diff --git a/client.js b/client.js
index d3a98cc..2e4d35c 100644
--- a/client.js
+++ b/client.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ var Onion       = require('multiserver/plugins/onion')
 var Shs         = require('multiserver/plugins/shs')
 var NoAuth      = require('multiserver/plugins/noauth')
 var UnixSock    = require('multiserver/plugins/unix-socket')
+const decodeAddress = require('multiserver-address').decode
 var explain     = require('explain-error')
 var muxrpc      = require('muxrpc')
 var pull        = require('pull-stream')
@@ -23,32 +24,10 @@ module.exports = function (opts, cb) {
   var config = opts.config
   var manifest = opts.manifest
 
-  var shs = Shs({
-    keys: toSodiumKeys(keys),
-    appKey: opts.config.caps.shs,
-
-    // no client auth. we can't receive connections anyway.
-    auth: function (cb) { cb(null, false) },
-    timeout: config.timers && config.timers.handshake || 3000
-  })
-
   // todo: refactor multiserver so that muxrpc is a transform.
   // then we can upgrade muxrpc's codec!
 
-  var noauth = NoAuth({
-    keys: toSodiumKeys(keys)
-  })
-
-  // I think it would be better to make these registerable plugins,
-  // that got connected up when you called. so they are not hard coded here.
-
-  var ms = MultiServer([
-    [Net({}), shs],
-    [Onion({}), shs],
-    [WS({}), shs],
-    [UnixSock({}), noauth],
-    [Net({}), noauth]
-  ])
+  const ms = makeMultiServer(opts, remote)
 
   ms.client(remote, function (err, stream) {
     if (err) {
@@ -98,3 +77,57 @@ module.exports = function (opts, cb) {
     pull(stream, sbot.stream, stream)
   })
 }
+
+function makeMultiServer(opts, remote) {
+  // find out what transports and protocols
+  // we actually need to connect to 'remote'
+  const addresses = decodeAddress(remote)
+  const requiredPlugins = {}
+  addresses.forEach(address=>{
+    address.forEach(({name})=> requiredPlugins[name] = true)
+  })
+
+  // make shs instance, if needed
+  const shs = requiredPlugins.shs && Shs({
+    keys: toSodiumKeys(opts.keys),
+    appKey: opts.config.caps.shs,
+
+    // no client auth. we can't receive connections anyway.
+    auth: function (cb) { cb(null, false) },
+    timeout: opts.config.timers && config.timers.handshake || 3000
+  })
+
+  // make noauth instance, if needed
+  const noauth = requiredPlugins.noauth && NoAuth({
+    keys: toSodiumKeys(opts.keys)
+  })
+
+  const stack = []
+  if (requiredPlugins.net && shs) {
+    stack.push(
+      [Net({}), shs]
+    )
+  }
+  if (requiredPlugins.onion && shs) {
+    stack.push(
+      [Onion({}), shs]
+    )
+  }
+  if (requiredPlugins.ws && shs) {
+    stack.push(
+      [WS({}), shs]
+    )
+  }
+  if (requiredPlugins.unix && noauth) {
+    stack.push(
+      [UnixSock({}), noauth]
+    )
+  }
+  if (requiredPlugins.net && noauth) {
+    stack.push(
+      [Net({}), noauth]
+    )
+  }
+
+  return MultiServer(stack)
+}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 99398d0..aa8f1f7 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
     "explain-error": "^1.0.1",
     "multicb": "^1.2.1",
     "multiserver": "^3.1.2",
+    "multiserver-address": "^1.0.1",
     "muxrpc": "^6.5.0",
     "pull-hash": "^1.0.0",
     "pull-stream": "^3.6.0",
@@ -23,6 +24,9 @@
   "devDependencies": {
     "ssb-master": "^1.0.2",
     "ssb-server": "^14.1.2",
+    "ssb-onion": "^1.0.0",
+    "ssb-unix-socket": "^1.0.0",
+    "ssb-ws": "^6.2.3",
     "tape": "^4.2.0"
   },
   "author": "Paul Frazee <pfrazee@gmail.com>",
diff --git a/test/transports.js b/test/transports.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..80675b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/transports.js
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+const tape = require('tape')
+const ssbKeys = require('ssb-keys')
+const pull = require('pull-stream')
+const ssbServer = require('ssb-server')
+  .use(require('ssb-server/plugins/no-auth'))
+  .use(require('ssb-master'))
+  .use(require('ssb-ws'))
+  .use(require('ssb-unix-socket'))
+  .use(require('ssb-onion'))
+
+const ssbClient = require('../')
+
+const shsCap = 'XMHDXXFGBJvloCk8fOinzPkKMRqyA2/eH+3VyUr6lig='
+
+const keys = ssbKeys.generate()
+
+// ssb-server does not support more than one unix socket server 
+// (if there's more than one, they end up having the same file system path, because ssb.config.path is used for this)
+// That's why we create a new server for each transport
+//
+// More problems:
+// - a 2nd unix socket cannot be created by the same process? Even when created by a different multi-server instnace after the
+// You can uncomment one or the other unix incomings below, but not both!
+// first instance was closed?
+// - I can't get the onion stuff to work here. I don't see why.
+
+const incomings = {
+  //"unix-shs": {transport: 'unix', opts: {transform: "shs", scope: "device"}},
+  "net-shs": {transport: 'net', opts: {transform: "shs", scope: "device", port: 45451}},
+  "ws-shs": {transport: 'ws', opts: {transform: "shs", scope: "device", port: 45452}},
+  //"onion-shs": {transport: 'onion', opts: {transform: "shs", scope: "private"}},
+  "unix-noauth": {transport: 'unix', opts: {transform: "noauth", scope: "device"}}
+}
+
+for (let [testname, incoming] of Object.entries(incomings)) {
+  tape(testname, t =>{
+    let {transport, opts} = incoming
+    makeServer(transport, testname, opts, (err, server) =>{
+      const address = server.getAddress("device")
+      console.log('a server is listening on: %s', address)
+      t.pass()
+      server.close(()=>t.end())
+    })
+  })
+}
+
+/*
+tape.skip('net', function (t) {
+    ssbClient(keys, { remote: address, manifest: server.manifest(), caps: { shs: shsCap } }, function (err, client) {
+      if (err) throw err
+
+      client.whoami(function (err, info) {
+        if (err) throw err
+
+        console.log('whoami', info)
+        t.equal(info.id, keys.id)
+        t.end()
+        client.close(true)
+      })
+    })
+  })
+})
+*/
+
+function makeServer(transport, testname, opts, cb) {
+  const server = ssbServer({
+    timeout: 2001,
+    temp: 'connect-' + testname,
+    master: keys.id,
+    keys: keys,
+    caps: { shs: shsCap },
+    connections: {
+      incoming: {
+        [transport]: [opts]
+      }
+    }
+  })
+
+  server.on('multiserver:listening', () => {
+    cb (null, server)
+  })
+}
+