diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 2e68234a7fe132bde7f109cf11e2e68289f516b6..c5b94ccc8864a81ece270f38f0dfe19a34d600ce 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"gitlab.com/elixxir/client/api"
+	"gitlab.com/elixxir/client/interfaces/contact"
 	"gitlab.com/elixxir/client/interfaces/params"
+	"gitlab.com/xx_network/primitives/utils"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"gitlab.com/elixxir/client/single"
 	"os"
@@ -100,4 +102,22 @@ func waitUntilConnected(connected chan bool) {
 			}
 		}
 	}()
+}
+
+func readBotContact() contact.Contact {
+
+	// Read from file
+	data, err := utils.ReadFile(botContactPath)
+	jww.INFO.Printf("Contact file size read in: %d bytes", len(data))
+	if err != nil {
+		jww.FATAL.Panicf("Failed to read contact file: %+v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Unmarshal contact
+	c, err := contact.Unmarshal(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		jww.FATAL.Panicf("Failed to unmarshal contact: %+v", err)
+	}
+
+	return c
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 8dea0efac4bea0d7941abb5da00744b4004113c4..b58cbe5d9b83f8531e3c27fdef1832cb1c049c84 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -11,16 +11,20 @@ import (
 	"github.com/dtylman/gowd/bootstrap"
 )
 
-var password string
-var session string
-var ndfPath string
-var singleMngr *single.Manager
+var password = "password"
+var session = ".session"
+var ndfPath = "ndf.json"
+var botContactPath = "botContact.bin"
 var botContact contact.Contact
 
+var singleMngr *single.Manager
+
 var body *gowd.Element
 
 func main() {
 
+	botContact = readBotContact()
+
 	_, singleMngr = initClient()
 
 	//creates a new bootstrap fluid container