diff --git a/cardano-config/src/Cardano/Config/Topology.hs b/cardano-config/src/Cardano/Config/Topology.hs
index a7d66adefae..30b76ba2b1d 100644
--- a/cardano-config/src/Cardano/Config/Topology.hs
+++ b/cardano-config/src/Cardano/Config/Topology.hs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ module Cardano.Config.Topology
   , NodeAddress(..)
   , NodeHostAddress(..)
   , NodeSetup(..)
+  , RealNodeTopology(..)
   , RemoteAddress(..)
   , createNodeAddress
   , nodeAddressInfo
@@ -134,6 +135,17 @@ data NodeSetup = NodeSetup
   , producers :: ![RemoteAddress]
   } deriving Show
 
+data RealNodeTopology = RealNodeTopology
+  { rNodeAddress :: !NodeAddress
+  , rProducers :: ![RemoteAddress]
+  }
+
+instance FromJSON RealNodeTopology where
+  parseJSON = withObject "RealNodeTopology" $ \v ->
+    RealNodeTopology
+      <$> v .: "rNodeAddress"
+      <*> (v .: "rProducers")
+
 instance FromJSON NodeId where
   parseJSON v = CoreId <$> parseJSON v
 
diff --git a/cardano-node/src/Cardano/Node/Run.hs b/cardano-node/src/Cardano/Node/Run.hs
index 9506452fa9d..f157a3cc03f 100644
--- a/cardano-node/src/Cardano/Node/Run.hs
+++ b/cardano-node/src/Cardano/Node/Run.hs
@@ -24,8 +24,12 @@ import           Cardano.Prelude hiding (ByteString, atomically, take, trace)
 import           Prelude (error, id, unlines)
 
 import qualified Control.Concurrent.Async as Async
+import           Control.Exception (IOException)
+import qualified Control.Exception as Exception
 import           Control.Tracer
+import           Data.Aeson (eitherDecode)
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as BSC
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as LB
 import           Data.Either (partitionEithers)
 import           Data.Functor.Contravariant (contramap)
 import qualified Data.List as List
@@ -194,13 +198,22 @@ handleSimpleNode p trace nodeTracers npm = do
       addrs <- nodeAddressInfo rNodeAddr
 
       mapM_ print addrs
+      print . unTopology $ topFile rMscFp
+      eitherTopology <- readRealNodeTopology . unTopology $ topFile rMscFp
+      topology <- case eitherTopology of
+                   --TODO: Convert handleSimpleNode to return `ExceptT`
+                   Left err -> panic $ "Cardano.Node.Run.readRealNodeTopology: "
+                                     <> err
+                   Right top -> pure top
+
+
 
       let ipProducerAddrs  :: [NodeAddress]
           --TODO:I believe I need to get producers via jq conversion of topology file
           dnsProducerAddrs :: [RemoteAddress]
           (ipProducerAddrs, dnsProducerAddrs) = partitionEithers
             [ maybe (Right ra) Left $ remoteAddressToNodeAddress ra
-            | ra <- [RemoteAddress "18.185.45.45" 3001 1] ]
+            | ra <- rProducers topology ]
           ipProducers :: [SockAddr]
           ipProducers = nodeAddressToSockAddr <$> ipProducerAddrs
 
@@ -355,3 +368,16 @@ handleSimpleNode p trace nodeTracers npm = do
               Just (CoreId  n) -> n
               Just (RelayId _) -> error "Non-core nodes currently not supported"
               Nothing -> 999
+
+-- | Read the `RealNodeTopology` configuration from the specified file.
+-- While running a real protocol, this gives your node its own address and
+-- other remote peers it will attempt to connect to.
+readRealNodeTopology :: FilePath -> IO (Either Text RealNodeTopology)
+readRealNodeTopology fp = do
+  ebs <- Exception.try $ BSC.readFile fp :: IO (Either IOException BSC.ByteString)
+  case ebs of
+    Left e -> pure $ handler e
+    Right bs -> pure . first toS . eitherDecode $ LB.fromStrict bs
+ where
+   handler :: IOException -> Either Text RealNodeTopology
+   handler e =  Left . pack $ show e
diff --git a/configuration/topology-proxy-follower.json b/configuration/topology-proxy-follower.json
index 5c81c41003c..4ad10a0392e 100644
--- a/configuration/topology-proxy-follower.json
+++ b/configuration/topology-proxy-follower.json
@@ -1,14 +1,13 @@
-[
-    { "nodeId": 0
-    , "nodeAddress":
-      { "addr": "127.0.0.1"
-      , "port": 7776
-      }
-    , "producers":
-      [ { "addr": "18.185.45.45"
-        , "port": 3001
-        , "valency": 1
-        }
-      ]
+{
+  "rNodeAddress": {
+    "addr": "127.0.0.1",
+    "port": 7776
+  },
+  "rProducers": [
+    {
+      "addr": "18.185.45.45",
+      "port": 3001,
+      "valency": 1
     }
-]
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/scripts/mainnet-proxy-follower.sh b/scripts/mainnet-proxy-follower.sh
index 3d471216bf3..32ca69dbf9d 100755
--- a/scripts/mainnet-proxy-follower.sh
+++ b/scripts/mainnet-proxy-follower.sh
@@ -3,13 +3,12 @@
 set -e
 
 RUNNER=${RUNNER:-cabal new-run --}
-TOPOLOGY=${TOPOLOGY:-"configuration/topology-proxy-follower.json"}
 
  ARGS=(  real-protocol
          --database-path           "./db"
          --genesis-file            "configuration/mainnet-genesis.json"
-         --topology                "${TOPOLOGY}"
-         --socket-dir              "./socket/singlenode"
+         --topology                "configuration/topology-proxy-follower.json"
+         --socket-path              "./socket/singlenode"
          --config                  "./configuration/mainnet-proxy-follower.yaml"
          --port                    7776
  )