diff --git a/onionr/communicator2.py b/onionr/communicator2.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index d6313630..9bcb0d97
--- a/onionr/communicator2.py
+++ b/onionr/communicator2.py
@@ -19,32 +19,19 @@
     You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
     along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 '''
-import core, config, onionrblockapi as block, requests, xml
+import sys, core, config, onionrblockapi as block, requests
+from defusedxml import minidom
+
 class OnionrCommunicatorDaemon:
     def __init__(self, debug, developmentMode):
         self.timers = [] # list of tuples, function, time in seconds
         self._core = core.Core()
 
-        self.nistSalt = 0
+        self.nistSaltTimestamp = 0
+        self.powSalt = 0
         return
     
-    def getNistTimeStamp(self):
-        curTime = self._core._utils.getCurrentHourEpoch
-        data = doGetRequest('https://beacon.nist.gov/rest/record/' + str(curTime))
-        
 
-    def doGetRequest(self, url, port=sys.argv[2], proxyType='tor'):
-        '''
-        Do a get request through a local tor or i2p instance
-        '''
-        if proxyType == 'tor':
-            proxies = {'http': 'socks5://127.0.0.1:' + str(port), 'https': 'socks5://127.0.0.1:' + str(port)}
-        elif proxyType == 'i2p':
-            proxies = {'http': 'http://127.0.0.1:4444'}
-        else:
-            return
-        headers = {'user-agent': 'PyOnionr'}
-        r = requests.get(url, headers=headers, proxies=proxies, allow_redirects=False, timeout=(15, 30))
 
 shouldRun = False
 debug = True
diff --git a/onionr/onionr.py b/onionr/onionr.py
index 15bada6f..f64aba17 100755
--- a/onionr/onionr.py
+++ b/onionr/onionr.py
@@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ class Onionr:
         '''
             Starts the Onionr communication daemon
         '''
-
+        communicatorDaemon = './communicator.py'
         if not os.environ.get("WERKZEUG_RUN_MAIN") == "true":
             if self._developmentMode:
                 logger.warn('DEVELOPMENT MODE ENABLED (THIS IS LESS SECURE!)', timestamp = False)
@@ -560,7 +560,13 @@ class Onionr:
             logger.info('Started .onion service: ' + logger.colors.underline + net.myID)
             logger.info('Our Public key: ' + self.onionrCore._crypto.pubKey)
             time.sleep(1)
-            subprocess.Popen(["./communicator.py", "run", str(net.socksPort)])
+            try:
+                if config.get('newCommunicator'):
+                    communicatorDaemon = './communicator2.py'
+                    logger.info('Using new communicator')
+            except NameError:
+                pass
+            subprocess.Popen([communicatorDaemon, "run", str(net.socksPort)])
             logger.debug('Started communicator')
             events.event('daemon_start', onionr = self)
         api.API(self.debug)
diff --git a/onionr/onionrexceptions.py b/onionr/onionrexceptions.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c3975e63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/onionr/onionrexceptions.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+'''
+    Onionr - P2P Microblogging Platform & Social network.
+
+    This file contains exceptions for onionr
+'''
+'''
+    This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+    GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+    along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+'''
+
+class MissingPort(Exception):
+    pass
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/onionr/onionrpeers.py b/onionr/onionrpeers.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b6ed72ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/onionr/onionrpeers.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+'''
+    Onionr - P2P Microblogging Platform & Social network.
+
+    This file contains both the OnionrCommunicate class for communcating with peers
+'''
+'''
+    This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+    GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+    along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+'''
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/onionr/onionrutils.py b/onionr/onionrutils.py
index b0bd941d..e43e9ad6 100644
--- a/onionr/onionrutils.py
+++ b/onionr/onionrutils.py
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 import getpass, sys, requests, os, socket, hashlib, logger, sqlite3, config, binascii, time, base64, json, glob, shutil, math
 import nacl.signing, nacl.encoding
 from onionrblockapi import Block
+import onionrexceptions
+from defusedxml import minidom
 
 if sys.version_info < (3, 6):
     try:
@@ -483,6 +485,44 @@ class OnionrUtils:
         '''returns epoch'''
         return math.floor(time.time())
 
