diff --git a/src/com/google/bitcoin/core/Peer.java b/src/com/google/bitcoin/core/Peer.java
index 5b5cfd96..494e40f7 100644
--- a/src/com/google/bitcoin/core/Peer.java
+++ b/src/com/google/bitcoin/core/Peer.java
@@ -69,6 +69,14 @@ public class Peer {
         this.eventListeners = new ArrayList<PeerEventListener>();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Construct a peer that handles the given network connection and reads/writes from the given block chain. Note that
+     * communication won't occur until you call connect().
+     */
+    public Peer(NetworkParameters params, PeerAddress address, BlockChain blockChain) {
+        this(params, address, 0, blockChain);
+    }
+    
     public synchronized void addEventListener(PeerEventListener listener) {
         eventListeners.add(listener);
     }
diff --git a/src/com/google/bitcoin/examples/FetchBlock.java b/src/com/google/bitcoin/examples/FetchBlock.java
index d7415bed..696f124b 100644
--- a/src/com/google/bitcoin/examples/FetchBlock.java
+++ b/src/com/google/bitcoin/examples/FetchBlock.java
@@ -29,12 +29,18 @@ import java.util.concurrent.Future;
 public class FetchBlock {
     public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
         System.out.println("Connecting to node");
-        final NetworkParameters params = NetworkParameters.prodNet();
-        NetworkConnection conn = new NetworkConnection(InetAddress.getLocalHost(), params, 0, 60000);
+        final NetworkParameters params = NetworkParameters.testNet();
+
         BlockStore blockStore = new MemoryBlockStore(params);
         BlockChain chain = new BlockChain(params, blockStore);
-        Peer peer = new Peer(params, conn, chain);
-        peer.start();
+        final Peer peer = new Peer(params, new PeerAddress(InetAddress.getLocalHost()), chain);
+        peer.connect();
+        new Thread(new Runnable() {
+            @Override
+            public void run() {
+                peer.run();
+            }
+        }).start();
 
         Sha256Hash blockHash = new Sha256Hash(args[0]);
         Future<Block> future = peer.getBlock(blockHash);