diff --git a/src/nodes/NodeConnection.ts b/src/nodes/NodeConnection.ts
index df1add3fcb..2deba2ca13 100644
--- a/src/nodes/NodeConnection.ts
+++ b/src/nodes/NodeConnection.ts
@@ -1,26 +1,27 @@
 import type { NodeId } from './types';
 import type { Host, Hostname, Port } from '../network/types';
 import type { Certificate } from '../keys/types';
-import type Proxy from '../network/Proxy';
-import type GRPCClient from '../grpc/GRPCClient';
 import type { ContextTimed } from '../contexts/types';
 import type { PromiseCancellable } from '@matrixai/async-cancellable';
+import type { ClientManifest } from '@/rpc/types';
+import type { Host as QUICHost, Port as QUICPort } from '@matrixai/quic';
+import type { QUICClientConfig } from './types';
 import Logger from '@matrixai/logger';
 import { CreateDestroy, ready } from '@matrixai/async-init/dist/CreateDestroy';
-import * as asyncInit from '@matrixai/async-init';
+import { QUICClient } from '@matrixai/quic';
+import RPCClient from '@/rpc/RPCClient';
 import * as nodesErrors from './errors';
 import { context, timedCancellable } from '../contexts/index';
-import * as grpcErrors from '../grpc/errors';
 import * as networkUtils from '../network/utils';
-import { timerStart } from '../utils/index';
+import * as rpcUtils from '../rpc/utils';
 
+// TODO: extend an event system, use events for cleaning up.
 /**
  * Encapsulates the unidirectional client-side connection of one node to another.
  */
-// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars -- False positive for T
-interface NodeConnection<T extends GRPCClient> extends CreateDestroy {}
+interface NodeConnection<M extends ClientManifest> extends CreateDestroy {}
 @CreateDestroy()
-class NodeConnection<T extends GRPCClient> {
+class NodeConnection<M extends ClientManifest> {
   public readonly host: Host;
   public readonly port: Port;
   /**
@@ -30,124 +31,84 @@ class NodeConnection<T extends GRPCClient> {
   public readonly hostname?: Hostname;
 
   protected logger: Logger;
-  protected destroyCallback: () => Promise<void>;
-  protected proxy: Proxy;
-  protected client: T;
+  protected quicClient: QUICClient;
+  protected rpcClient: RPCClient<M>;
 