+    def doGetRequest(self, url, port=0, proxyType='tor'):
+        '''
+        Do a get request through a local tor or i2p instance
+        '''
+        if proxyType == 'tor':
+            if port == 0:
+                raise onionrexceptions.MissingPort('Socks port required for Tor HTTP get request')
+            proxies = {'http': 'socks5://127.0.0.1:' + str(port), 'https': 'socks5://127.0.0.1:' + str(port)}
+        elif proxyType == 'i2p':
+            proxies = {'http': 'http://127.0.0.1:4444'}
+        else:
+            return
+        headers = {'user-agent': 'PyOnionr'}
+        r = requests.get(url, headers=headers, proxies=proxies, allow_redirects=False, timeout=(15, 30))
+        return r.text
+
+    def getNistBeaconSalt(self, torPort=0):
+        '''
+            Get the token for the current hour from the NIST randomness beacon
+        '''
+        if torPort == 0:
+            try:
+                sys.argv[2]
+            except IndexError:
+                raise onionrexceptions.MissingPort('Missing Tor socks port')
+        retData = ''
+        curTime = self._core._utils.getCurrentHourEpoch
+        self.nistSaltTimestamp = curTime
+        data = self.doGetRequest('https://beacon.nist.gov/rest/record/' + str(curTime), port=torPort)
+        dataXML = minidom.parseString(data, forbid_dtd=True, forbid_entities=True, forbid_external=True)
+        try:
+            retData = dataXML.getElementsByTagName('outputValue')[0].childNodes[0].data
+        except ValueError:
+            logger.warn('Could not get NIST beacon value')
+        else:
+            self.powSalt = retData
+        return retData
+
 def size(path='.'):
     '''
         Returns the size of a folder's contents in bytes
diff --git a/onionr/static-data/default_config.json b/onionr/static-data/default_config.json
index 58df1019..a4fc7c9d 100644
--- a/onionr/static-data/default_config.json
+++ b/onionr/static-data/default_config.json
@@ -23,5 +23,6 @@
     "allocations":{
         "disk": 1000000000,
         "netTotal": 1000000000
-    }
+    },
+    "newCommunicator": false
 }
diff --git a/onionr/timedhmac.py b/onionr/timedhmac.py
deleted file mode 100644
index a6163ead..00000000
--- a/onionr/timedhmac.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,50 +0,0 @@
-'''
-    Onionr - P2P Microblogging Platform & Social network. Run with 'help' for usage.
-    This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
-    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
-    the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
-    (at your option) any later version.
-
-    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
-    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
-    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
-    GNU General Public License for more details.
-    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
-    along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
-'''
-
-import hmac, base64, time, math
-
-class TimedHMAC:
-    def __init__(self, base64Key, data, hashAlgo):
-        '''
-            base64Key = base64 encoded key
-            data = data to hash
-            expire = time expiry in epoch
-            hashAlgo = string in hashlib.algorithms_available
-
-            Maximum of 10 seconds grace period
-        '''
-        
-        self.data = data
-        self.expire = math.floor(time.time())
-        self.hashAlgo = hashAlgo
-        self.b64Key = base64Key
-        generatedHMAC = hmac.HMAC(base64.b64decode(base64Key).decode(), digestmod=self.hashAlgo)
-        generatedHMAC.update(data + expire)
-        self.HMACResult = generatedHMAC.hexdigest()
-
-        return
-
-    def check(self, data):
-        '''
-            Check a hash (and verify time is sane)
-        '''
-        
-        testHash = hmac.HMAC(base64.b64decode(base64Key).decode(), digestmod=self.hashAlgo)
-        testHash.update(data + math.floor(time.time()))
-        testHash = testHash.hexdigest()
-        if hmac.compare_digest(testHash, self.HMACResult):
-            return true
-        
-        return false
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index ffdcdf77..e6bad4ab 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -7,5 +7,6 @@ sha3==0.2.1
 simple_crypt==4.1.7
 ecdsa==0.13
 requests==2.12.4
+defusedxml==0.5.0
 SocksiPy_branch==1.01
 sphinx_rtd_theme==0.3.0