diff --git a/src/control.cc b/src/control.cc
index a76bafb7..4b35c5a5 100644
--- a/src/control.cc
+++ b/src/control.cc
@@ -70,9 +70,6 @@ Control::initialize() {
   display::Window::slot_unschedule([this](display::Window* w) { m_display->unschedule(w); });
   display::Window::slot_adjust([this]() { m_display->adjust_layout(); });
 
-  torrent::net_thread::http_stack()->set_user_agent(USER_AGENT);
-
-  m_core->listen_open();
   m_core->set_hashing_view(*m_view_manager->find_throw("hashing"));
 
   m_ui->init(this);
diff --git a/src/core/dht_manager.cc b/src/core/dht_manager.cc
index 027d1c26..3f683363 100644
--- a/src/core/dht_manager.cc
+++ b/src/core/dht_manager.cc
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <torrent/object_stream.h>
 #include <torrent/rate.h>
 #include <torrent/runtime/network_manager.h>
+#include <torrent/runtime/runtime.h>
 #include <torrent/tracker/dht_controller.h>
 #include <torrent/utils/log.h>
 
@@ -141,18 +142,29 @@ DhtManager::save_dht_cache() {
 
 void
 DhtManager::set_mode_by_user(const std::string& arg) {
-  for (int i = 0; i < dht_settings_num; i++) {
-    if (arg == dht_settings[i]) {
-      m_set_by_user = true;
-      return set_mode_directly(i);
-    }
+  unsigned int mode = [arg]() {
+      for (int i = 0; i < dht_settings_num; i++) {
+        if (arg == dht_settings[i])
+          return i;
+      }
+
+      throw torrent::input_error("Invalid dht mode: " + arg);
+    }();
+
+  m_set_by_user = true;
+
+  if (!torrent::runtime::is_network_initialized()) {
+    m_start = mode;
+    return;
   }
+
+  set_mode_directly(mode);
 }
 
 void
 DhtManager::set_mode_directly(unsigned int mode) {
   if (mode >= dht_settings_num)
-    throw torrent::input_error("Invalid argument.");
+    throw torrent::input_error("Invalid dht mode.");
 
   m_start = mode;
 
@@ -164,8 +176,10 @@ DhtManager::set_mode_directly(unsigned int mode) {
 
 void
 DhtManager::set_auto_if_untouched_and_has_session() {
-  if (m_set_by_user)
+  if (m_set_by_user) {
+    set_mode_directly(m_start);
     return;
+  }
 
   if (rpc::call_command_string("session.path").empty()) {
     LT_LOG("DHT auto-start disabled, session path not set.", 0);
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index 4863d4d5..388ee005 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@
 #include <torrent/exceptions.h>
 #include <torrent/data/chunk_utils.h>
 #include <torrent/net/fd.h>
+#include <torrent/net/http_stack.h>
 #include <torrent/runtime/memory_manager.h>
+#include <torrent/runtime/runtime.h>
 #include <torrent/utils/chrono.h>
 #include <torrent/utils/log.h>
 
@@ -450,6 +452,11 @@ main(int argc, char** argv) {
     control->initialize();
     control->ui()->load_input_history();
 
+    torrent::net_thread::http_stack()->set_user_agent(USER_AGENT);
+    torrent::runtime::initialize_network();
+
+    control->core()->listen_open();
+
     // Load session torrents and perform scheduled tasks to ensure session torrents are loaded
     // before arg torrents.
     control->dht_manager()->set_auto_if_untouched_and_has_session();