-  static createNodeConnection<T extends GRPCClient>(
+  static createNodeConnection<M extends ClientManifest>(
     {
       targetNodeId,
       targetHost,
       targetPort,
       targetHostname,
-      proxy,
-      clientFactory,
-      destroyCallback,
-      destroyTimeout,
+      quicClientConfig,
+      manifest,
       logger,
     }: {
       targetNodeId: NodeId;
       targetHost: Host;
       targetPort: Port;
       targetHostname?: Hostname;
-      proxy: Proxy;
-      clientFactory: (...args) => Promise<T>;
-      destroyCallback?: () => Promise<void>;
-      destroyTimeout?: number;
+      quicClientConfig: QUICClientConfig;
+      manifest: M;
       logger?: Logger;
     },
     ctx?: Partial<ContextTimed>,
-  ): PromiseCancellable<NodeConnection<T>>;
+  ): PromiseCancellable<NodeConnection<M>>;
   @timedCancellable(true, 20000)
-  static async createNodeConnection<T extends GRPCClient>(
+  static async createNodeConnection<M extends ClientManifest>(
     {
       targetNodeId,
       targetHost,
       targetPort,
       targetHostname,
-      proxy,
-      clientFactory,
-      destroyCallback = async () => {},
-      destroyTimeout = 2000,
+      quicClientConfig,
+      manifest,
       logger = new Logger(this.name),
     }: {
       targetNodeId: NodeId;
       targetHost: Host;
       targetPort: Port;
       targetHostname?: Hostname;
-      proxy: Proxy;
-      clientFactory: (...args) => Promise<T>;
-      destroyCallback?: () => Promise<void>;
-      destroyTimeout?: number;
+      quicClientConfig: QUICClientConfig;
+      manifest: M;
       logger?: Logger;
     },
     @context ctx: ContextTimed,
-  ): Promise<NodeConnection<T>> {
+  ): Promise<NodeConnection<M>> {
     logger.info(`Creating ${this.name}`);
     // Checking if attempting to connect to a wildcard IP
     if (networkUtils.isHostWildcard(targetHost)) {
       throw new nodesErrors.ErrorNodeConnectionHostWildcard();
     }
-    const proxyConfig = {
-      host: proxy.getForwardHost(),
-      port: proxy.getForwardPort(),
-      authToken: proxy.authToken,
-    };
-    // 1. Ask fwdProxy for connection to target (the revProxy of other node)
-    // 2. Start sending hole-punching packets to the target (via the client start -
-    // this establishes a HTTP CONNECT request with the forward proxy)
-    // 3. Relay the proxy port to the broker/s (such that they can inform the other node)
-    // 4. Start sending hole-punching packets to other node (done in openConnection())
-    // Done in parallel
-    const nodeConnection = new this<T>({
+    // TODO: this needs to be updated to take a context,
+    //  still uses old timer style.
+    const clientLogger = logger.getChild(RPCClient.name);
+    // TODO: Custom TLS validation with NodeId
+    // TODO: Idle timeout and connection timeout is the same thing from the `quic` perspective.
+    //  THis means we need to race our timeout timer
+    const quicClient = await QUICClient.createQUICClient({
+      host: targetHost as unknown as QUICHost, // FIXME: better type conversion?
+      port: targetPort as unknown as QUICPort, // FIXME: better type conversion?
+      ...quicClientConfig,
+      logger: logger.getChild(QUICClient.name),
+    });
+    const rpcClient = await RPCClient.createRPCClient<M>({
+      manifest,
+      middlewareFactory: rpcUtils.defaultClientMiddlewareWrapper(),
+      streamFactory: () => {
+        return quicClient.connection.streamNew();
+      },
+      logger: clientLogger,
+    });
+    const nodeConnection = new this<M>({
       host: targetHost,
       port: targetPort,
       hostname: targetHostname,
-      proxy: proxy,
-      destroyCallback,
+      quicClient,
+      rpcClient,
       logger,
     });
-    let client: T;
-    try {
-      // TODO: this needs to be updated to take a context,
-      //  still uses old timer style.
-      const clientLogger = logger.getChild(clientFactory.name);
-      client = await clientFactory({
-        nodeId: targetNodeId,
-        host: targetHost,
-        port: targetPort,
-        proxyConfig: proxyConfig,
-        // Think about this
-        logger: clientLogger,
-        destroyCallback: async () => {
-          clientLogger.debug(`GRPC client triggered destroyedCallback`);
-          if (
-            nodeConnection[asyncInit.status] !== 'destroying' &&
-            !nodeConnection[asyncInit.destroyed]
-          ) {
-            await nodeConnection.destroy({ timeout: destroyTimeout });
-          }
-        },
-        // FIXME: this needs to be replaced with
-        //  the GRPC timerCancellable update
-        timer: timerStart(ctx.timer.getTimeout()),
-      });
-      // 5. When finished, you have a connection to other node
-      // The GRPCClient is ready to be used for requests
-    } catch (e) {
-      await nodeConnection.destroy({ timeout: destroyTimeout });
-      // If the connection times out, re-throw this with a higher level nodes exception
-      if (e instanceof grpcErrors.ErrorGRPCClientTimeout) {
-        throw new nodesErrors.ErrorNodeConnectionTimeout(e.message, {
-          cause: e,
-        });
-      }
-      throw e;
-    }
-    // FIXME: we need a finally block here to do cleanup.
-    // TODO: This is due to chicken or egg problem
-    //  see if we can move to CreateDestroyStartStop to resolve this
-    nodeConnection.client = client;
+    nodeConnection.rpcClient = rpcClient;
     logger.info(`Created ${this.name}`);
     return nodeConnection;
   }
@@ -156,48 +117,43 @@ class NodeConnection<T extends GRPCClient> {
     host,
     port,
     hostname,
-    proxy,
-    destroyCallback,
+    quicClient,
+    rpcClient,
     logger,
   }: {
     host: Host;
     port: Port;
     hostname?: Hostname;
-    proxy: Proxy;
-    destroyCallback: () => Promise<void>;
+    quicClient: QUICClient;
+    rpcClient: RPCClient<M>;
     logger: Logger;
   }) {
     this.logger = logger;
     this.host = host;
     this.port = port;
     this.hostname = hostname;
-    this.proxy = proxy;
-    this.destroyCallback = destroyCallback;
+    this.quicClient = quicClient;
+    this.rpcClient = rpcClient;
   }
 
   public async destroy({
-    timeout,
+    force,
   }: {
-    timeout?: number;
+    force?: boolean;
   } = {}) {
     this.logger.info(`Destroying ${this.constructor.name}`);
-    if (
-      this.client != null &&
-      this.client[asyncInit.status] !== 'destroying' &&
-      !this.client[asyncInit.destroyed]
-    ) {
-      await this.client.destroy({ timeout });
-    }
-    this.logger.debug(`${this.constructor.name} triggered destroyedCallback`);
-    await this.destroyCallback();
+    await this.quicClient.destroy({ force });
+    await this.rpcClient.destroy();
+    this.logger.debug(`${this.constructor.name} triggered destroyed event`);
+    // TODO: trigger destroy event
     this.logger.info(`Destroyed ${this.constructor.name}`);
   }
 
