diff --git a/config/default.json b/config/default.json
index 913ea0e19..0765f911f 100644
--- a/config/default.json
+++ b/config/default.json
@@ -6,20 +6,16 @@
   "defaultPoWDifficulty": "1",
   "seedNodeList": [
     {
-      "ip": "public.loki.foundation",
-      "port": "22023"
+      "ip_url": "http://116.203.53.213/",
+      "url": "https://storage.seed1.loki.network/"
     },
     {
-      "ip": "storage.seed1.loki.network",
-      "port": "22023"
+      "ip_url": "http://212.199.114.66/",
+      "url": "https://storage.seed3.loki.network/"
     },
     {
-      "ip": "storage.seed2.loki.network",
-      "port": "22023"
-    },
-    {
-      "ip": "imaginary.stream",
-      "port": "22023"
+      "ip_url": "http://144.76.164.202/",
+      "url": "https://public.loki.foundation/"
     }
   ],
   "updatesEnabled": false,
diff --git a/config/development.json b/config/development.json
index ba141816b..670d128ec 100644
--- a/config/development.json
+++ b/config/development.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "seedNodeList": [
     {
-      "ip": "public.loki.foundation",
-      "port": "38157"
+      "url": "http://public.loki.foundation:38157/",
+      "ip_url": "http://144.76.164.202:38157/"
     },
     {
-      "ip": "storage.testnetseed1.loki.network",
-      "port": "38157"
+      "url": "http://storage.testnetseed1.loki.network:38157/",
+      "ip_url": "http://116.203.32.199:38157/"
     }
   ],
   "openDevTools": true,
diff --git a/config/swarm-testing.json b/config/swarm-testing.json
index 4e7ab7fee..61594f421 100644
--- a/config/swarm-testing.json
+++ b/config/swarm-testing.json
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 {
   "seedNodeList": [
     {
-      "ip": "localhost",
-      "port": "22129"
+      "ip_url": "http://127.0.0.1:22129/",
+      "url": "http://localhost:22129/"
     }
   ],
   "openDevTools": true,
diff --git a/js/modules/loki_snode_api.js b/js/modules/loki_snode_api.js
index 7d120ff4e..98110b381 100644
--- a/js/modules/loki_snode_api.js
+++ b/js/modules/loki_snode_api.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* eslint-disable class-methods-use-this */
-/* global window, textsecure, ConversationController, _, log, process, Buffer, StringView, dcodeIO */
+/* global window, textsecure, ConversationController, _, log, process, Buffer, StringView, dcodeIO, URL */
 
 const { lokiRpc } = require('./loki_rpc');
 // not sure I like this name but it's been than util
@@ -44,22 +44,33 @@ async function tryGetSnodeListFromLokidSeednode(
   )[0];
   let snodes = [];
   try {
-    const response = await lokiRpc(
-      `http://${seedNode.ip}`,
-      seedNode.port,
-      'get_n_service_nodes',
-      params,
-      {}, // Options
-      '/json_rpc' // Seed request endpoint
-    );
-    // Filter 0.0.0.0 nodes which haven't submitted uptime proofs
-    snodes = response.result.service_node_states.filter(
-      snode => snode.public_ip !== '0.0.0.0'
-    );
+    const getSnodesFromSeedUrl = async urlObj => {
+      const response = await lokiRpc(
+        `${urlObj.protocol}//${urlObj.hostname}`,
+        urlObj.port,
+        'get_n_service_nodes',
+        params,
+        {}, // Options
+        '/json_rpc' // Seed request endpoint
+      );
+      // Filter 0.0.0.0 nodes which haven't submitted uptime proofs
+      return response.result.service_node_states.filter(
+        snode => snode.public_ip !== '0.0.0.0'
+      );
+    };
+    const tryUrl = new URL(seedNode.url);
+    snodes = getSnodesFromSeedUrl(tryUrl);
     // throw before clearing the lock, so the retries can kick in
     if (snodes.length === 0) {
-      // does this error message need to be exactly this?
-      throw new window.textsecure.SeedNodeError('Failed to contact seed node');
+      // fall back on ip_url
+      const tryIpUrl = new URL(seedNode.ip_url);
+      snodes = getSnodesFromSeedUrl(tryIpUrl);
+      if (snodes.length === 0) {
+        // does this error message need to be exactly this?
+        throw new window.textsecure.SeedNodeError(
+          'Failed to contact seed node'
+        );
+      }
     }
     return snodes;
   } catch (e) {
diff --git a/main.js b/main.js
index 2338b23a3..408771485 100644
--- a/main.js
+++ b/main.js
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ function prepareURL(pathSegments, moreKeys) {
       localUrl: config.get('localUrl'),
       cdnUrl: config.get('cdnUrl'),
       defaultPoWDifficulty: config.get('defaultPoWDifficulty'),
+      // one day explain why we need to do this - neuroscr
       seedNodeList: JSON.stringify(config.get('seedNodeList')),
       certificateAuthority: config.get('certificateAuthority'),
       environment: config.environment,