diff --git a/exchange/bitswap/network/net_message_adapter.go b/exchange/bitswap/network/net_message_adapter.go
index 1bdf13ae9..f3fe1b257 100644
--- a/exchange/bitswap/network/net_message_adapter.go
+++ b/exchange/bitswap/network/net_message_adapter.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func (adapter *impl) HandleMessage(
 }
 
 func (adapter *impl) DialPeer(ctx context.Context, p peer.Peer) error {
-	return adapter.net.DialPeer(p)
+	return adapter.net.DialPeer(ctx, p)
 }
 
 func (adapter *impl) SendMessage(
diff --git a/exchange/bitswap/testnet/network.go b/exchange/bitswap/testnet/network.go
index 418f75ce0..a7864c2a1 100644
--- a/exchange/bitswap/testnet/network.go
+++ b/exchange/bitswap/testnet/network.go
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ func (nc *networkClient) SendRequest(
 	return nc.network.SendRequest(ctx, nc.local, to, message)
 }
 
-func (nc *networkClient) DialPeer(p peer.Peer) error {
+func (nc *networkClient) DialPeer(ctx context.Context, p peer.Peer) error {
 	// no need to do anything because dialing isn't a thing in this test net.
 	if !nc.network.HasPeer(p) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Peer not in network: %s", p)
diff --git a/net/interface.go b/net/interface.go
index 84afd7258..832588490 100644
--- a/net/interface.go
+++ b/net/interface.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package net
 
 import (
+	"github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/code.google.com/p/go.net/context"
 	msg "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/net/message"
 	mux "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/net/mux"
 	srv "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/net/service"
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ type Network interface {
 	// TODO: for now, only listen on addrs in local peer when initializing.
 
 	// DialPeer attempts to establish a connection to a given peer
-	DialPeer(peer.Peer) error
+	DialPeer(context.Context, peer.Peer) error
 
 	// ClosePeer connection to peer
 	ClosePeer(peer.Peer) error
@@ -64,5 +65,5 @@ type Service srv.Service
 type Dialer interface {
 
 	// DialPeer attempts to establish a connection to a given peer
-	DialPeer(peer.Peer) error
+	DialPeer(context.Context, peer.Peer) error
 }
diff --git a/net/net.go b/net/net.go
index 0bff06f6a..ed648c976 100644
--- a/net/net.go
+++ b/net/net.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func NewIpfsNetwork(ctx context.Context, listen []ma.Multiaddr, local peer.Peer,
 // func (n *IpfsNetwork) Listen(*ma.Muliaddr) error {}
 
 // DialPeer attempts to establish a connection to a given peer
-func (n *IpfsNetwork) DialPeer(p peer.Peer) error {
+func (n *IpfsNetwork) DialPeer(ctx context.Context, p peer.Peer) error {
 	_, err := n.swarm.Dial(p)
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/routing/dht/dht.go b/routing/dht/dht.go
index feff52706..11764faba 100644
--- a/routing/dht/dht.go
+++ b/routing/dht/dht.go
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) Connect(ctx context.Context, npeer peer.Peer) (peer.Peer, er
 	//
 	//   /ip4/10.20.30.40/tcp/1234/ipfs/Qxhxxchxzcncxnzcnxzcxzm
 	//
-	err := dht.dialer.DialPeer(npeer)
+	err := dht.dialer.DialPeer(ctx, npeer)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) getFromPeerList(ctx context.Context, key u.Key,
 	peerlist []*pb.Message_Peer, level int) ([]byte, error) {
 
 	for _, pinfo := range peerlist {
-		p, err := dht.ensureConnectedToPeer(pinfo)
+		p, err := dht.ensureConnectedToPeer(ctx, pinfo)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Errorf("getFromPeers error: %s", err)
 			continue
@@ -496,14 +496,14 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) peerFromInfo(pbp *pb.Message_Peer) (peer.Peer, error) {
 	return p, nil
 }
 
-func (dht *IpfsDHT) ensureConnectedToPeer(pbp *pb.Message_Peer) (peer.Peer, error) {
+func (dht *IpfsDHT) ensureConnectedToPeer(ctx context.Context, pbp *pb.Message_Peer) (peer.Peer, error) {
 	p, err := dht.peerFromInfo(pbp)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	// dial connection
-	err = dht.dialer.DialPeer(p)
+	err = dht.dialer.DialPeer(ctx, p)
 	return p, err
 }
 
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) Bootstrap(ctx context.Context) {
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Error("Bootstrap peer error: %s", err)
 	}
-	err = dht.dialer.DialPeer(p)
+	err = dht.dialer.DialPeer(ctx, p)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorf("Bootstrap peer error: %s", err)
 	}
diff --git a/routing/dht/ext_test.go b/routing/dht/ext_test.go
index a6d1d933d..1dabb5b64 100644
--- a/routing/dht/ext_test.go
+++ b/routing/dht/ext_test.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	crand "crypto/rand"
-
 	context "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/code.google.com/p/go.net/context"
 	"github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/code.google.com/p/goprotobuf/proto"
 
@@ -82,7 +81,7 @@ type fauxNet struct {
 }
 
 // DialPeer attempts to establish a connection to a given peer
-func (f *fauxNet) DialPeer(peer.Peer) error {
+func (f *fauxNet) DialPeer(context.Context, peer.Peer) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/routing/dht/query.go b/routing/dht/query.go
index 557af095c..f0478ff29 100644
--- a/routing/dht/query.go
+++ b/routing/dht/query.go
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ func (r *dhtQueryRunner) queryPeer(p peer.Peer) {
 
 	// make sure we're connected to the peer.
 	// (Incidentally, this will add it to the peerstore too)
-	err := r.query.dialer.DialPeer(p)
+	err := r.query.dialer.DialPeer(r.ctx, p)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Debugf("ERROR worker for: %v -- err connecting: %v", p, err)
 		r.Lock()
diff --git a/routing/dht/routing.go b/routing/dht/routing.go
index da400fee2..c0d86e1d1 100644
--- a/routing/dht/routing.go
+++ b/routing/dht/routing.go
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) FindProvidersAsync(ctx context.Context, key u.Key, count int
 					log.Error(err)
 					return
 				}
-				dht.addPeerListAsync(key, pmes.GetProviderPeers(), ps, count, peerOut)
+				dht.addPeerListAsync(ctx, key, pmes.GetProviderPeers(), ps, count, peerOut)
 			}(pp)
 		}
 		wg.Wait()
@@ -154,13 +154,13 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) FindProvidersAsync(ctx context.Context, key u.Key, count int
 	return peerOut
 }
 
-func (dht *IpfsDHT) addPeerListAsync(k u.Key, peers []*pb.Message_Peer, ps *peerSet, count int, out chan peer.Peer) {
+func (dht *IpfsDHT) addPeerListAsync(ctx context.Context, k u.Key, peers []*pb.Message_Peer, ps *peerSet, count int, out chan peer.Peer) {
 	done := make(chan struct{})
 	for _, pbp := range peers {
 		go func(mp *pb.Message_Peer) {
 			defer func() { done <- struct{}{} }()
 			// construct new peer
-			p, err := dht.ensureConnectedToPeer(mp)
+			p, err := dht.ensureConnectedToPeer(ctx, mp)
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Error("%s", err)
 				return