diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index a1dbfd2a5f..f8b2b23fd0 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -571,10 +571,8 @@ bool AppInit2(boost::thread_group& threadGroup)
 
     // ********************************************************* Step 6: network initialization
 
-    SetProcessMessagesHandler(ProcessMessages);
-    SetSendMessagesHandler(SendMessages);
-    SetStartShutdownHandler(StartShutdown);
-    
+    RegisterNodeSignals(GetNodeSignals());
+ 
     int nSocksVersion = GetArg("-socks", 5);
     if (nSocksVersion != 4 && nSocksVersion != 5)
         return InitError(strprintf(_("Unknown -socks proxy version requested: %i"), nSocksVersion));
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index bd40476d4c..98921e1423 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -160,7 +160,22 @@ void static ResendWalletTransactions()
 
 
 
+//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//
+// Registration of network node signals.
+//
 
+void RegisterNodeSignals(CNodeSignals& nodeSignals)
+{
+    nodeSignals.ProcessMessages.connect(&ProcessMessages);
+    nodeSignals.SendMessages.connect(&SendMessages);
+}
+
+void UnregisterNodeSignals(CNodeSignals& nodeSignals)
+{
+    nodeSignals.ProcessMessages.disconnect(&ProcessMessages);
+    nodeSignals.SendMessages.disconnect(&SendMessages);
+}
 
 
 
diff --git a/src/main.h b/src/main.h
index f4e80c85ce..f62cfbef6d 100644
--- a/src/main.h
+++ b/src/main.h
@@ -124,6 +124,11 @@ void UnregisterWallet(CWallet* pwalletIn);
 /** Push an updated transaction to all registered wallets */
 void SyncWithWallets(const uint256 &hash, const CTransaction& tx, const CBlock* pblock = NULL, bool fUpdate = false);
 
+/** Register with a network node to receive its signals */
+void RegisterNodeSignals(CNodeSignals& nodeSignals);
+/** Unregister a network node */
+void UnregisterNodeSignals(CNodeSignals& nodeSignals);
+
 void PushGetBlocks(CNode* pnode, CBlockIndex* pindexBegin, uint256 hashEnd);
 
 /** Process an incoming block */
diff --git a/src/net.cpp b/src/net.cpp
index 5932f5f8e3..dc9a7e5371 100644
--- a/src/net.cpp
+++ b/src/net.cpp
@@ -68,27 +68,9 @@ CCriticalSection cs_vAddedNodes;
 
 static CSemaphore *semOutbound = NULL;
 
-//
-// Handlers that need to be registered
-//
-static ProcessMessagesHandler fnProcessMessages = NULL;
-static SendMessagesHandler fnSendMessages = NULL;
-static StartShutdownHandler fnStartShutdown = NULL;
-
-void SetProcessMessagesHandler(ProcessMessagesHandler handler)
-{
-    fnProcessMessages = handler;
-}
-
-void SetSendMessagesHandler(SendMessagesHandler handler)
-{
-    fnSendMessages = handler;
-}
-
-void SetStartShutdownHandler(StartShutdownHandler handler)
-{
-    fnStartShutdown = handler;
-}
+// Signals for message handling
+static CNodeSignals g_signals;
+CNodeSignals& GetNodeSignals() { return g_signals; }
 
 void AddOneShot(string strDest)
 {
@@ -1646,7 +1628,7 @@ void ThreadMessageHandler()
             {
                 TRY_LOCK(pnode->cs_vRecvMsg, lockRecv);
                 if (lockRecv)
-                    if (!ProcessMessages(pnode))
+                    if (!g_signals.ProcessMessages(pnode))
                         pnode->CloseSocketDisconnect();
             }
             boost::this_thread::interruption_point();
@@ -1654,8 +1636,8 @@ void ThreadMessageHandler()
             // Send messages
             {
                 TRY_LOCK(pnode->cs_vSend, lockSend);
-                if (lockSend && fnSendMessages)
-                    fnSendMessages(pnode, pnode == pnodeTrickle);
+                if (lockSend)
+                    g_signals.SendMessages(pnode, pnode == pnodeTrickle);
             }
             boost::this_thread::interruption_point();
         }
diff --git a/src/net.h b/src/net.h
index 1c8c99aa3b..fdac60d9ce 100644
--- a/src/net.h
+++ b/src/net.h
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <deque>
 #include <boost/array.hpp>
 #include <boost/foreach.hpp>
+#include <boost/signals2/signal.hpp>
 #include <openssl/rand.h>
 
 #ifndef WIN32
@@ -45,16 +46,15 @@ void StartNode(boost::thread_group& threadGroup);
 bool StopNode();
 void SocketSendData(CNode *pnode);
 
-//
-// Handlers that require registration
-//
-typedef bool (*ProcessMessagesHandler)(CNode* pfrom);
-typedef bool (*SendMessagesHandler)(CNode* pto, bool fSendTrickle);
-typedef void (*StartShutdownHandler)();
+// Signals for message handling
+struct CNodeSignals
+{
+    boost::signals2::signal<bool (CNode*)> ProcessMessages;
+    boost::signals2::signal<bool (CNode*, bool)> SendMessages;
+};
+
+CNodeSignals& GetNodeSignals();
 
-void SetProcessMessagesHandler(ProcessMessagesHandler handler);
-void SetSendMessagesHandler(SendMessagesHandler handler);
-void SetStartShutdownHandler(StartShutdownHandler handler);
 
 enum
 {