diff --git a/connect/connect.go b/connect/connect.go
index 310ef304a868f769068ac1d8d95b82ceb28b2945..7276f19c11492b66d1cfc3997c634e809b6cb534 100644
--- a/connect/connect.go
+++ b/connect/connect.go
@@ -122,6 +122,9 @@ func Connect(recipient contact.Contact, myId *id.ID, privKey *cyclic.Int,
 	rng *fastRNG.StreamGenerator, grp *cyclic.Group, net cmix.Client,
 	p Params) (Connection, error) {
 
+	//add the identity
+	net.AddIdentity(myId, time.Time{}, false)
+
 	// Build an ephemeral KV
 	kv := versioned.NewKV(ekv.MakeMemstore())