diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 8c2145e5e..f66994b5b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ set(RELEASE_MOTTO "Our Lord And Savior" CACHE STRING "Release motto")
 
 list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/cmake")
 
+set(BOOTSTRAP_SYSTEM_PATH "" CACHE PATH "Fallback bootstrap path")
 set(DEFAULT_WITH_BOOTSTRAP ON)
 if(APPLE)
   set(DEFAULT_WITH_BOOTSTRAP OFF)
diff --git a/llarp/CMakeLists.txt b/llarp/CMakeLists.txt
index d1d0196ef..b4a8cab18 100644
--- a/llarp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/llarp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -235,6 +235,10 @@ add_library(lokinet-amalgum
   service/tag.cpp
 )
 
+if(BOOTSTRAP_SYSTEM_PATH)
+  message(STATUS "Building with fallback boostrap path \"${BOOTSTRAP_SYSTEM_PATH}\"")
+  target_compile_definitions(lokinet-amalgum PRIVATE "BOOTSTRAP_FALLBACK=\"${BOOTSTRAP_SYSTEM_PATH}\"")
+endif()
 
 if(WITH_PEERSTATS_BACKEND)
   target_compile_definitions(lokinet-amalgum PRIVATE -DLOKINET_PEERSTATS_BACKEND)
diff --git a/llarp/bootstrap.cpp b/llarp/bootstrap.cpp
index 56731257f..7d221ab66 100644
--- a/llarp/bootstrap.cpp
+++ b/llarp/bootstrap.cpp
@@ -36,4 +36,35 @@ namespace llarp
   {
     return BEncodeWriteList(begin(), end(), buf);
   }
+
+  void
+  BootstrapList::AddFromFile(fs::path fpath)
+  {
+    bool isListFile = false;
+    {
+      std::ifstream inf(fpath.c_str(), std::ios::binary);
+      if (inf.is_open())
+      {
+        const char ch = inf.get();
+        isListFile = ch == 'l';
+      }
+    }
+    if (isListFile)
+    {
+      if (not BDecodeReadFile(fpath, *this))
+      {
+        throw std::runtime_error{fmt::format("failed to read bootstrap list file '{}'", fpath)};
+      }
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      RouterContact rc;
+      if (not rc.Read(fpath))
+      {
+        throw std::runtime_error{
+            fmt::format("failed to decode bootstrap RC, file='{}', rc={}", fpath, rc)};
+      }
+      this->insert(rc);
+    }
+  }
 }  // namespace llarp
diff --git a/llarp/bootstrap.hpp b/llarp/bootstrap.hpp
index e9a62d7e9..ba126c03a 100644
--- a/llarp/bootstrap.hpp
+++ b/llarp/bootstrap.hpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include "router_contact.hpp"
 #include <set>
+#include "llarp/util/fs.hpp"
 
 namespace llarp
 {
@@ -13,6 +14,9 @@ namespace llarp
     bool
     BEncode(llarp_buffer_t* buf) const;
 
+    void
+    AddFromFile(fs::path fpath);
+
     void
     Clear();
   };
diff --git a/llarp/router/router.cpp b/llarp/router/router.cpp
index 421deb3f7..b1747dfdc 100644
--- a/llarp/router/router.cpp
+++ b/llarp/router/router.cpp
@@ -666,32 +666,7 @@ namespace llarp
     BootstrapList b_list;
     for (const auto& router : configRouters)
     {
-      bool isListFile = false;
-      {
-        std::ifstream inf(router.c_str(), std::ios::binary);
-        if (inf.is_open())
-        {
-          const char ch = inf.get();
-          isListFile = ch == 'l';
-        }
-      }
-      if (isListFile)
-      {
-        if (not BDecodeReadFile(router, b_list))
-        {
-          throw std::runtime_error{fmt::format("failed to read bootstrap list file '{}'", router)};
-        }
-      }
-      else
-      {
-        RouterContact rc;
-        if (not rc.Read(router))
-        {
-          throw std::runtime_error{
-              fmt::format("failed to decode bootstrap RC, file='{}', rc={}", router, rc)};
-        }
-        b_list.insert(rc);
-      }
+      b_list.AddFromFile(router);
     }
 
     for (const auto& rc : conf.bootstrap.routers)
@@ -699,19 +674,52 @@ namespace llarp
       b_list.emplace(rc);
     }
 