   /**
    * Gets GRPCClient for this node connection
    */
-  public getClient(): T {
-    return this.client;
+  public getClient(): RPCClient<M> {
+    return this.rpcClient;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -207,11 +163,10 @@ class NodeConnection<T extends GRPCClient> {
    */
   @ready(new nodesErrors.ErrorNodeConnectionDestroyed())
   public getRootCertChain(): Array<Certificate> {
-    const connInfo = this.proxy.getConnectionInfoByProxy(this.host, this.port);
-    if (connInfo == null) {
-      throw new nodesErrors.ErrorNodeConnectionInfoNotExist();
-    }
-    return connInfo.remoteCertificates;
+    const connInfo = this.quicClient.connection.remoteInfo;
+    // TODO:
+    throw Error('TMP IMP');
+    // Return connInfo.remoteCertificates;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/nodes/NodeConnectionManager.ts b/src/nodes/NodeConnectionManager.ts
index 85c7c55f90..ea745494a0 100644
--- a/src/nodes/NodeConnectionManager.ts
+++ b/src/nodes/NodeConnectionManager.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import type { ResourceAcquire } from '@matrixai/resources';
 import type KeyRing from '../keys/KeyRing';
-import type Proxy from '../network/Proxy';
 import type { Host, Hostname, Port } from '../network/types';
 import type NodeGraph from './NodeGraph';
 import type TaskManager from '../tasks/TaskManager';
@@ -26,17 +25,19 @@ import NodeConnection from './NodeConnection';
 import * as nodesUtils from './utils';
 import * as nodesErrors from './errors';
 import { context, timedCancellable } from '../contexts';
-import GRPCClientAgent from '../agent/GRPCClientAgent';
 import * as validationUtils from '../validation/utils';
 import * as networkUtils from '../network/utils';
 import * as nodesPB from '../proto/js/polykey/v1/nodes/nodes_pb';
 import { never, promise } from '../utils';
 import { resolveHostnames } from '../network/utils';
+import { clientManifest as agentClientManifest } from '../agent/handlers/clientManifest';
 
 // TODO: check all locking and add cancellation for it.
 
+type AgentClientManifest = typeof clientManifest;
+
 type ConnectionAndTimer = {
-  connection: NodeConnection<GRPCClientAgent>;
+  connection: NodeConnection<AgentClientManifest>;
   timer: Timer | null;
   usageCount: number;
 };
@@ -68,7 +69,6 @@ class NodeConnectionManager {
   protected logger: Logger;
   protected nodeGraph: NodeGraph;
   protected keyRing: KeyRing;
-  protected proxy: Proxy;
   protected taskManager: TaskManager;
   // NodeManager has to be passed in during start to allow co-dependency
   protected nodeManager: NodeManager | undefined;
@@ -92,12 +92,10 @@ class NodeConnectionManager {
   > = new Map();
   protected backoffDefault: number = 300; // 5 min
   protected backoffMultiplier: number = 2; // Doubles every failure
-  protected ncDestroyTimeout: number;
 
