
-          cl.subscribe(`${pubkey}/#`, function (err) {
-            if (err)
-              sphinxLogger.error(`error subscribing ${err}`, logging.Tribes)
-            else {
-              sphinxLogger.info(`subscribed! ${pubkey}/#`, logging.Tribes)
-              resolve(cl)
-            }
-          })
         })
-      } catch (e) {
-        sphinxLogger.error(`error initializing ${e}`, logging.Tribes)
-      }
+      })
+    } catch (e) {
+      sphinxLogger.error(`error initializing ${e}`, logging.Tribes)
     }
-    while (true) {
-      if (!connected) {
-        reconnect()
-      }
-      await sleep(5000 + Math.round(Math.random() * 8000))
+  }
+  while (true) {
+    if (!connected) {
+      reconnect()
     }
-  })
+    await sleep(5000 + Math.round(Math.random() * 8000))
+  }
 }
 
 async function lazyClient(