diff --git a/src/dht/dht.h b/src/dht/dht.h
--- a/src/dht/dht.h
+++ b/src/dht/dht.h
@@ -113,6 +113,9 @@
 		void addDHTNode(const QString & host,bt::Uint16 hport);
 		
 		virtual QMap<QString, int> getClosestGoodNodes(int maxNodes);
+
+		/// Bootstrap from well-known nodes
+		void bootstrap();
 		
 	private Q_SLOTS:
 		void update();
diff --git a/src/dht/dht.cpp b/src/dht/dht.cpp
--- a/src/dht/dht.cpp
+++ b/src/dht/dht.cpp
@@ -88,6 +88,12 @@
 			// refresh the DHT table by looking for our own ID
 			findOwnNode();
 		}
+		else
+		{
+			// routing table is empty, bootstrap from well-known nodes
+			Out(SYS_DHT | LOG_NOTICE) << "DHT: Routing table empty, bootstrapping from well-known nodes" << endl;
+			bootstrap();
+		}
 	}
 
 
@@ -360,11 +366,15 @@
 		net::Address addr;
 		if (addr.setAddress(host))
 		{
+			Out(SYS_DHT | LOG_DEBUG) << "DHT: Adding node '" << host << ":" << hport << "'" << endl;
 			addr.setPort(hport);
 			srv->ping(node->getOurID(), addr);
 		}
 		else
+		{
+			Out(SYS_DHT | LOG_DEBUG) << "DHT: Resolving node '" << host << "'" << endl;
 			net::AddressResolver::resolve(host, hport, this, SLOT(onResolverResults(net::AddressResolver*)));
+		}
 	}
 
 	void DHT::onResolverResults(net::AddressResolver* res)
@@ -374,6 +384,7 @@
 
 		if (res->succeeded())
 		{
+			Out(SYS_DHT | LOG_DEBUG) << "DHT: Adding node '" << res->address().toString() << ":" << res->address().port() << "'" << endl;
 			srv->ping(node->getOurID(), res->address());
 		}
 	}
@@ -407,4 +418,13 @@
 		return map;
 	}
 	
+	void DHT::bootstrap()
+	{
+		Out(SYS_DHT | LOG_DEBUG) << "DHT: Adding well-known bootstrap nodes" << endl;
+		addDHTNode(QString("router.bittorrent.com"), 6881);
+		addDHTNode(QString("router.utorrent.com"), 6881);
+		addDHTNode(QString("dht.libtorrent.org"), 25401);
+		addDHTNode(QString("dht.transmissionbt.com"), 6881);
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/src/dht/node.cpp b/src/dht/node.cpp
--- a/src/dht/node.cpp
+++ b/src/dht/node.cpp
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@
 		{
 			d->ipv4_table->loadTable(file + ".ipv4", d->srv);
 			d->ipv6_table->loadTable(file + ".ipv6", d->srv);
+			num_entries = d->ipv4_table->numEntries() + d->ipv6_table->numEntries();
 		}
 	}
 }