diff --git a/internal/newnode/newnode.go b/internal/newnode/newnode.go
index 29a209b73..33ede62b4 100644
--- a/internal/newnode/newnode.go
+++ b/internal/newnode/newnode.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package newnode
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
@@ -55,9 +56,9 @@ type registerResponseRandomNumber struct {
 }
 
 // ContactBeaconChain starts a newservice in the candidate node
-func (node *NewNode) ContactBeaconChain(BCPeer p2p.Peer) {
+func (node *NewNode) ContactBeaconChain(BCPeer p2p.Peer) error {
 	go node.host.BindHandlerAndServe(node.NodeHandler)
-	node.requestBeaconChain(BCPeer)
+	return node.requestBeaconChain(BCPeer)
 }
 
 func (node NewNode) String() string {
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ func (node NewNode) String() string {
 }
 
 // RequestBeaconChain requests beacon chain for identity data
-func (node *NewNode) requestBeaconChain(BCPeer p2p.Peer) {
+func (node *NewNode) requestBeaconChain(BCPeer p2p.Peer) (err error) {
 	node.log.Info("connecting to beacon chain now ...")
 	pubk, err := node.PubK.MarshalBinary()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -94,9 +95,11 @@ checkLoop:
 		}
 	}
 	if !gotShardInfo {
+		err = errors.New("could not create connection")
 		node.log.Crit("Could not get sharding info after 5 minutes")
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
+	return
 }
 
 // ProcessShardInfo
diff --git a/internal/newnode/newnode_test.go b/internal/newnode/newnode_test.go
index 6d1ca6faa..f9c62b66e 100644
--- a/internal/newnode/newnode_test.go
+++ b/internal/newnode/newnode_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 package newnode
 
-import "testing"
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	beaconchain "github.com/harmony-one/harmony/internal/beaconchain/libs"
+	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/p2p"
+)
 
 func TestNewNode(t *testing.T) {
 	var ip, port string
@@ -16,3 +21,19 @@ func TestNewNode(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error("new node setinfo initialized to true! (should be false)")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestBeaconChainConnect(t *testing.T) {
+	var ip, beaconport, nodeport string
+	ip = "127.0.0.1"
+	beaconport = "8080"
+	nodeport = "8081"
+	nnode := New(ip, nodeport)
+	bc := beaconchain.New(1, ip, beaconport)
+	go bc.StartServer()
+	BCPeer := p2p.Peer{IP: ip, Port: beaconport}
+	err := nnode.ContactBeaconChain(BCPeer)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error("could not read from connection")
+	}
+
+}