diff --git a/backend/services/network.js b/backend/services/network.js
index 228214a..34d7274 100644
--- a/backend/services/network.js
+++ b/backend/services/network.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ const axios = require("axios");
 const api = require("../utils/controller-api");
 const db = require("../utils/db");
 const constants = require("../utils/constants");
-const startStopDNS = require("../utils/zns");
+const zns = require("../utils/zns");
 
 async function getNetworkAdditionalData(data) {
   let additionalData = db
@@ -22,11 +22,22 @@ async function getNetworkAdditionalData(data) {
   delete data.remoteTraceLevel;
   delete data.remoteTraceTarget;
 
+  let ad = { ...additionalData.value() };
+  data.dns = {
+    domain: ad.dnsDomain,
+    servers: ["pippo"],
+  };
+  if (ad.dnsIP) data.dns["servers"].push(ad.dnsIP);
+  console.log(`*** dns="${JSON.stringify(ad)}" -> ${JSON.stringify(data.dns)}`);
+  delete ad.dnsIP;
+  delete ad.dnsDomain;
+  delete ad.dnsEnable;
+  delete ad.dnsWildcard;
   return {
     id: data.id,
     type: "Network",
     clock: Math.floor(new Date().getTime() / 1000),
-    ...additionalData.value(),
+    ...ad,
     config: data,
   };
 }
@@ -47,13 +58,11 @@ async function getNetworksData(nwids) {
       return [];
     });
 
-  let data = Promise.all(
+  return Promise.all(
     multipleRes.map((el) => {
       return getNetworkAdditionalData(el.data);
     })
   );
-
-  return data;
 }
 
 exports.createNetworkAdditionalData = createNetworkAdditionalData;
@@ -84,6 +93,12 @@ async function updateNetworkAdditionalData(nwid, data) {
     additionalData.rulesSource = data.rulesSource;
   }
   if (data.hasOwnProperty("dnsEnable")) {
+    if (data.dnsEnable) {
+      //TODO: start ZeroNSd and get its IP address
+      additionalData.dnsIP = "127.0.0.1";
+    } else {
+      additionalData.dnsIP = null;
+    }
     additionalData.dnsEnable = data.dnsEnable;
   }
   if (data.hasOwnProperty("dnsDomain")) {
@@ -101,17 +116,7 @@ async function updateNetworkAdditionalData(nwid, data) {
       .write();
 
     if (data.hasOwnProperty("dnsEnable")) {
-      let token = db.get("users").value()[0];
-      token = token.token;
-      let config = db.get("networks").find({ id: nwid }).value();
-      let ret = startStopDNS(token, config.id, config.additionalConfig);
-      if (ret) {
-        db.get("networks")
-          .filter({ id: nwid })
-          .map("additionalConfig")
-          .map((additionalConfig) => _.assign(additionalConfig, ret))
-          .write();
-      }
+      zns.handleNet(db.get("networks").filter({ id: nwid }).value()[0]);
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/backend/utils/zns.js b/backend/utils/zns.js
index 9982f43..731f167 100644
--- a/backend/utils/zns.js
+++ b/backend/utils/zns.js
@@ -1,64 +1,147 @@
-const { spawn } = require("child_process");
+const path = require("path");
+const fs = require("fs");
 
-function pidIsRunning(pid) {
-  try {
-    process.kill(pid, 0);
-    return true;
-  } catch (e) {
-    return false;
-  }
+const db = require("../utils/db");
+const cp = require("child_process");
+
+//TODO: does this kind of "optimization" make sense in Node.js?
+let token = null;
+function getToken() {
+  if (!token)
+    try {
+      token = db.get("users").value()[0].token;
+    } catch {
+      console.warn("*** token retrieval failed");
+    }
+  return token;
 }
 
