Monero Daemon Startup Flags (monerod): The Practical Guide

The Monero daemon (monerod) is the background service that syncs the blockchain, talks to peers, exposes RPC for wallets, and (optionally) serves the public as a remote node. This guide explains the most useful startup flags, with copy-paste examples for common setups.

First things first

• List all options: monerod --help and monerod --help-advanced
• Use a config file: monerod --config-file /path/to/monerod.conf
• Run as a service: on Linux, create a systemd unit so it auto-restarts and starts on boot.

Core flags you’ll use constantly

• --data-dir – Where the blockchain, p2p data, and logs live.
• --prune-blockchain – Pruned node to save disk space (keeps what’s needed to validate; not archival).
• --detach – Run in the background (daemonize).
• --log-file , --log-level – Write logs to a custom file; levels are integers (e.g., 0 quiet to 4 very verbose).
• --max-concurrency – Cap CPU threads for verification and background jobs.

P2P networking (node-to-node)

• --p2p-bind-ip , --p2p-bind-port – IP/port for the peer-to-peer listener (default port is commonly 18080).
• --out-peers , --in-peers – Limit outbound/inbound peers for bandwidth or resource control.
• --add-peer – Manually connect to a peer now (doesn’t persist across restarts).
• --add-priority-node, --add-exclusive-node, --seed-node – Prefer, exclusively use, or bootstrap from specific peers.
• --limit-rate-up , --limit-rate-down – Throttle upload/download.
• --no-igd – Disable UPnP/NAT-PMP (prevents automatic router port mapping).
• --hide-my-port – Don’t advertise your port to the network (no inbound connections).

RPC & remote-node flags (wallets and tools talk here)

• --rpc-bind-ip , --rpc-bind-port – Where the JSON-RPC server listens (default port often 18081).
• --restricted-rpc – Serve a restricted API surface (safe for public remote-node use).
• --public-node – Broadcast that you’re a public remote node.
• --confirm-external-bind – Required when binding RPC to a non-loopback IP (e.g., 0.0.0.0).
• --rpc-login – HTTP basic auth for RPC. Strongly recommended if exposed beyond localhost.
• ZMQ endpoints – Monero offers ZeroMQ notifications; use the appropriate zmq flags for your tooling (wallets and indexers sometimes use this).

Database & sync behavior

• --db-sync-mode – Choose a sync profile that balances safety and speed (e.g., a “safer” profile for SSD integrity vs a “faster” profile for quick catch-up). If unsure, leave default.
• --block-sync-size – Blocks per batch when syncing; tune modestly if you have unusual bandwidth/latency.

Tip: Use an SSD/NVMe. HDDs will bottleneck monerod badly during initial sync.

Privacy & proxy flags

• --proxy – Route P2P traffic via a SOCKS proxy (e.g., Tor at 127.0.0.1:9050).
• --tx-proxy – Send transactions via Tor/I2P without exposing your IP (e.g., --tx-proxy tor,127.0.0.1:9050).

Security best practices when exposing a remote node

• Use --restricted-rpc and --rpc-login.
• Bind explicitly: --rpc-bind-ip 0.0.0.0 + --confirm-external-bind, then enforce firewall rules (e.g., allowlisted IPs or reverse proxy in front).
• Disable UPnP with --no-igd. Keep monerod patched.

Copy-paste examples

1) Personal full node (desktop/laptop)

monerod \ --data-dir /var/lib/monero \ --detach \ --log-file /var/log/monero/monerod.log \ --max-concurrency 4 

2) Pruned node (save disk space)

monerod \ --data-dir /var/lib/monero \ --prune-blockchain \ --detach \ --log-file /var/log/monero/monerod.log 

3) Public remote node (restricted RPC + auth)

monerod \ --data-dir /srv/monero \ --rpc-bind-ip 0.0.0.0 \ --rpc-bind-port 18081 \ --restricted-rpc \ --public-node \ --rpc-login stronguser:strongpass \ --confirm-external-bind \ --no-igd \ --out-peers 64 --in-peers 32 \ --detach 

Harden with a firewall and/or reverse proxy. Monitor logs and update regularly.

4) Route traffic through Tor (P2P + tx)

# Tor must be running locally (SOCKS at 127.0.0.1:9050) monerod \ --data-dir /var/lib/monero \ --proxy 127.0.0.1:9050 \ --tx-proxy tor,127.0.0.1:9050 \ --hide-my-port \ --detach 

Using a config file

Place your settings in a config file (e.g., /etc/monerod.conf or anywhere you prefer) and start with --config-file.

# /etc/monerod.conf (example) data-dir=/srv/monero log-file=/var/log/monero/monerod.log log-level=1 prune-blockchain=1 out-peers=64 in-peers=32
RPC (public remote node)

rpc-bind-ip=0.0.0.0
rpc-bind-port=18081
restricted-rpc=1
public-node=1
confirm-external-bind=1
rpc-login=stronguser:strongpass
no-igd=1

monerod --config-file /etc/monerod.conf --detach 

FAQ

Pruned vs full?

Pruned nodes keep only the minimum data needed to fully validate—great for laptops/SSDs with limited space. Full nodes keep the entire chain (helpful for archival and some tooling).

What if my wallet can’t connect?

• Confirm the daemon is synced and RPC is listening on the IP/port you expect.
• If remote, verify --restricted-rpc is set and your firewall/NAT forwards the port correctly.
• Check --rpc-login credentials and logs for auth errors.

Which flags improve performance most?

Use an SSD/NVMe, keep --max-concurrency reasonable (not simply “max cores”), and avoid overly aggressive --block-sync-size on weak connections. For servers, run headless and minimize background services.

Quick checklist for a healthy node

• SSD/NVMe storage, adequate RAM, stable power/network.
• Run with --detach, capture logs, back up your config.
• If public: --restricted-rpc, --rpc-login, firewall, and routine updates.

That’s it! With these monerod startup flags you can tailor a private desktop node, a lean pruned node, or a hardened public remote node—whatever your Monero setup needs.

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