diff --git a/local/network.go b/local/network.go
index 3324b31e..c486db84 100644
--- a/local/network.go
+++ b/local/network.go
@@ -176,6 +176,10 @@ func NewNetwork(
 	redirectStderr bool,
 	walletPrivateKey string,
 ) (network.Network, error) {
+	beaconSet, err := utils.BeaconMapToSet(networkConfig.BeaconConfig)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	net, err := newNetwork(
 		log,
 		api.NewAPIClient,
@@ -192,7 +196,7 @@ func NewNetwork(
 		redirectStdout,
 		redirectStderr,
 		walletPrivateKey,
-		networkConfig.BeaconConfig,
+		beaconSet,
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return net, err
@@ -393,10 +397,6 @@ func NewDefaultConfigNNodes(
 	if int(numNodes) == 1 && !utils.IsPublicNetwork(networkID) && len(beaconConfig) == 0 {
 		flags[config.SybilProtectionEnabledKey] = false
 	}
-	beaconSet, err := utils.BeaconMapToSet(beaconConfig)
-	if err != nil {
-		return network.Config{}, err
-	}
 	cfg := network.Config{
 		NetworkID:          networkID,
 		Flags:              flags,
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ func NewDefaultConfigNNodes(
 		ChainConfigFiles:   map[string]string{},
 		UpgradeConfigFiles: map[string]string{},
 		SubnetConfigFiles:  map[string]string{},
-		BeaconConfig:       beaconSet,
+		BeaconConfig:       beaconConfig,
 	}
 	if len(upgradePath) != 0 {
 		upgrade, err := os.ReadFile(upgradePath)
@@ -485,6 +485,12 @@ func (ln *localNetwork) loadConfig(ctx context.Context, networkConfig network.Co
 	ln.flags = networkConfig.Flags
 	ln.binaryPath = networkConfig.BinaryPath
 	ln.chainConfigFiles = networkConfig.ChainConfigFiles
+
+	beaconConf, err := utils.BeaconMapToSet(networkConfig.BeaconConfig)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	ln.bootstraps = beaconConf
 	if ln.chainConfigFiles == nil {
 		ln.chainConfigFiles = map[string]string{}
 	}
@@ -660,7 +666,7 @@ func (ln *localNetwork) addNode(nodeConfig node.Config) (node.Node, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if !isPausedNode && nodeConfig.IsBeacon {
+	if nodeConfig.IsBeacon && ln.bootstraps.Len() == 0 && !isPausedNode {
 		if err := ln.bootstraps.Add(beacon.New(nodeID, netip.AddrPortFrom(
 			ip,
 			nodeData.p2pPort,
diff --git a/local/snapshot.go b/local/snapshot.go
index c4c72765..17ca28d2 100644
--- a/local/snapshot.go
+++ b/local/snapshot.go
@@ -158,6 +158,10 @@ func (ln *localNetwork) persistNetwork() error {
 		nodeConfigs = append(nodeConfigs, nodeConfig)
 	}
 	// save network conf
+	beaconConf, err := utils.BeaconMapFromSet(ln.bootstraps)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	networkConfig := network.Config{
 		NetworkID:          ln.networkID,
 		Genesis:            string(ln.genesisData),
@@ -168,7 +172,7 @@ func (ln *localNetwork) persistNetwork() error {
 		ChainConfigFiles:   ln.chainConfigFiles,
 		UpgradeConfigFiles: ln.upgradeConfigFiles,
 		SubnetConfigFiles:  ln.subnetConfigFiles,
-		BeaconConfig:       ln.bootstraps,
+		BeaconConfig:       beaconConf,
 	}
 	networkConfigJSON, err := json.MarshalIndent(networkConfig, "", "    ")
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/network/config.go b/network/config.go
index 414723c6..9164bb76 100644
--- a/network/config.go
+++ b/network/config.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
+	"net/netip"
 	"strconv"
 	"time"
 
@@ -12,7 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanche-network-runner/utils"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/genesis"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/ids"
-	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/utils/beacon"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/utils/constants"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/utils/formatting/address"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/utils/units"
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	// Subnet config files to use per default, if not specified in node config
 	SubnetConfigFiles map[string]string `json:"subnetConfigFiles"`
 	// Beacon config used for all nodes, can be empty
-	BeaconConfig beacon.Set `json:"beaconConfig"`
+	BeaconConfig map[ids.NodeID]netip.AddrPort `json:"beaconConfig"`
 	// Upgrade file used for all nodes, can be empty
 	Upgrade string `json:"upgrade"`
 }
diff --git a/utils/utils.go b/utils/utils.go
index ba32608c..679c5194 100644
--- a/utils/utils.go
+++ b/utils/utils.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"io/fs"
 	"net/netip"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	rpcb "github.com/ava-labs/avalanche-network-runner/rpcpb"
@@ -184,3 +185,26 @@ func BeaconMapToSet(beaconMap map[ids.NodeID]netip.AddrPort) (beacon.Set, error)
 	}
 	return set, nil
 }
+
+func BeaconMapFromSet(beaconSet beacon.Set) (map[ids.NodeID]netip.AddrPort, error) {
+	beaconMap := make(map[ids.NodeID]netip.AddrPort)
+	beaconIDs := strings.Split(beaconSet.IDsArg(), ",")
+	beaconIPs := strings.Split(beaconSet.IPsArg(), ",")
+
+	if len(beaconIDs) != len(beaconIPs) {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("beacon IDs and IPs do not match")
+	}
+
+	for i := 0; i < len(beaconIDs); i++ {
+		beaconID, err := ids.NodeIDFromString(beaconIDs[i])
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse beacon ID: %w", err)
+		}
+		beaconIP, err := netip.ParseAddrPort(beaconIPs[i])
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse beacon IP: %w", err)
+		}
+		beaconMap[beaconID] = beaconIP
+	}
+	return beaconMap, nil
+}