diff --git a/cmd/zetae2e/local/get_zetaclient_bootstrap.go b/cmd/zetae2e/local/get_zetaclient_bootstrap.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..16cbdcf10c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/zetae2e/local/get_zetaclient_bootstrap.go
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+package local
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"net"
+	"strings"
+
+	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
+	stakingtypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/staking/types"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"gitlab.com/thorchain/tss/go-tss/conversion"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/credentials/insecure"
+
+	"github.com/zeta-chain/node/pkg/rpc"
+	"github.com/zeta-chain/node/pkg/sdkconfig"
+	observertypes "github.com/zeta-chain/node/x/observer/types"
+)
+
+const grpcURLFlag = "grpc-url"
+
+func NewGetZetaclientBootstrap() *cobra.Command {
+	var cmd = &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "get-zetaclient-bootstrap",
+		Short: "get bootstrap address book entries for zetaclient",
+		RunE:  getZetaclientBootstrap,
+	}
+
+	cmd.Flags().
+		String(grpcURLFlag, "zetacore0:9090", "--grpc-url zetacore0:9090")
+
+	return cmd
+}
+
+func getZetaclientBootstrap(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
+	sdkconfig.SetDefault(true)
+	grpcURL, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString(grpcURLFlag)
+	rpcClient, err := rpc.NewGRPCClients(
+		grpcURL,
+		grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()),
+		grpc.WithBlock(),
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("get zetacore rpc client: %w", err)
+	}
+	var res *observertypes.QueryAllNodeAccountResponse
+	for {
+		res, err = rpcClient.Observer.NodeAccountAll(cmd.Context(), &observertypes.QueryAllNodeAccountRequest{})
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("get all node accounts: %w", err)
+		}
+		if len(res.NodeAccount) > 1 {
+			break
+		}
+		fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStderr(), "waiting for node accounts")
+	}
+
+	// note that we deliberately do not filter ourselfs/localhost
+	// to mirror the production configuration
+	for _, account := range res.NodeAccount {
+		accAddr, err := sdk.AccAddressFromBech32(account.Operator)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		valAddr := sdk.ValAddress(accAddr).String()
+		validatorRes, err := rpcClient.Staking.Validator(cmd.Context(), &stakingtypes.QueryValidatorRequest{
+			ValidatorAddr: valAddr,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("getting validator info for %s: %w", account.Operator, err)
+		}
+		// in localnet, moniker is also the hostname
+		moniker := validatorRes.Validator.Description.Moniker
+
+		peerID, err := conversion.Bech32PubkeyToPeerID(account.GranteePubkey.Secp256k1.String())
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("converting pubkey to peerID: %w", err)
+		}
+		zetaclientHostname := strings.ReplaceAll(moniker, "zetacore", "zetaclient")
+
+		// resolve the hostname
+		// something in libp2p/go-tss requires /ip4/<ip> and doesn't tolerate /dns4/<hostname>
+		ipAddresses, err := net.LookupIP(zetaclientHostname)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to resolve hostname %s: %w", zetaclientHostname, err)
+		}
+		if len(ipAddresses) == 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("no IP addresses found for hostname %s", zetaclientHostname)
+		}
+		ipv4Address := ""
+		for _, ip := range ipAddresses {
+			if ip.To4() != nil {
+				ipv4Address = ip.String()
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if ipv4Address == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("no IPv4 address found for hostname %s", zetaclientHostname)
+		}
+		fmt.Printf("/ip4/%s/tcp/6668/p2p/%s\n", ipv4Address, peerID.String())
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/zetae2e/local/local.go b/cmd/zetae2e/local/local.go
index 0ebb6244f9..e625b4174a 100644
--- a/cmd/zetae2e/local/local.go
+++ b/cmd/zetae2e/local/local.go
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ func NewLocalCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.Flags().
 		Bool(flagUpgradeContracts, false, "set to true to upgrade Gateways and ERC20Custody contracts during setup for ZEVM and EVM")
 
+	cmd.AddCommand(NewGetZetaclientBootstrap())
+
 	return cmd
 }
 
diff --git a/contrib/localnet/scripts/start-zetaclientd.sh b/contrib/localnet/scripts/start-zetaclientd.sh
index 93fa5c2af6..c994f1d2df 100755
--- a/contrib/localnet/scripts/start-zetaclientd.sh
+++ b/contrib/localnet/scripts/start-zetaclientd.sh
@@ -68,11 +68,15 @@ echo "operatorAddress: $operatorAddress"
 RELAYER_KEY_PATH="$HOME/.zetacored/relayer-keys"
 mkdir -p "${RELAYER_KEY_PATH}"
 
+mkdir -p "$HOME/.tss/"
+zetae2e local get-zetaclient-bootstrap > "$HOME/.tss/address_book.seed"
+
+MYIP=$(/sbin/ip -o -4 addr list eth0 | awk '{print $4}' | cut -d/ -f1)
+
 echo "Start zetaclientd"
 # skip initialization if the config file already exists (zetaclientd init has already been run)
 if [[ $HOSTNAME == "zetaclient0" && ! -f ~/.zetacored/config/zetaclient_config.json ]]
 then
-    MYIP=$(/sbin/ip -o -4 addr list eth0 | awk '{print $4}' | cut -d/ -f1)
     zetaclientd init --zetacore-url zetacore0 --chain-id athens_101-1 --operator "$operatorAddress" --log-format=text --public-ip "$MYIP" --keyring-backend "$BACKEND" --pre-params "$PREPARAMS_PATH"
 
     # import relayer private key for zetaclient0
@@ -90,13 +94,7 @@ if [[ $HOSTNAME != "zetaclient0" && ! -f ~/.zetacored/config/zetaclient_config.j
 then
   num=$(echo $HOSTNAME | tr -dc '0-9')
   node="zetacore$num"
-  MYIP=$(/sbin/ip -o -4 addr list eth0 | awk '{print $4}' | cut -d/ -f1)
-  SEED=""
-  while [ -z "$SEED" ]
-  do
-    SEED=$(curl --retry 30 --retry-delay 1 --max-time 1 --retry-connrefused -s zetaclient0:8123/p2p)
-  done
-  zetaclientd init --peer "/ip4/172.20.0.21/tcp/6668/p2p/${SEED}" --zetacore-url "$node" --chain-id athens_101-1 --operator "$operatorAddress" --log-format=text --public-ip "$MYIP" --log-level 1 --keyring-backend "$BACKEND" --pre-params "$PREPARAMS_PATH"
+  zetaclientd init --zetacore-url "$node" --chain-id athens_101-1 --operator "$operatorAddress" --log-format=text --public-ip "$MYIP" --log-level 1 --keyring-backend "$BACKEND" --pre-params "$PREPARAMS_PATH"
 
   # import relayer private key for zetaclient{$num}
   import_relayer_key "${num}"