diff --git a/p2p/net/interface.go b/p2p/net/interface.go
index 577c496cb..5998f2a63 100644
--- a/p2p/net/interface.go
+++ b/p2p/net/interface.go
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ type Network interface {
 	// If there is no connection to p, attempts to create one.
 	NewStream(peer.ID) (Stream, error)
 
+	// Listen tells the network to start listening on given multiaddrs.
+	Listen(...ma.Multiaddr) error
+
 	// ListenAddresses returns a list of addresses at which this network listens.
 	ListenAddresses() []ma.Multiaddr
 
diff --git a/p2p/net/mock/mock_peernet.go b/p2p/net/mock/mock_peernet.go
index b6bbbaa61..87e51faf6 100644
--- a/p2p/net/mock/mock_peernet.go
+++ b/p2p/net/mock/mock_peernet.go
@@ -305,6 +305,12 @@ func (pn *peernet) BandwidthTotals() (in uint64, out uint64) {
 	return 0, 0
 }
 
+// Listen tells the network to start listening on given multiaddrs.
+func (pn *peernet) Listen(addrs ...ma.Multiaddr) error {
+	pn.Peerstore().AddAddresses(pn.LocalPeer(), addrs)
+	return nil
+}
+
 // ListenAddresses returns a list of addresses at which this network listens.
 func (pn *peernet) ListenAddresses() []ma.Multiaddr {
 	return pn.Peerstore().Addresses(pn.LocalPeer())
diff --git a/p2p/net/swarm/swarm.go b/p2p/net/swarm/swarm.go
index 56e88445c..6512f67e5 100644
--- a/p2p/net/swarm/swarm.go
+++ b/p2p/net/swarm/swarm.go
@@ -49,12 +49,9 @@ type Swarm struct {
 func NewSwarm(ctx context.Context, listenAddrs []ma.Multiaddr,
 	local peer.ID, peers peer.Peerstore) (*Swarm, error) {
 
-	if len(listenAddrs) > 0 {
-		filtered := addrutil.FilterUsableAddrs(listenAddrs)
-		if len(filtered) < 1 {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("swarm cannot use any addr in: %s", listenAddrs)
-		}
-		listenAddrs = filtered
+	listenAddrs, err := filterAddrs(listenAddrs)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	s := &Swarm{
@@ -77,6 +74,28 @@ func (s *Swarm) teardown() error {
 	return s.swarm.Close()
 }
 
+// CtxGroup returns the Context Group of the swarm
+func filterAddrs(listenAddrs []ma.Multiaddr) ([]ma.Multiaddr, error) {
+	if len(listenAddrs) > 0 {
+		filtered := addrutil.FilterUsableAddrs(listenAddrs)
+		if len(filtered) < 1 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("swarm cannot use any addr in: %s", listenAddrs)
+		}
+		listenAddrs = filtered
+	}
+	return listenAddrs, nil
+}
+
+// CtxGroup returns the Context Group of the swarm
+func (s *Swarm) Listen(addrs ...ma.Multiaddr) error {
+	addrs, err := filterAddrs(addrs)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return s.listen(addrs)
+}
+
 // CtxGroup returns the Context Group of the swarm
 func (s *Swarm) CtxGroup() ctxgroup.ContextGroup {
 	return s.cg
diff --git a/p2p/net/swarm/swarm_net.go b/p2p/net/swarm/swarm_net.go
index 561ceef82..857eabd26 100644
--- a/p2p/net/swarm/swarm_net.go
+++ b/p2p/net/swarm/swarm_net.go
@@ -102,6 +102,11 @@ func (n *Network) Close() error {
 	return n.Swarm().cg.Close()
 }
 
+// Listen tells the network to start listening on given multiaddrs.
+func (n *Network) Listen(addrs ...ma.Multiaddr) error {
+	return n.Swarm().Listen(addrs...)
+}
+
 // ListenAddresses returns a list of addresses at which this network listens.
 func (n *Network) ListenAddresses() []ma.Multiaddr {
 	return n.Swarm().ListenAddresses()