+function setPid(nwid, pid) {
+  db.get("networks")
+    .filter({ id: nwid })
+    .map("additionalConfig")
+    .map((additionalConfig) => (additionalConfig.pidDNS = pid))
+    .write();
+}
+
+const isRunning = (query, pid) => {
+  return new Promise(function (resolve) {
+    //FIXME: Check if pgrep is available
+    cp.exec(`pgrep ${query}`, (err, stdout) => {
+      resolve(stdout.indexOf(`${pid}`) > -1);
+    });
+  });
+};
+
 function startDNS(token, nwid, conf) {
-  if (conf.hasOwnProperty("pidDNS")) {
-    if (pidIsRunning(conf.pidDNS)) {
-      return null;
+  //FIXME: check it does the right thing when conf.pidDNS is null/undefined
+  isRunning("zeronsd", conf.pidDNS).then((ok) => {
+    if (ok) {
+      console.log(
+        `startDNS(${token}, ${nwid}): already active on PID ${conf.pidDNS}`
+      );
+    } else {
+      let cmd = "zeronsd";
+      let opts = Array();
+      if (process.geteuid() === 0) {
+        // production in Docker container
+      } else {
+        // we are debugging
+        let myLocal = "/home/mcon/.cargo/bin";
+        let pth = process.env.PATH.split(path.delimiter);
+        if (!pth.includes(myLocal)) pth.push(myLocal);
+        if (
+          !process.env.PATH.split(path.delimiter).some(function (d) {
+            let e = path.resolve(d, cmd);
+            console.log(`*** PATH testing: "${d}" -> "${e}"`);
+            try {
+              fs.accessSync(e, fs.constants.X_OK);
+              console.log("    is executable");
+              cmd = "sudo";
+              opts.push("-E", e);
+              return true;
+            } catch (e) {
+              console.warn(`    cannot execute (${e})`);
+              return false;
+            }
+          })
+        ) {
+          console.error(`*** zeronsd not found in PATH (${process.env.PATH})`);
+          return;
+        }
+      }
+      opts.push("start", "-v", "-v");
+      if (conf.hasOwnProperty("dnsWildcard") && conf.dnsWildcard) {
+        opts.push("-w");
+      }
+      if (conf.hasOwnProperty("dnsDomain") && !!conf.dnsDomain) {
+        opts.push("-d", conf.dnsDomain);
+      }
+      opts.push(nwid);
+      process.env.ZEROTIER_CENTRAL_TOKEN = token;
+      console.log(`*** PATH: "${process.env.PATH}"`);
+      console.log(
+        `*** ZEROTIER_CENTRAL_TOKEN: "${process.env.ZEROTIER_CENTRAL_TOKEN}"`
+      );
+      let dns = cp.spawn(cmd, opts, { detached: true });
+      dns.on("spawn", () => {
+        console.log(
+          `zeronsd successfully spawned [${dns.pid}](${dns.spawnargs})`
+        );
+        setPid(nwid, dns.pid);
+      });
+      dns.stdout.on("data", (data) => {
+        console.log(`zeronsd spawn stdout: ${data}`);
+      });
+      dns.stderr.on("data", (data) => {
+        console.error(`zeronsd spawn stderr: ${data}`);
+      });
+      dns.on("error", (error) => {
+        console.log(`zeronsd spawn ERROR: [${error}](${dns.spawnargs})`);
+      });
+      dns.on("close", (code) => {
+        console.log(`zeronsd exited: [${code}](${dns.spawnargs})`);
+        setPid(nwid, null);
+      });
     }
-    delete conf.pidDNS;
-  }
-  const opts = Array("start");
-  if (conf.hasOwnProperty("dnsWildcard") && conf.dnsWildcard) {
-    opts.push("-w");
-  }
-  if (conf.hasOwnProperty("dnsDomain") && !!conf.dnsDomain) {
-    opts.push("-d", conf.dnsDomain);
-  }
-  opts.push(nwid);
-  let env = process.env;
-  env.ZEROTIER_CENTRAL_TOKEN = token;
-  console.log(`*** PATH: "${env.PATH}"`);
-  const dns = spawn("zeronsd", opts, {
-    detached: true,
-    env: env,
   });
-  dns.on("spawn", () => {
-    console.log(`zeronsd successfully spawned [${dns.pid}](${dns.spawnargs})`);
-    console.log("*** should update PID ***");
-  });
-  dns.on("error", (error) => {
-    console.log(`zeronsd spawn ERROR: [${error}](${dns.spawnargs})`);
-  });
-  conf.pidDNS = dns.pid;
-  return conf;
 }
 
-function stopDNS(conf) {
-  if (conf.hasOwnProperty("pidDNS")) {
-    try {
-      process.kill(conf.pidDNS);
-    } catch (e) {}
-    delete conf.pidDNS;
-    return conf;
-  }
-  return null;
-}
-
-module.exports = function (token, nwid, conf) {
-  let ret;
-  if (conf.dnsEnable) {
-    ret = startDNS(token, nwid, conf);
+function stopDNS(nwid, conf) {
+  let pid = conf.pidDNS;
+  if (pid) {
+    isRunning("zeronsd", pid).then((ok) => {
+      if (ok) {
+        console.log(`stopDNS(${nwid}): stopping PID ${pid}`);
+        try {
+          process.kill(pid);
+        } catch (e) {
+          console.error(`stopDNS(${nwid}): stopping PID ${pid} FAILED (${e})`);
+        }
+      } else {
+        console.log(`stopDNS(${nwid}): PID ${pid} is stale`);
+      }
+    });
+    setPid(nwid, null);
   } else {
-    ret = stopDNS(conf);
+    console.log(`stopDNS(${nwid}): net has no PID`);
   }
-  return ret;
-};
+}
+
+exports.handleNet = handleNet;
+function handleNet(net) {
+  let cfg = net.additionalConfig;
+  if (cfg.dnsEnable) {
+    startDNS(getToken(), net.id, cfg);
+  } else {
+    stopDNS(net.id, cfg);
+  }
+}
+
+exports.scan = scan;
+function scan() {
+  let nets = db.get("networks").value();
+  nets.forEach((net) => {
+    handleNet(net);
+  });
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/NetworkSettings/NetworkSettings.jsx b/frontend/src/components/NetworkSettings/NetworkSettings.jsx
index 54ff624..855a1be 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/NetworkSettings/NetworkSettings.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/NetworkSettings/NetworkSettings.jsx
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ function NetworkSettings({ network, setNetwork }) {
       sendReq(data);
     };
 
+  console.log(
+    `*** dns="${JSON.stringify(network)}" -> ${JSON.stringify(
+      network["config"]
+    )}`
+  );
   return (
     <Accordion>
       <AccordionSummary expandIcon={<ExpandMoreIcon />}>