diff --git a/include/llarp.hpp b/include/llarp.hpp
index 762bf38b1..4c07e764e 100644
--- a/include/llarp.hpp
+++ b/include/llarp.hpp
@@ -90,6 +90,14 @@ namespace llarp
     bool
     CallSafe(std::function<void(void)> f);
 
+    /// Creates a router. Can be overridden to allow a different class of router
+    /// to be created instead. Defaults to llarp::Router.
+    virtual std::unique_ptr<AbstractRouter>
+    makeRouter(
+        std::shared_ptr<llarp::thread::ThreadPool> worker,
+        llarp_ev_loop_ptr __netloop,
+        std::shared_ptr<Logic> logic);
+
 #ifdef LOKINET_HIVE
     void
     InjectHive(tooling::RouterHive* hive);
diff --git a/llarp/CMakeLists.txt b/llarp/CMakeLists.txt
index c072080b1..5cdd64b84 100644
--- a/llarp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/llarp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -227,7 +227,11 @@ if(TESTNET)
 endif()
 
 if(WITH_HIVE)
-  target_sources(liblokinet PRIVATE tooling/router_hive.cpp)
+  target_sources(liblokinet PRIVATE
+    tooling/router_hive.cpp
+    tooling/hive_router.cpp
+    tooling/hive_context.cpp
+  )
 endif()
 
 target_link_libraries(liblokinet PUBLIC cxxopts lokinet-platform lokinet-util lokinet-cryptography)
diff --git a/llarp/context.cpp b/llarp/context.cpp
index 7daa00818..7925e7836 100644
--- a/llarp/context.cpp
+++ b/llarp/context.cpp
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ namespace llarp
     crypto = std::make_unique<sodium::CryptoLibSodium>();
     cryptoManager = std::make_unique<CryptoManager>(crypto.get());
 
-    router = std::make_unique<Router>(mainloop, logic);
+    router = makeRouter(worker, mainloop, logic);
 
     nodedb = std::make_unique<llarp_nodedb>(
         nodedb_dir, [r = router.get()](auto call) { r->QueueDiskIO(std::move(call)); });
@@ -105,6 +105,15 @@ namespace llarp
       throw std::runtime_error("Config::Setup() failed to load database");
   }
 
+  std::unique_ptr<AbstractRouter>
+  Context::makeRouter(
+      std::shared_ptr<llarp::thread::ThreadPool> worker,
+      llarp_ev_loop_ptr netloop,
+      std::shared_ptr<Logic> logic)
+  {
+    return std::make_unique<Router>(worker, netloop, logic);
+  }
+
   int
   Context::Run(const RuntimeOptions& opts)
   {
diff --git a/llarp/router/router.hpp b/llarp/router/router.hpp
index e49f0329c..8d49d8ddf 100644
--- a/llarp/router/router.hpp
+++ b/llarp/router/router.hpp
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 
 namespace llarp
 {
-  struct Router final : public AbstractRouter
+  struct Router : public AbstractRouter
   {
     llarp_time_t _lastPump = 0s;
     bool ready;
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ namespace llarp
 
     explicit Router(llarp_ev_loop_ptr __netloop, std::shared_ptr<Logic> logic);
 
-    ~Router() override;
+    virtual ~Router() override;
 
