diff --git a/core/core.go b/core/core.go
index 427c33c29..9aaa6e504 100644
--- a/core/core.go
+++ b/core/core.go
@@ -177,14 +177,14 @@ func initIdentity(cfg *config.Config, online bool) (*peer.Peer, error) {
 	}
 
 	// address is optional
-	var addresses []*ma.Multiaddr
+	var addresses []ma.Multiaddr
 	if len(cfg.Addresses.Swarm) > 0 {
 		maddr, err := ma.NewMultiaddr(cfg.Addresses.Swarm)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 
-		addresses = []*ma.Multiaddr{maddr}
+		addresses = []ma.Multiaddr{maddr}
 	}
 
 	var (
diff --git a/daemon/daemon.go b/daemon/daemon.go
index 02fe49023..45ac49e68 100644
--- a/daemon/daemon.go
+++ b/daemon/daemon.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ type Command struct {
 	Opts    map[string]interface{}
 }
 
-func NewDaemonListener(ipfsnode *core.IpfsNode, addr *ma.Multiaddr, confdir string) (*DaemonListener, error) {
+func NewDaemonListener(ipfsnode *core.IpfsNode, addr ma.Multiaddr, confdir string) (*DaemonListener, error) {
 	var err error
 	confdir, err = u.TildeExpansion(confdir)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func NewDaemonListener(ipfsnode *core.IpfsNode, addr *ma.Multiaddr, confdir stri
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	network, host, err := addr.DialArgs()
+	network, host, err := ma.DialArgs(addr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -62,12 +62,7 @@ func NewDaemonListener(ipfsnode *core.IpfsNode, addr *ma.Multiaddr, confdir stri
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	mstr, err := addr.String()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	_, err = ofi.Write([]byte(mstr))
+	_, err = ofi.Write([]byte(addr.String()))
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Warning("Could not write to rpcaddress file: %s", err)
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/daemon/daemon_client.go b/daemon/daemon_client.go
index 17d1b2c26..478b7fd7d 100644
--- a/daemon/daemon_client.go
+++ b/daemon/daemon_client.go
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func SendCommand(command *Command, confdir string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	network, host, err := maddr.DialArgs()
+	network, host, err := ma.DialArgs(maddr)
 
 	conn, err := net.Dial(network, host)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/net/conn/conn.go b/net/conn/conn.go
index 645264b8d..25ecc44d6 100644
--- a/net/conn/conn.go
+++ b/net/conn/conn.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ const MaxMessageSize = 1 << 20
 // Conn represents a connection to another Peer (IPFS Node).
 type Conn struct {
 	Peer *peer.Peer
-	Addr *ma.Multiaddr
+	Addr ma.Multiaddr
 	Conn net.Conn
 
 	Closed   chan bool
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ type Conn struct {
 type Map map[u.Key]*Conn
 
 // NewConn constructs a new connection
-func NewConn(peer *peer.Peer, addr *ma.Multiaddr, nconn net.Conn) (*Conn, error) {
+func NewConn(peer *peer.Peer, addr ma.Multiaddr, nconn net.Conn) (*Conn, error) {
 	conn := &Conn{
 		Peer: peer,
 		Addr: addr,
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func Dial(network string, peer *peer.Peer) (*Conn, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("No address for network %s", network)
 	}
 
-	network, host, err := addr.DialArgs()
+	network, host, err := ma.DialArgs(addr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -104,6 +104,6 @@ func (c *Conn) Close() error {
 
 // NetConnMultiaddr returns the net.Conn's address, recast as a multiaddr.
 // (consider moving this directly into the multiaddr package)
-func NetConnMultiaddr(nconn net.Conn) (*ma.Multiaddr, error) {
+func NetConnMultiaddr(nconn net.Conn) (ma.Multiaddr, error) {
 	return ma.FromNetAddr(nconn.RemoteAddr())
 }
diff --git a/net/swarm/conn.go b/net/swarm/conn.go
index 0713ccf0b..6b2dce32b 100644
--- a/net/swarm/conn.go
+++ b/net/swarm/conn.go
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ func (s *Swarm) listen() error {
 }
 
 // Listen for new connections on the given multiaddr
-func (s *Swarm) connListen(maddr *ma.Multiaddr) error {
-	netstr, addr, err := maddr.DialArgs()
+func (s *Swarm) connListen(maddr ma.Multiaddr) error {
+	netstr, addr, err := ma.DialArgs(maddr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/net/swarm/swarm.go b/net/swarm/swarm.go
index df84e5a94..9941c7086 100644
--- a/net/swarm/swarm.go
+++ b/net/swarm/swarm.go
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ func (s *Swarm) Dial(peer *peer.Peer) (*conn.Conn, error) {
 // DialAddr is for connecting to a peer when you know their addr but not their ID.
 // Should only be used when sure that not connected to peer in question
 // TODO(jbenet) merge with Dial? need way to patch back.
-func (s *Swarm) DialAddr(addr *ma.Multiaddr) (*conn.Conn, error) {
+func (s *Swarm) DialAddr(addr ma.Multiaddr) (*conn.Conn, error) {
 	if addr == nil {
 		return nil, errors.New("addr must be a non-nil Multiaddr")
 	}
diff --git a/net/swarm/swarm_test.go b/net/swarm/swarm_test.go
index b2747481c..7d7c13802 100644
--- a/net/swarm/swarm_test.go
+++ b/net/swarm/swarm_test.go
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func TestSwarm(t *testing.T) {
 		if a == nil {
 			t.Fatal("error setting up peer (addr is nil)", peer)
 		}
-		n, h, err := a.DialArgs()
+		n, h, err := ma.DialArgs(a)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal("error getting dial args from addr")
 		}
diff --git a/peer/peer.go b/peer/peer.go
index 69d73c2d4..8b0bda8aa 100644
--- a/peer/peer.go
+++ b/peer/peer.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ type Map map[u.Key]*Peer
 // ID, and relevant Addresses.
 type Peer struct {
 	ID        ID
-	Addresses []*ma.Multiaddr
+	Addresses []ma.Multiaddr
 
