diff --git a/veilid-server/Cargo.toml b/veilid-server/Cargo.toml
index 8322e347..f6900264 100644
--- a/veilid-server/Cargo.toml
+++ b/veilid-server/Cargo.toml
@@ -19,8 +19,10 @@ path = "src/main.rs"
 default = ["rt-tokio", "veilid-core/default", "otlp-tonic"]
 default-async-std = ["rt-async-std", "veilid-core/default-async-std"]
 
-virtual-network = ["veilid-core/virtual-network"]
-virtual-network-server = ["veilid-core/virtual-network-server"]
+virtual-network = [
+    "veilid-core/virtual-network",
+    "veilid-core/virtual-network-server",
+]
 
 crypto-test = ["rt-tokio", "veilid-core/crypto-test"]
 crypto-test-none = ["rt-tokio", "veilid-core/crypto-test-none"]
diff --git a/veilid-server/src/main.rs b/veilid-server/src/main.rs
index be71a51b..0df2464a 100644
--- a/veilid-server/src/main.rs
+++ b/veilid-server/src/main.rs
@@ -93,10 +93,24 @@ pub struct CmdlineArgs {
     #[arg(long, hide = true, value_name = "PATH", num_args=0..=1, require_equals=true, default_missing_value = "")]
     perfetto: Option<OsString>,
 
-    /// Run as an extra daemon on the same machine for testing purposes, specify a number greater than zero to offset the listening ports
+    /// Run as an extra daemon on the same machine for testing purposes
     #[arg(short('n'), long)]
     subnode_index: Option<u16>,
 
+    /// Run several nodes in parallel on the same machine for testing purposes
+    ///
+    /// Will run subnodes N though N+(subnode_count-1), where N is 0 or set via --subnode_index
+    #[arg(long, value_name = "COUNT")]
+    subnode_count: Option<u16>,
+
+    /// Connect to a virtual network router
+    ///
+    /// Specify either an remote tcp or ws url ('tcp://localhost:5149' or 'ws://localhost:5148')
+    /// or '' or 'local' to specify using an internally spawned server
+    #[cfg(feature = "virtual-network")]
+    #[arg(long, value_name = "URL", default_missing_value = "")]
+    virtual_router: Option<String>,
+
     /// Only generate a new keypair and print it
     ///
     /// Generate a new keypair for a specific crypto kind and print both the key and its secret to the terminal, then exit immediately.
diff --git a/veilid-server/src/settings.rs b/veilid-server/src/settings.rs
index 1397daaf..1c9312a9 100644
--- a/veilid-server/src/settings.rs
+++ b/veilid-server/src/settings.rs
@@ -49,9 +49,9 @@ pub fn load_default_config() -> EyreResult<config::Config> {
             server_address: ''
     "#;
 
-    #[cfg(not(feature = "virtual-network-server"))]
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "virtual-network"))]
     let virtual_network_server_section = "";
-    #[cfg(feature = "virtual-network-server")]
+    #[cfg(feature = "virtual-network")]
     let virtual_network_server_section = r#"
     virtual_network_server:
         enabled: false
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ logging:
         enabled: false
 testing:
     subnode_index: 0
+    subnode_count: 1
 %VIRTUAL_NETWORK_SERVER_SECTION%
 core:
     capabilities:
@@ -720,20 +721,20 @@ pub struct VirtualNetwork {
     pub server_address: String,
 }
 
-#[cfg(feature = "virtual-network-server")]
+#[cfg(feature = "virtual-network")]
 #[derive(Debug, Deserialize, Serialize)]
 pub struct VirtualNetworkServer {
     pub enabled: bool,
     pub tcp: VirtualNetworkServerTcp,
     pub ws: VirtualNetworkServerWs,
 }
-#[cfg(feature = "virtual-network-server")]
+#[cfg(feature = "virtual-network")]
 #[derive(Debug, Deserialize, Serialize)]
 pub struct VirtualNetworkServerTcp {
     pub listen: bool,
     pub listen_address: NamedSocketAddrs,
 }
-#[cfg(feature = "virtual-network-server")]
+#[cfg(feature = "virtual-network")]
 #[derive(Debug, Deserialize, Serialize)]
 pub struct VirtualNetworkServerWs {
     pub listen: bool,
@@ -743,7 +744,8 @@ pub struct VirtualNetworkServerWs {
 #[derive(Debug, Deserialize, Serialize)]
 pub struct Testing {
     pub subnode_index: u16,
-    #[cfg(feature = "virtual-network-server")]
+    pub subnode_count: u16,
+    #[cfg(feature = "virtual-network")]
     pub virtual_network_server: VirtualNetworkServer,
 }
 
@@ -1123,7 +1125,7 @@ impl Settings {
         set_config_value!(inner.logging.perfetto.path, value);
         set_config_value!(inner.logging.console.enabled, value);
         set_config_value!(inner.testing.subnode_index, value);
-        #[cfg(feature = "virtual-network-server")]
+        #[cfg(feature = "virtual-network")]
         {
             set_config_value!(inner.testing.virtual_network_server.enabled, value);
             set_config_value!(inner.testing.virtual_network_server.tcp.listen, value);
@@ -1729,7 +1731,7 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(s.logging.perfetto.path, "");
         assert!(!s.logging.console.enabled);
         assert_eq!(s.testing.subnode_index, 0);
-        #[cfg(feature = "virtual-network-server")]
+        #[cfg(feature = "virtual-network")]
         {
             assert_eq!(s.testing.virtual_network_server.enabled, false);
             assert_eq!(s.testing.virtual_network_server.tcp.listen, false);