-    for (auto& rc : b_list)
+    // in case someone has an old bootstrap file and is trying to use a bootstrap
+    // that no longer exists
+    for (auto rc_itr = b_list.begin(); rc_itr != b_list.end();)
     {
-      if (not rc.Verify(Now()))
+      if (rc_itr->IsObsoleteBootstrap())
+        b_list.erase(rc_itr);
+      else
+        rc_itr++;
+    }
+
+    auto verifyRCs = [&]() {
+      for (auto& rc : b_list)
       {
-        LogWarn("ignoring invalid RC: ", RouterID(rc.pubkey));
-        continue;
+        if (rc.IsObsoleteBootstrap())
+        {
+          LogWarn("ignoring obsolete boostrap RC: ", RouterID(rc.pubkey));
+          continue;
+        }
+        if (not rc.Verify(Now()))
+        {
+          log::warning(logcat, "ignoring invalid RC: {}", RouterID(rc.pubkey));
+          continue;
+        }
+        bootstrapRCList.emplace(std::move(rc));
       }
-      bootstrapRCList.emplace(std::move(rc));
-    }
+    };
+
+    verifyRCs();
+
+#ifdef BOOTSTRAP_FALLBACK
+    constexpr std::string_view bootstrap_fallback = BOOTSTRAP_FALLBACK;
+#else
+    constexpr std::string_view bootstrap_fallback{};
+#endif  // BOOTSTRAP_FALLBACK
 
     if (bootstrapRCList.empty() and not conf.bootstrap.seednode)
     {
-      throw std::runtime_error{"we have no bootstrap nodes"};
+      if (not bootstrap_fallback.empty())
+      {
+        b_list.clear();
+        b_list.AddFromFile(bootstrap_fallback);
+
+        verifyRCs();
+      }
+      if (bootstrapRCList.empty())  // empty after trying fallback, if set
+        throw std::runtime_error{"we have no bootstrap nodes"};
     }
 
     if (conf.bootstrap.seednode)
@@ -1038,14 +1046,27 @@ namespace llarp
       connectToNum = strictConnect;
     }
 
-    if (auto dereg = LooksDeregistered(); (dereg or decom) and now >= m_NextDecommissionWarn)
+    if (now >= m_NextDecommissionWarn)
     {
-      // complain about being deregistered
       constexpr auto DecommissionWarnInterval = 5min;
-      LogError(
-          "We are running as a service node but we seem to be ",
-          dereg ? "deregistered" : "decommissioned");
-      m_NextDecommissionWarn = now + DecommissionWarnInterval;
+      if (auto dereg = LooksDeregistered(); dereg or decom)
+      {
+        // complain about being deregistered
+        LogError(
+            "We are running as a service node but we seem to be ",
+            dereg ? "deregistered" : "decommissioned");
+        m_NextDecommissionWarn = now + DecommissionWarnInterval;
+      }
+      else if (isSvcNode)
+      {
+        constexpr int KnownPeerWarningThreshold = 5;
+        if (nodedb()->NumLoaded() < KnownPeerWarningThreshold)
+          log::error(
+              logcat,
+              "We appear to be an active service node, but have fewer than {} known peers.",
+              KnownPeerWarningThreshold);
+        m_NextDecommissionWarn = now + DecommissionWarnInterval;
+      }
     }
 
     // if we need more sessions to routers and we are not a service node kicked from the network
diff --git a/llarp/router_contact.cpp b/llarp/router_contact.cpp
index 598aa1753..9004c1c34 100644
--- a/llarp/router_contact.cpp
+++ b/llarp/router_contact.cpp
@@ -533,6 +533,20 @@ namespace llarp
     return false;
   }
 
+  static constexpr std::array obsolete_bootstraps = {
+      "7a16ac0b85290bcf69b2f3b52456d7e989ac8913b4afbb980614e249a3723218"sv};
+
+  bool
+  RouterContact::IsObsoleteBootstrap() const
+  {
+    for (const auto& k : obsolete_bootstraps)
+    {
+      if (pubkey.ToHex() == k)
+        return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
+
   bool
   RouterContact::Write(const fs::path& fname) const
   {
diff --git a/llarp/router_contact.hpp b/llarp/router_contact.hpp
index bafade89b..340bab597 100644
--- a/llarp/router_contact.hpp
+++ b/llarp/router_contact.hpp
@@ -205,6 +205,9 @@ namespace llarp
     bool
     FromOurNetwork() const;
 
+    bool
+    IsObsoleteBootstrap() const;
+
    private:
     bool
     DecodeVersion_0(llarp_buffer_t* buf);
diff --git a/llarp/util/types.hpp b/llarp/util/types.hpp
index be6a0a286..1944bd905 100644
--- a/llarp/util/types.hpp
+++ b/llarp/util/types.hpp
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <chrono>
 
+#include "oxen/log/format.hpp"
+
 using byte_t = uint8_t;
 using llarp_proto_version_t = std::uint8_t;
 
@@ -10,6 +12,7 @@ namespace llarp
 {
   using Duration_t = std::chrono::milliseconds;
   using namespace std::literals;
+  using namespace oxen::log::literals;
 
   /// convert to milliseconds
   uint64_t