diff --git a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/Core.groovy b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/Core.groovy
index 9d79faff..c7f4f239 100644
--- a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/Core.groovy
+++ b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/Core.groovy
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ class Core {
 		
 		log.info("initializing connection manager")
 		ConnectionManager connectionManager = props.isLeaf() ? 
-			new LeafConnectionManager(eventBus,3, hostCache) : new UltrapeerConnectionManager(eventBus, 512, 512, hostCache)
+			new LeafConnectionManager(eventBus,3, hostCache) : new UltrapeerConnectionManager(eventBus, 512, 512, hostCache, trustService)
 		eventBus.register(TrustEvent.class, connectionManager)
 		eventBus.register(ConnectionEvent.class, connectionManager)
 		eventBus.register(DisconnectionEvent.class, connectionManager)
diff --git a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/Connection.groovy b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/Connection.groovy
index e990e8de..1f0b0155 100644
--- a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/Connection.groovy
+++ b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/Connection.groovy
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import com.muwire.core.hostcache.HostCache
 import com.muwire.core.hostcache.HostDiscoveredEvent
 import com.muwire.core.search.QueryEvent
 import com.muwire.core.search.SearchEvent
+import com.muwire.core.trust.TrustLevel
+import com.muwire.core.trust.TrustService
 
 import groovy.util.logging.Log
 import net.i2p.data.Destination
@@ -21,6 +23,7 @@ abstract class Connection implements Closeable {
 	final Endpoint endpoint
 	final boolean incoming
 	final HostCache hostCache
+    final TrustService trustService
 	
 	private final AtomicBoolean running = new AtomicBoolean()
 	private final BlockingQueue messages = new LinkedBlockingQueue()
@@ -30,11 +33,12 @@ abstract class Connection implements Closeable {
 	
 	long lastPingSentTime, lastPongReceivedTime
 	
-	Connection(EventBus eventBus, Endpoint endpoint, boolean incoming, HostCache hostCache) {
+	Connection(EventBus eventBus, Endpoint endpoint, boolean incoming, HostCache hostCache, TrustService trustService) {
 		this.eventBus = eventBus
 		this.incoming = incoming
 		this.endpoint = endpoint
 		this.hostCache = hostCache
+        this.trustService = trustService
 		
 		this.name = endpoint.destination.toBase32().substring(0,8)
 		
@@ -135,7 +139,14 @@ abstract class Connection implements Closeable {
         UUID uuid = UUID.fromString(search.uuid)
         if (search.infohash != null)
             search.keywords = null
+            
         Destination replyTo = new Destination(search.replyTo)
+        if (trustService.getLevel(replyTo) == TrustLevel.DISTRUSTED) {
+            log.info "dropping search from distrusted peer"
+            return
+        }
+        // TODO: add option to respond only to trusted peers
+        
         SearchEvent searchEvent = new SearchEvent(searchTerms : search.keywords,
                                             searchHash : search.infohash,
                                             uuid : uuid)
diff --git a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/LeafConnection.groovy b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/LeafConnection.groovy
index f349df24..0d18d1eb 100644
--- a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/LeafConnection.groovy
+++ b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/LeafConnection.groovy
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import java.io.OutputStream
 
 import com.muwire.core.EventBus
 import com.muwire.core.hostcache.HostCache
+import com.muwire.core.trust.TrustService
 
 import net.i2p.data.Destination
 
@@ -15,8 +16,8 @@ import net.i2p.data.Destination
  */
 class LeafConnection extends Connection {
 