   public constructor({
     keyRing,
     nodeGraph,
-    proxy,
     taskManager,
     seedNodes = {},
     initialClosestNodes = 3,
@@ -109,7 +107,6 @@ class NodeConnectionManager {
   }: {
     nodeGraph: NodeGraph;
     keyRing: KeyRing;
-    proxy: Proxy;
     taskManager: TaskManager;
     seedNodes?: SeedNodes;
     initialClosestNodes?: number;
@@ -122,7 +119,6 @@ class NodeConnectionManager {
     this.logger = logger ?? new Logger(NodeConnectionManager.name);
     this.keyRing = keyRing;
     this.nodeGraph = nodeGraph;
-    this.proxy = proxy;
     this.taskManager = taskManager;
     const localNodeIdEncoded = nodesUtils.encodeNodeId(keyRing.getNodeId());
     delete seedNodes[localNodeIdEncoded];
@@ -175,7 +171,7 @@ class NodeConnectionManager {
   public async acquireConnection(
     targetNodeId: NodeId,
     ctx?: Partial<ContextTimed>,
-  ): Promise<ResourceAcquire<NodeConnection<GRPCClientAgent>>> {
+  ): Promise<ResourceAcquire<NodeConnection<AgentClientManifest>>> {
     if (this.keyRing.getNodeId().equals(targetNodeId)) {
       this.logger.warn('Attempting connection to our own NodeId');
     }
@@ -221,7 +217,7 @@ class NodeConnectionManager {
    */
   public withConnF<T>(
     targetNodeId: NodeId,
-    f: (conn: NodeConnection<GRPCClientAgent>) => Promise<T>,
+    f: (conn: NodeConnection<AgentClientManifest>) => Promise<T>,
     ctx?: Partial<ContextTimed>,
   ): PromiseCancellable<T>;
   @ready(new nodesErrors.ErrorNodeConnectionManagerNotRunning())
@@ -232,7 +228,7 @@ class NodeConnectionManager {
   )
   public async withConnF<T>(
     targetNodeId: NodeId,
-    f: (conn: NodeConnection<GRPCClientAgent>) => Promise<T>,
+    f: (conn: NodeConnection<AgentClientManifest>) => Promise<T>,
     @context ctx: ContextTimed,
   ): Promise<T> {
     return await withF(
@@ -254,7 +250,7 @@ class NodeConnectionManager {
   public async *withConnG<T, TReturn, TNext>(
     targetNodeId: NodeId,
     g: (
-      conn: NodeConnection<GRPCClientAgent>,
+      conn: NodeConnection<AgentClientManifest>,
     ) => AsyncGenerator<T, TReturn, TNext>,
     ctx?: Partial<ContextTimed>,
   ): AsyncGenerator<T, TReturn, TNext> {
@@ -352,27 +348,23 @@ class NodeConnectionManager {
         const nodeConnectionProms = targetAddresses.map((address, index) => {
           const destroyCallbackProm = promise<void>();
           destroyCallbackProms[index] = destroyCallbackProm;
-          const nodeConnectionProm = NodeConnection.createNodeConnection(
-            {
-              targetNodeId: targetNodeId,
-              targetHost: address.host,
-              targetHostname: targetHostname,
-              targetPort: address.port,
-              proxy: this.proxy,
-              destroyTimeout: this.ncDestroyTimeout,
-              destroyCallback: async () => {
-                destroyCallbackProm.resolveP();
-              },
-              logger: this.logger.getChild(
-                `${NodeConnection.name} [${nodesUtils.encodeNodeId(
-                  targetNodeId,
-                )}@${address.host}:${address.port}]`,
-              ),
-              clientFactory: async (args) =>
-                GRPCClientAgent.createGRPCClientAgent(args),
+          const nodeConnectionProm = NodeConnection.createNodeConnection({
+            destroyCallback(): Promise<void> {
+              return Promise.resolve(undefined);
             },
-            ctx,
-          );
+            destroyTimeout: 0,
+            manifest: agentClientManifest,
+            quicClientConfig: {},
+            targetHost: address.host,
+            targetPort: address.port,
+            targetHostname: targetHostname,
+            targetNodeId: targetNodeId,
+            logger: this.logger.getChild(
+              `${NodeConnection.name} [${nodesUtils.encodeNodeId(
+                targetNodeId,
+              )}@${address.host}:${address.port}]`,
+            ),
+          });
           void nodeConnectionProm.then(
             () => firstConnectionIndexProm.resolveP(index),
             (e) => {
@@ -389,7 +381,7 @@ class NodeConnectionManager {
           );
           return nodeConnectionProm;
         });
-        let newConnection: NodeConnection<GRPCClientAgent>;
+        let newConnection: NodeConnection<AgentClientManifest>;
         try {
           newConnection = await Promise.any(nodeConnectionProms);
         } catch (e) {
@@ -417,7 +409,7 @@ class NodeConnectionManager {
             if (index === successfulIndex) return;
             nodeConnectionProm.cancel(cleanUpReason);
             return nodeConnectionProm.then(async (nodeConnection) => {
-              await nodeConnection.destroy({ timeout: this.ncDestroyTimeout });
+              await nodeConnection.destroy(); // TODO: force?
             });
           }),
         );
@@ -504,30 +496,8 @@ class NodeConnectionManager {
     proxyPort: Port,
     ctx?: Partial<ContextTimed>,
   ): PromiseCancellable<void> {
-    return this.proxy.openConnectionReverse(proxyHost, proxyPort, ctx);
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Treat this node as the client.
-   * Instruct the forward proxy to send hole-punching packets back to the target's
-   * reverse proxy, in order to open a connection from this client to the server.
-   * A connection is established if the client node's reverse proxy is sending
-   * hole punching packets at the same time as this node (acting as the client)
-   * sends hole-punching packets back to the server's reverse proxy.
-   * This is not needed to be called when doing hole punching since the
-   * ForwardProxy automatically starts the process.
-   * @param nodeId Node ID of the node we are connecting to
-   * @param proxyHost Proxy host of the reverse proxy
-   * @param proxyPort Proxy port of the reverse proxy
-   * @param ctx
-   */
-  public async holePunchForward(
-    nodeId: NodeId,
-    proxyHost: Host,
-    proxyPort: Port,
-    ctx?: ContextTimed,
-  ): Promise<void> {
-    await this.proxy.openConnectionForward([nodeId], proxyHost, proxyPort, ctx);
+    // TODO: tell the server to hole punch reverse
+    throw Error('TMP IMP');
   }
 
