diff --git a/src/bin_client/main_client.ml b/src/bin_client/main_client.ml
index e19e08059..fe02b7d5b 100644
--- a/src/bin_client/main_client.ml
+++ b/src/bin_client/main_client.ml
@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ let check_network ctxt =
       Lwt.return_none
   | Ok versions ->
       match String.split_on_char '_' (List.hd versions).name with
+      | "SANDBOXED" :: _ ->
+          sandbox () ;
+          Lwt.return_some `Sandbox
       | "TEZOS" :: "ZERONET" :: _date :: [] ->
           zeronet () ;
           Lwt.return_some `Zeronet
@@ -107,9 +110,6 @@ let check_network ctxt =
       | "TEZOS" :: "BETANET" :: _date :: [] ->
           betanet () ;
           Lwt.return_some `Betanet
-      | "TEZOS" :: _date :: [] ->
-          sandbox () ;
-          Lwt.return_some `Sandbox
       | _ ->
           default () ;
           Lwt.return_none
diff --git a/src/bin_node/node_run_command.ml b/src/bin_node/node_run_command.ml
index abd3e6be3..8f354913f 100644
--- a/src/bin_node/node_run_command.ml
+++ b/src/bin_node/node_run_command.ml
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ let init_node ?sandbox ?checkpoint (config : Node_config_file.t) =
     checkpoint ;
   } in
   Node.create
+    ~sandboxed:(sandbox <> None)
     node_config
     config.shell.peer_validator_limits
     config.shell.block_validator_limits
diff --git a/src/lib_shell/node.ml b/src/lib_shell/node.ml
index 6c1501c53..97a040409 100644
--- a/src/lib_shell/node.ml
+++ b/src/lib_shell/node.ml
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ let init_connection_metadata opt =
       { disable_mempool = c.P2p.disable_mempool ;
         private_node = c.P2p.private_mode }
 
-let init_p2p p2p_params =
+let init_p2p ?(sandboxed = false) p2p_params =
   match p2p_params with
   | None ->
       let c_meta = init_connection_metadata None in
@@ -70,11 +70,21 @@ let init_p2p p2p_params =
       let conn_metadata_cfg = connection_metadata_cfg c_meta in
       lwt_log_notice Tag.DSL.(fun f ->
           f "bootstrapping chain..." -% t event "bootstrapping_chain") >>= fun () ->
+      let message_cfg =
+        if sandboxed then
+          { Distributed_db_message.cfg with
+            versions =
+              List.map
+                (fun v -> { v with P2p_version.name =
+                                     "SANDBOXED_" ^ v.P2p_version.name })
+                Distributed_db_message.cfg.versions }
+        else
+          Distributed_db_message.cfg in
       P2p.create
         ~config ~limits
         peer_metadata_cfg
         conn_metadata_cfg
-        Distributed_db_message.cfg >>=? fun p2p ->
+        message_cfg >>=? fun p2p ->
       Lwt.async (fun () -> P2p.maintain p2p) ;
       return p2p
 
@@ -163,9 +173,11 @@ let may_update_checkpoint chain_state checkpoint =
       Chain.set_head chain_state new_head >>= fun _old_head ->
       State.Chain.set_checkpoint chain_state checkpoint
 
-let create { genesis ; store_root ; context_root ;
-             patch_context ; p2p = p2p_params ;
-             test_chain_max_tll = max_child_ttl ; checkpoint }
+let create
+    ?(sandboxed = false)
+    { genesis ; store_root ; context_root ;
+      patch_context ; p2p = p2p_params ;
+      test_chain_max_tll = max_child_ttl ; checkpoint }
     peer_validator_limits
     block_validator_limits
     prevalidator_limits
@@ -174,7 +186,7 @@ let create { genesis ; store_root ; context_root ;
     match p2p_params with
     | Some (config, _limits) -> not config.P2p.disable_mempool
     | None -> true in
-  init_p2p p2p_params >>=? fun p2p ->
+  init_p2p ~sandboxed p2p_params >>=? fun p2p ->
   State.read
     ~store_root ~context_root ?patch_context genesis >>=? fun (state, mainchain_state) ->
   may_update_checkpoint mainchain_state checkpoint >>= fun () ->
diff --git a/src/lib_shell/node.mli b/src/lib_shell/node.mli
index 4eb286c91..ce167e61d 100644
--- a/src/lib_shell/node.mli
+++ b/src/lib_shell/node.mli
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ val default_block_validator_limits: block_validator_limits
 val default_chain_validator_limits: chain_validator_limits
 
 val create:
+  ?sandboxed:bool ->
   config ->
   peer_validator_limits ->
   block_validator_limits ->