diff --git a/connection_manager_test.go b/connection_manager_test.go
index 789b8ed..81bb049 100644
--- a/connection_manager_test.go
+++ b/connection_manager_test.go
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/flynn/noise"
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/slackhq/nebula/cert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
 var vpnIP uint32 = uint32(12341234)
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ func Test_NewConnectionManagerTest(t *testing.T) {
 		rawCertificateNoKey: []byte{},
 	}
 
-	lh := NewLightHouse(false, 0, []string{}, 1000, 0, &udpConn{}, false)
+	lh := NewLightHouse(false, 0, []uint32{}, 1000, 0, &udpConn{}, false)
 	ifce := &Interface{
 		hostMap:          hostMap,
 		inside:           &Tun{},
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func Test_NewConnectionManagerTest2(t *testing.T) {
 		rawCertificateNoKey: []byte{},
 	}
 
-	lh := NewLightHouse(false, 0, []string{}, 1000, 0, &udpConn{}, false)
+	lh := NewLightHouse(false, 0, []uint32{}, 1000, 0, &udpConn{}, false)
 	ifce := &Interface{
 		hostMap:          hostMap,
 		inside:           &Tun{},
diff --git a/lighthouse.go b/lighthouse.go
index c19cbb7..7974be4 100644
--- a/lighthouse.go
+++ b/lighthouse.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ type EncWriter interface {
 	SendMessageToAll(t NebulaMessageType, st NebulaMessageSubType, vpnIp uint32, p, nb, out []byte)
 }
 
-func NewLightHouse(amLighthouse bool, myIp uint32, ips []string, interval int, nebulaPort int, pc *udpConn, punchBack bool) *LightHouse {
+func NewLightHouse(amLighthouse bool, myIp uint32, ips []uint32, interval int, nebulaPort int, pc *udpConn, punchBack bool) *LightHouse {
 	h := LightHouse{
 		amLighthouse: amLighthouse,
 		myIp:         myIp,
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ func NewLightHouse(amLighthouse bool, myIp uint32, ips []string, interval int, n
 		punchBack:    punchBack,
 	}
 
-	for _, rIp := range ips {
-		h.lighthouses[ip2int(net.ParseIP(rIp))] = struct{}{}
+	for _, ip := range ips {
+		h.lighthouses[ip] = struct{}{}
 	}
 
 	return &h
diff --git a/lighthouse_test.go b/lighthouse_test.go
index 08a9857..96d77bd 100644
--- a/lighthouse_test.go
+++ b/lighthouse_test.go
@@ -48,18 +48,19 @@ func TestNewipandportsfromudpaddrs(t *testing.T) {
 
 func Test_lhStaticMapping(t *testing.T) {
 	lh1 := "10.128.0.2"
-
 	lh1IP := net.ParseIP(lh1)
 
 	udpServer, _ := NewListener("0.0.0.0", 0, true)
 
-	meh := NewLightHouse(true, 1, []string{lh1}, 10, 10003, udpServer, false)
+	meh := NewLightHouse(true, 1, []uint32{ip2int(lh1IP)}, 10, 10003, udpServer, false)
 	meh.AddRemote(ip2int(lh1IP), NewUDPAddr(ip2int(lh1IP), uint16(4242)), true)
 	err := meh.ValidateLHStaticEntries()
 	assert.Nil(t, err)
 
 	lh2 := "10.128.0.3"
-	meh = NewLightHouse(true, 1, []string{lh1, lh2}, 10, 10003, udpServer, false)
+	lh2IP := net.ParseIP(lh2)
+
+	meh = NewLightHouse(true, 1, []uint32{ip2int(lh1IP), ip2int(lh2IP)}, 10, 10003, udpServer, false)
 	meh.AddRemote(ip2int(lh1IP), NewUDPAddr(ip2int(lh1IP), uint16(4242)), true)
 	err = meh.ValidateLHStaticEntries()
 	assert.EqualError(t, err, "Lighthouse 10.128.0.3 does not have a static_host_map entry")
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index f835aea..2fd6f83 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -190,16 +190,25 @@ func Main(configPath string, configTest bool, buildVersion string) {
 	amLighthouse := config.GetBool("lighthouse.am_lighthouse", false)
 
 	// warn if am_lighthouse is enabled but upstream lighthouses exists
-	lighthouseHosts := config.GetStringSlice("lighthouse.hosts", []string{})
-	if amLighthouse && len(lighthouseHosts) != 0 {
+	rawLighthouseHosts := config.GetStringSlice("lighthouse.hosts", []string{})
+	if amLighthouse && len(rawLighthouseHosts) != 0 {
 		l.Warn("lighthouse.am_lighthouse enabled on node but upstream lighthouses exist in config")
 	}
 
+	lighthouseHosts := make([]uint32, len(rawLighthouseHosts))
+	for i, host := range rawLighthouseHosts {
+		ip := net.ParseIP(host)
+		if ip == nil {
+			l.WithField("host", host).Fatalf("Unable to parse lighthouse host entry %v", i+1)
+		}
+		lighthouseHosts[i] = ip2int(ip)
+	}
+
 	serveDns := config.GetBool("lighthouse.serve_dns", false)
 	lightHouse := NewLightHouse(
 		amLighthouse,
 		ip2int(tunCidr.IP),
-		config.GetStringSlice("lighthouse.hosts", []string{}),
+		lighthouseHosts,
 		//TODO: change to a duration
 		config.GetInt("lighthouse.interval", 10),
 		port,