   /**
@@ -915,6 +885,9 @@ class NodeConnectionManager {
     });
   }
 
+  // FIXME: How do we handle pinging now? Previously this was done on the proxy level.
+  //  Now I think we need to actually establish a connection. Pinging should just be establishing a connection now.
+  //  I'll keep this but have it wrap normal connection establishment.
   /**
    * Checks if a connection can be made to the target. Returns true if the
    * connection can be authenticated, it's certificate matches the nodeId and
diff --git a/src/nodes/types.ts b/src/nodes/types.ts
index 41eb082b35..7442c0509a 100644
--- a/src/nodes/types.ts
+++ b/src/nodes/types.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 import type { NodeId, NodeIdString, NodeIdEncoded } from '../ids/types';
 import type { Host, Hostname, Port } from '../network/types';
+import type { Crypto } from '@matrixai/quic';
+import type { Host as QUICHost, Port as QUICPort } from '@matrixai/quic';
+import type { QUICConfig } from '@matrixai/quic/dist/config';
 
 /**
  * Key indicating which space the NodeGraph is in
@@ -26,6 +29,19 @@ type NodeData = {
 
 type SeedNodes = Record<NodeIdEncoded, NodeAddress>;
 
+type QUICClientConfig = {
+  crypto: {
+    key: ArrayBuffer;
+    ops: Crypto;
+  };
+  localHost?: QUICHost;
+  localPort?: QUICPort;
+  config?: QUICConfig;
+  keepaliveIntervalTime?: number;
+  maxReadableStreamBytes?: number;
+  maxWritableStreamBytes?: number;
+};
+
 export type {
   NodeId,
   NodeIdString,
@@ -37,4 +53,5 @@ export type {
   NodeBucket,
   NodeData,
   NodeGraphSpace,
+  QUICClientConfig,
 };
diff --git a/tests/agent/GRPCClientAgent.test.ts b/tests/agent-old/GRPCClientAgent.test.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/agent/GRPCClientAgent.test.ts
rename to tests/agent-old/GRPCClientAgent.test.ts
diff --git a/tests/agent/service/nodesChainDataGet.test.ts b/tests/agent-old/service/nodesChainDataGet.test.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/agent/service/nodesChainDataGet.test.ts
rename to tests/agent-old/service/nodesChainDataGet.test.ts
diff --git a/tests/agent/service/nodesClosestLocalNode.test.ts b/tests/agent-old/service/nodesClosestLocalNode.test.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/agent/service/nodesClosestLocalNode.test.ts
rename to tests/agent-old/service/nodesClosestLocalNode.test.ts
diff --git a/tests/agent/service/nodesCrossSignClaim.test.ts b/tests/agent-old/service/nodesCrossSignClaim.test.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/agent/service/nodesCrossSignClaim.test.ts
rename to tests/agent-old/service/nodesCrossSignClaim.test.ts
diff --git a/tests/agent/service/nodesHolePunchMessage.test.ts b/tests/agent-old/service/nodesHolePunchMessage.test.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/agent/service/nodesHolePunchMessage.test.ts
rename to tests/agent-old/service/nodesHolePunchMessage.test.ts
diff --git a/tests/agent/service/notificationsSend.test.ts b/tests/agent-old/service/notificationsSend.test.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/agent/service/notificationsSend.test.ts
rename to tests/agent-old/service/notificationsSend.test.ts
diff --git a/tests/agent/utils.ts b/tests/agent-old/utils.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/agent/utils.ts
rename to tests/agent-old/utils.ts