     bool
     HandleRecvLinkMessageBuffer(ILinkSession* from, const llarp_buffer_t& msg) override;
diff --git a/llarp/tooling/hive_context.cpp b/llarp/tooling/hive_context.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..94b9ef770
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llarp/tooling/hive_context.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#include <tooling/hive_context.hpp>
+
+#include <tooling/hive_router.hpp>
+
+namespace tooling
+{
+  std::unique_ptr<llarp::AbstractRouter>
+  HiveContext::makeRouter(
+      std::shared_ptr<llarp::thread::ThreadPool> worker,
+      llarp_ev_loop_ptr netloop,
+      std::shared_ptr<llarp::Logic> logic)
+  {
+    return std::make_unique<HiveRouter>(worker, netloop, logic);
+  }
+
+}  // namespace tooling
diff --git a/llarp/tooling/hive_context.hpp b/llarp/tooling/hive_context.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8851b3835
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llarp/tooling/hive_context.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <llarp.hpp>
+
+namespace tooling
+{
+  /// HiveContext is a subclass of llarp::Context which allows RouterHive to
+  /// perform custom behavior which might be undesirable in production code.
+  struct HiveContext : public llarp::Context
+  {
+    std::unique_ptr<llarp::AbstractRouter>
+    makeRouter(
+        std::shared_ptr<llarp::thread::ThreadPool> worker,
+        llarp_ev_loop_ptr netloop,
+        std::shared_ptr<llarp::Logic> logic) override;
+  };
+
+}  // namespace tooling
diff --git a/llarp/tooling/hive_router.cpp b/llarp/tooling/hive_router.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..55bae5cf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llarp/tooling/hive_router.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#include <tooling/hive_router.hpp>
+
+namespace tooling
+{
+  HiveRouter::HiveRouter(
+      std::shared_ptr<llarp::thread::ThreadPool> worker,
+      llarp_ev_loop_ptr netloop,
+      std::shared_ptr<llarp::Logic> logic)
+      : Router(worker, netloop, logic)
+  {
+  }
+
+  bool
+  HiveRouter::disableGossipingRC_TestingOnly()
+  {
+    return m_disableGossiping;
+  }
+
+  void
+  HiveRouter::disableGossiping()
+  {
+    m_disableGossiping = false;
+  }
+
+  void
+  HiveRouter::enableGossiping()
+  {
+    m_disableGossiping = true;
+  }
+
+}  // namespace tooling
diff --git a/llarp/tooling/hive_router.hpp b/llarp/tooling/hive_router.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..743588550
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llarp/tooling/hive_router.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <router/router.hpp>
+
+namespace tooling
+{
+  /// HiveRouter is a subclass of Router which overrides specific behavior in
+  /// order to perform testing-related functions. It exists largely to prevent
+  /// this behavior (which may often be "dangerous") from leaking into release
+  /// code.
+  struct HiveRouter : public llarp::Router
+  {
+    HiveRouter(
+        std::shared_ptr<llarp::thread::ThreadPool> worker,
+        llarp_ev_loop_ptr netloop,
+        std::shared_ptr<llarp::Logic> logic);
+
+    virtual ~HiveRouter() = default;
+
+    /// Override logic to prevent base Router class from gossiping its RC.
+    virtual bool
+    disableGossipingRC_TestingOnly() override;
+
+    void
+    disableGossiping();
+
+    void
+    enableGossiping();
+
+   protected:
+    bool m_disableGossiping = false;
+  };
+
+}  // namespace tooling
diff --git a/llarp/tooling/router_hive.hpp b/llarp/tooling/router_hive.hpp
index fb9a35384..924a0554e 100644
--- a/llarp/tooling/router_hive.hpp
+++ b/llarp/tooling/router_hive.hpp
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ namespace llarp
 
 namespace tooling
 {
+  struct HiveRouter;  // Hive's version of Router
+
   struct RouterHive
   {
     using Context_ptr = std::shared_ptr<llarp::Context>;
diff --git a/pybind/llarp/router.cpp b/pybind/llarp/router.cpp
index 7531c27c5..d6d74e40d 100644
--- a/pybind/llarp/router.cpp
+++ b/pybind/llarp/router.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "common.hpp"
 
 #include "router/abstractrouter.hpp"
+#include "tooling/hive_router.hpp"
 
 namespace llarp
 {
@@ -12,4 +13,16 @@ namespace llarp
         .def("Stop", &AbstractRouter::Stop)
         .def("peerDb", &AbstractRouter::peerDb);
   }
+
 }  // namespace llarp
+
+namespace tooling
+{
+  void
+  HiveRouter_Init(py::module& mod)
+  {
+    py::class_<HiveRouter>(mod, "HiveRouter")
+        .def("disableGossiping", &HiveRouter::disableGossiping)
+        .def("enableGossiping", &HiveRouter::enableGossiping);
+  }
+}  // namespace tooling