 	PrivKey ic.PrivKey
 	PubKey  ic.PubKey
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func (p *Peer) Key() u.Key {
 }
 
 // AddAddress adds the given Multiaddr address to Peer's addresses.
-func (p *Peer) AddAddress(a *ma.Multiaddr) {
+func (p *Peer) AddAddress(a ma.Multiaddr) {
 	p.Lock()
 	defer p.Unlock()
 
@@ -67,17 +67,12 @@ func (p *Peer) AddAddress(a *ma.Multiaddr) {
 }
 
 // NetAddress returns the first Multiaddr found for a given network.
-func (p *Peer) NetAddress(n string) *ma.Multiaddr {
+func (p *Peer) NetAddress(n string) ma.Multiaddr {
 	p.RLock()
 	defer p.RUnlock()
 
 	for _, a := range p.Addresses {
-		ps, err := a.Protocols()
-		if err != nil {
-			continue // invalid addr
-		}
-
-		for _, p := range ps {
+		for _, p := range a.Protocols() {
 			if p.Name == n {
 				return a
 			}
diff --git a/routing/dht/Message.go b/routing/dht/Message.go
index 1be9a3b80..84d323c37 100644
--- a/routing/dht/Message.go
+++ b/routing/dht/Message.go
@@ -20,11 +20,7 @@ func peerToPBPeer(p *peer.Peer) *Message_Peer {
 	if len(p.Addresses) == 0 || p.Addresses[0] == nil {
 		pbp.Addr = proto.String("")
 	} else {
-		addr, err := p.Addresses[0].String()
-		if err != nil {
-			//Temp: what situations could cause this?
-			panic(err)
-		}
+		addr := p.Addresses[0].String()
 		pbp.Addr = &addr
 	}
 	pid := string(p.ID)
diff --git a/routing/dht/dht_test.go b/routing/dht/dht_test.go
index 1bbc62cdc..f5d391387 100644
--- a/routing/dht/dht_test.go
+++ b/routing/dht/dht_test.go
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ func setupDHT(t *testing.T, p *peer.Peer) *IpfsDHT {
 	return d
 }
 
-func setupDHTS(n int, t *testing.T) ([]*ma.Multiaddr, []*peer.Peer, []*IpfsDHT) {
-	var addrs []*ma.Multiaddr
+func setupDHTS(n int, t *testing.T) ([]ma.Multiaddr, []*peer.Peer, []*IpfsDHT) {
+	var addrs []ma.Multiaddr
 	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
 		a, err := ma.NewMultiaddr(fmt.Sprintf("/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/%d", 5000+i))
 		if err != nil {
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ func setupDHTS(n int, t *testing.T) ([]*ma.Multiaddr, []*peer.Peer, []*IpfsDHT)
 	return addrs, peers, dhts
 }
 
-func makePeer(addr *ma.Multiaddr) *peer.Peer {
+func makePeer(addr ma.Multiaddr) *peer.Peer {
 	p := new(peer.Peer)
 	p.AddAddress(addr)
 	sk, pk, err := ci.GenerateKeyPair(ci.RSA, 512)
diff --git a/routing/dht/ext_test.go b/routing/dht/ext_test.go
index f8b9293a8..df8f26ff3 100644
--- a/routing/dht/ext_test.go
+++ b/routing/dht/ext_test.go
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ func TestGetFailures(t *testing.T) {
 func _randPeer() *peer.Peer {
 	p := new(peer.Peer)
 	p.ID = make(peer.ID, 16)
-	p.Addresses = []*ma.Multiaddr{nil}
+	p.Addresses = []ma.Multiaddr{nil}
 	crand.Read(p.ID)
 	return p
 }
diff --git a/server/http/http.go b/server/http/http.go
index 75623d5f2..14eff9cd2 100644
--- a/server/http/http.go
+++ b/server/http/http.go
@@ -17,14 +17,14 @@ type handler struct {
 }
 
 // Serve starts the http server
-func Serve(address *ma.Multiaddr, node *core.IpfsNode) error {
+func Serve(address ma.Multiaddr, node *core.IpfsNode) error {
 	r := mux.NewRouter()
 	handler := &handler{&ipfsHandler{node}}
 	r.HandleFunc("/ipfs/", handler.postHandler).Methods("POST")
 	r.PathPrefix("/ipfs/").Handler(handler).Methods("GET")
 	http.Handle("/", r)
 
-	_, host, err := address.DialArgs()
+	_, host, err := ma.DialArgs(address)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}