diff --git a/iroh-dns-server/src/config.rs b/iroh-dns-server/src/config.rs
index 40b3e6cf07..89222f9daf 100644
--- a/iroh-dns-server/src/config.rs
+++ b/iroh-dns-server/src/config.rs
@@ -71,8 +71,20 @@ pub struct MainlineConfig {
     pub enabled: bool,
     /// Set custom bootstrap nodes.
     ///
+    /// Addresses can either be `domain:port` or `ipv4:port`.
+    ///
     /// If empty this will use the default bittorrent mainline bootstrap nodes as defined by pkarr.
-    pub bootstrap: Vec<SocketAddr>,
+    pub bootstrap: Option<Vec<String>>,
+}
+
+/// Configure the bootstrap servers for mainline DHT resolution.
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, Default)]
+pub enum BootstrapOption {
+    /// Use the default bootstrap servers.
+    #[default]
+    Default,
+    /// Use custom bootstrap servers.
+    Custom(Vec<String>),
 }
 
 #[allow(clippy::derivable_impls)]
@@ -80,7 +92,7 @@ impl Default for MainlineConfig {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self {
             enabled: false,
-            bootstrap: vec![],
+            bootstrap: None,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -128,11 +140,17 @@ impl Config {
         }
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn mainline_enabled(&self) -> Option<&Vec<SocketAddr>> {
+    pub(crate) fn mainline_enabled(&self) -> Option<BootstrapOption> {
         match self.mainline.as_ref() {
             None => None,
-            Some(config) if !config.enabled => None,
-            Some(config) => Some(&config.bootstrap),
+            Some(MainlineConfig { enabled: false, .. }) => None,
+            Some(MainlineConfig {
+                bootstrap: Some(bootstrap),
+                ..
+            }) => Some(BootstrapOption::Custom(bootstrap.clone())),
+            Some(MainlineConfig {
+                bootstrap: None, ..
+            }) => Some(BootstrapOption::Default),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/iroh-dns-server/src/lib.rs b/iroh-dns-server/src/lib.rs
index 1fe97a2604..663b909707 100644
--- a/iroh-dns-server/src/lib.rs
+++ b/iroh-dns-server/src/lib.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ mod tests {
     use pkarr::{PkarrClient, SignedPacket};
     use url::Url;
 
-    use crate::server::Server;
+    use crate::{config::BootstrapOption, server::Server};
 
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn pkarr_publish_dns_resolve() -> Result<()> {
@@ -186,15 +186,11 @@ mod tests {
 
         // run a mainline testnet
         let testnet = mainline::dht::Testnet::new(5);
-        let bootstrap = testnet
-            .bootstrap
-            .iter()
-            .map(|addr| SocketAddr::from_str(addr).unwrap())
-            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+        let bootstrap = testnet.bootstrap.clone();
 
         // spawn our server with mainline support
         let (server, nameserver, _http_url) =
-            Server::spawn_for_tests_with_mainline(Some(bootstrap)).await?;
+            Server::spawn_for_tests_with_mainline(Some(BootstrapOption::Custom(bootstrap))).await?;
 
         let origin = "irohdns.example.";
 
diff --git a/iroh-dns-server/src/server.rs b/iroh-dns-server/src/server.rs
index 63bb5a0557..c9580fa121 100644
--- a/iroh-dns-server/src/server.rs
+++ b/iroh-dns-server/src/server.rs
@@ -97,9 +97,9 @@ impl Server {
     /// bootstrap addresses.
     #[cfg(test)]
     pub async fn spawn_for_tests_with_mainline(
-        bootstrap: Option<Vec<std::net::SocketAddr>>,
+        mainline: Option<crate::config::BootstrapOption>,
     ) -> Result<(Self, std::net::SocketAddr, url::Url)> {
-        use crate::config::{MainlineConfig, MetricsConfig};
+        use crate::config::MetricsConfig;
         use std::net::{IpAddr, Ipv4Addr};
 
         let mut config = Config::default();
@@ -109,16 +109,12 @@ impl Server {
         config.http.as_mut().unwrap().bind_addr = Some(IpAddr::V4(Ipv4Addr::LOCALHOST));
         config.https = None;
         config.metrics = Some(MetricsConfig::disabled());
-        config.mainline = bootstrap.map(|bootstrap| MainlineConfig {
-            enabled: true,
-            bootstrap,
-        });
 
         let mut store = ZoneStore::in_memory()?;
-        if let Some(bootstrap) = config.mainline_enabled() {
+        if let Some(bootstrap) = mainline {
             info!("mainline fallback enabled");
             store = store.with_mainline_fallback(bootstrap);
-        };
+        }
         let server = Self::spawn(config, store).await?;
         let dns_addr = server.dns_server.local_addr();
         let http_addr = server.http_server.http_addr().expect("http is set");
diff --git a/iroh-dns-server/src/store.rs b/iroh-dns-server/src/store.rs
index 3dbf537efd..dd8d911911 100644
--- a/iroh-dns-server/src/store.rs
+++ b/iroh-dns-server/src/store.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 //! Pkarr packet store used to resolve DNS queries.
 
-use std::{
-    collections::BTreeMap, net::SocketAddr, num::NonZeroUsize, path::Path, sync::Arc,
-    time::Duration,
-};
+use std::{collections::BTreeMap, num::NonZeroUsize, path::Path, sync::Arc, time::Duration};
 
 use anyhow::Result;
 use hickory_proto::rr::{Name, RecordSet, RecordType, RrKey};
@@ -15,6 +12,7 @@ use tracing::{debug, trace};
 use ttl_cache::TtlCache;
 
 use crate::{
+    config::BootstrapOption,
     metrics::Metrics,
     util::{signed_packet_to_hickory_records_without_origin, PublicKeyBytes},
 };
@@ -64,15 +62,12 @@ impl ZoneStore {
     ///
     /// Optionally set custom bootstrap nodes. If `bootstrap` is empty it will use the default
     /// mainline bootstrap nodes.
-    pub fn with_mainline_fallback(self, bootstrap: &[SocketAddr]) -> Self {
-        let pkarr_client = if bootstrap.is_empty() {
-            PkarrClient::default()
-        } else {
-            let bootstrap = bootstrap
-                .iter()
-                .map(|addr| addr.to_string())
-                .collect::<Vec<_>>();
-            PkarrClient::builder().bootstrap(&bootstrap).build()
+    pub fn with_mainline_fallback(self, bootstrap: BootstrapOption) -> Self {
+        let pkarr_client = match bootstrap {
+            BootstrapOption::Default => PkarrClient::default(),
+            BootstrapOption::Custom(bootstrap) => {
+                PkarrClient::builder().bootstrap(&bootstrap).build()
+            }
         };
         Self {
             pkarr: Some(Arc::new(pkarr_client)),