-	public LeafConnection(EventBus eventBus, Endpoint endpoint, HostCache hostCache) {
-		super(eventBus, endpoint, true, hostCache);
+	public LeafConnection(EventBus eventBus, Endpoint endpoint, HostCache hostCache, TrustService trustService) {
+		super(eventBus, endpoint, true, hostCache, trustService);
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/PeerConnection.groovy b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/PeerConnection.groovy
index df97a84d..c787f946 100644
--- a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/PeerConnection.groovy
+++ b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/PeerConnection.groovy
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import java.io.OutputStream
 
 import com.muwire.core.EventBus
 import com.muwire.core.hostcache.HostCache
+import com.muwire.core.trust.TrustService
 import com.muwire.core.util.DataUtil
 
 import groovy.json.JsonOutput
@@ -28,8 +29,8 @@ class PeerConnection extends Connection {
 	private final JsonSlurper slurper = new JsonSlurper()
 
 	public PeerConnection(EventBus eventBus, Endpoint endpoint,
-			boolean incoming, HostCache hostCache) {
-		super(eventBus, endpoint, incoming, hostCache)
+			boolean incoming, HostCache hostCache, TrustService trustService) {
+		super(eventBus, endpoint, incoming, hostCache, trustService)
 		this.dis = new DataInputStream(endpoint.inputStream)
 		this.dos = new DataOutputStream(endpoint.outputStream)
 	}
diff --git a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/UltrapeerConnection.groovy b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/UltrapeerConnection.groovy
index 5dc063f0..9a45525f 100644
--- a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/UltrapeerConnection.groovy
+++ b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/UltrapeerConnection.groovy
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import java.io.OutputStream
 
 import com.muwire.core.EventBus
 import com.muwire.core.hostcache.HostCache
+import com.muwire.core.trust.TrustService
 
 import net.i2p.data.Destination
 
@@ -16,8 +17,8 @@ import net.i2p.data.Destination
  */
 class UltrapeerConnection extends Connection {
 
-	public UltrapeerConnection(EventBus eventBus, Endpoint endpoint, HostCache hostCache) {
-		super(eventBus, endpoint, false, hostCache)
+	public UltrapeerConnection(EventBus eventBus, Endpoint endpoint, HostCache hostCache, TrustService trustService) {
+		super(eventBus, endpoint, false, hostCache, trustService)
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/UltrapeerConnectionManager.groovy b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/UltrapeerConnectionManager.groovy
index 64542ee4..9acb0d13 100644
--- a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/UltrapeerConnectionManager.groovy
+++ b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/connection/UltrapeerConnectionManager.groovy
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap
 import com.muwire.core.EventBus
 import com.muwire.core.hostcache.HostCache
 import com.muwire.core.search.QueryEvent
+import com.muwire.core.trust.TrustService
 
 import groovy.util.logging.Log
 import net.i2p.data.Destination
@@ -14,16 +15,19 @@ import net.i2p.data.Destination
 class UltrapeerConnectionManager extends ConnectionManager {
 	
 	final int maxPeers, maxLeafs
+    final TrustService trustService
 	
 	final Map<Destination, PeerConnection> peerConnections = new ConcurrentHashMap()
 	final Map<Destination, LeafConnection> leafConnections = new ConcurrentHashMap()
 	
 	UltrapeerConnectionManager() {}
 
-	public UltrapeerConnectionManager(EventBus eventBus, int maxPeers, int maxLeafs, HostCache hostCache) {
+	public UltrapeerConnectionManager(EventBus eventBus, int maxPeers, int maxLeafs, 
+        HostCache hostCache, TrustService trustService) {
 		super(eventBus, hostCache)
 		this.maxPeers = maxPeers
 		this.maxLeafs = maxLeafs
+        this.trustService = trustService
 	}
 	@Override
 	public void drop(Destination d) {
@@ -67,8 +71,8 @@ class UltrapeerConnectionManager extends ConnectionManager {
 			return
 		
 		Connection c = e.leaf ? 
-			new LeafConnection(eventBus, e.endpoint, hostCache) : 
-			new PeerConnection(eventBus, e.endpoint, e.incoming, hostCache)
+			new LeafConnection(eventBus, e.endpoint, hostCache, trustService) : 
+			new PeerConnection(eventBus, e.endpoint, e.incoming, hostCache, trustService)
 		def map = e.leaf ? leafConnections : peerConnections
 		map.put(e.endpoint.destination, c)
 		c.start()