diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 83a69bb..b28a02e 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -116,12 +116,17 @@ static Tox *init_tox()
     return m;
 }
 
-#define MAXLINE 90    /* Approx max number of chars in a sever line (IP + port + key) */
-#define MINLINE 70
+#define MINLINE    50 /* IP: 7 + port: 5 + key: 38 + spaces: 2 = 70. ! (& e.g. tox.im = 6) */
+#define MAXLINE   256 /* Approx max number of chars in a sever line (name + port + key) */
 #define MAXSERVERS 50
+#define SERVERLEN (MAXLINE - TOX_CLIENT_ID_SIZE - 7)
 
-/* Connects to a random DHT server listed in the DHTservers file */
-int init_connection(Tox *m)
+static int  linecnt = 0;
+static char servers[MAXSERVERS][SERVERLEN];
+static uint16_t ports[MAXSERVERS];
+static uint8_t keys[MAXSERVERS][TOX_CLIENT_ID_SIZE];
+
+int serverlist_load()
 {
     FILE *fp = NULL;
 
@@ -130,13 +135,26 @@ int init_connection(Tox *m)
     if (fp == NULL)
         return 1;
 
-    char servers[MAXSERVERS][MAXLINE];
     char line[MAXLINE];
-    int linecnt = 0;
-
     while (fgets(line, sizeof(line), fp) && linecnt < MAXSERVERS) {
-        if (strlen(line) > MINLINE)
-            strcpy(servers[linecnt++], line);
+        if (strlen(line) > MINLINE) {
+            char *name = strtok(line, " ");
+            char *port = strtok(NULL, " ");
+            char *key_ascii = strtok(NULL, " ");
+            /* invalid line */
+            if (name == NULL || port == NULL || key_ascii == NULL)
+                continue;
+
+            strncpy(servers[linecnt], name, SERVERLEN);
+            servers[linecnt][SERVERLEN - 1] = 0;
+            ports[linecnt] = htons(atoi(port));
+
+            uint8_t *key_binary = hex_string_to_bin(key_ascii);
+            memcpy(keys[linecnt], key_binary, TOX_CLIENT_ID_SIZE);
+            free(key_binary);
+
+            linecnt++;
+        }
     }
 
     if (linecnt < 1) {
@@ -145,22 +163,56 @@ int init_connection(Tox *m)
     }
 
     fclose(fp);
-
-    char *server = servers[rand() % linecnt];
-    char *ip = strtok(server, " ");
-    char *port = strtok(NULL, " ");
-    char *key = strtok(NULL, " ");
-
-    if (ip == NULL || port == NULL || key == NULL)
-        return 3;
-
-    uint8_t *binary_string = hex_string_to_bin(key);
-    tox_bootstrap_from_address(m, ip, TOX_ENABLE_IPV6_DEFAULT,
-                               htons(atoi(port)), binary_string);
-    free(binary_string);
     return 0;
 }
 
+int init_connection_helper(Tox *m, int linenumber)
+{
+    return tox_bootstrap_from_address(m, servers[linenumber], TOX_ENABLE_IPV6_DEFAULT,
+                                                ports[linenumber], keys[linenumber]);
+}
+
+/* Connects to a random DHT server listed in the DHTservers file
+ *
+ * return codes:
+ * 1: failed to open server file
+ * 2: no line of sufficient length in server file
+ * 3: (old, removed) failed to split a selected line in the server file
+ * 4: failed to resolve name to IP
+ * 5: serverlist file contains no acceptable line
+ */
+static uint8_t init_connection_serverlist_loaded = 0;
+int init_connection(Tox *m)
+{
+    if (linecnt > 0) /* already loaded serverlist */
+        return init_connection_helper(m, rand() % linecnt) ? 0 : 4;
+
+    /* only once:
+     * - load the serverlist
+     * - connect to "everyone" inside
+     */
+    if (!init_connection_serverlist_loaded) {
+        init_connection_serverlist_loaded = 1;
+        int res = serverlist_load();
+        if (res)
+            return res;
+
+        if (!linecnt)
+            return 4;
+
+        res = 6;
+        int linenumber;
+        for(linenumber = 0; linenumber < linecnt; linenumber++)
+            if (init_connection_helper(m, linenumber))
+                res = 0;
+
+        return res;
+    }
+
+    /* empty serverlist file */
+    return 5;
+}
+
 static void do_tox(Tox *m, ToxWindow *prompt)
 {
     static int conn_try = 0;