diff --git a/src/core/link_tcp.go b/src/core/link_tcp.go
index 41bb849f..9c3c3290 100644
--- a/src/core/link_tcp.go
+++ b/src/core/link_tcp.go
@@ -35,14 +35,14 @@ func (l *linkTCP) dial(url *url.URL, options linkOptions, sintf string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	info := linkInfoFor("tcp", sintf, addr.String())
-	if l.links.isConnectedTo(info) {
-		return nil
-	}
 	dialer, err := l.dialerFor(addr, sintf)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	info := linkInfoFor("tcp", sintf, tcpIDFor(dialer.LocalAddr, addr))
+	if l.links.isConnectedTo(info) {
+		return nil
+	}
 	conn, err := dialer.DialContext(l.core.ctx, "tcp", addr.String())
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -82,10 +82,11 @@ func (l *linkTCP) listen(url *url.URL, sintf string) (*Listener, error) {
 				cancel()
 				break
 			}
-			addr := conn.RemoteAddr().(*net.TCPAddr)
-			name := fmt.Sprintf("tcp://%s", addr)
-			info := linkInfoFor("tcp", sintf, addr.String())
-			if err = l.handler(name, info, conn, linkOptionsForListener(url), true, addr.IP.IsLinkLocalUnicast()); err != nil {
+			laddr := conn.LocalAddr().(*net.TCPAddr)
+			raddr := conn.RemoteAddr().(*net.TCPAddr)
+			name := fmt.Sprintf("tcp://%s", raddr)
+			info := linkInfoFor("tcp", sintf, tcpIDFor(laddr, raddr))
+			if err = l.handler(name, info, conn, linkOptionsForListener(url), true, raddr.IP.IsLinkLocalUnicast()); err != nil {
 				l.core.log.Errorln("Failed to create inbound link:", err)
 			}
 		}
@@ -179,3 +180,16 @@ func (l *linkTCP) dialerFor(dst *net.TCPAddr, sintf string) (*net.Dialer, error)
 	}
 	return dialer, nil
 }
+
+func tcpIDFor(local net.Addr, remoteAddr *net.TCPAddr) string {
+	if localAddr, ok := local.(*net.TCPAddr); ok && localAddr.IP.Equal(remoteAddr.IP) {
+		// Nodes running on the same host — include both the IP and port.
+		return remoteAddr.String()
+	}
+	if remoteAddr.IP.IsLinkLocalUnicast() {
+		// Nodes discovered via multicast — include the IP only.
+		return remoteAddr.IP.String()
+	}
+	// Nodes connected remotely — include both the IP and port.
+	return remoteAddr.String()
+}
diff --git a/src/core/link_tls.go b/src/core/link_tls.go
index 7fa04371..4eeb8710 100644
--- a/src/core/link_tls.go
+++ b/src/core/link_tls.go
@@ -51,14 +51,14 @@ func (l *linkTLS) dial(url *url.URL, options linkOptions, sintf, sni string) err
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	info := linkInfoFor("tls", sintf, addr.String())
-	if l.links.isConnectedTo(info) {
-		return nil
-	}
 	dialer, err := l.tcp.dialerFor(addr, sintf)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	info := linkInfoFor("tls", sintf, tcpIDFor(dialer.LocalAddr, addr))
+	if l.links.isConnectedTo(info) {
+		return nil
+	}
 	tlsconfig := l.config.Clone()
 	tlsconfig.ServerName = sni
 	tlsdialer := &tls.Dialer{
@@ -105,10 +105,11 @@ func (l *linkTLS) listen(url *url.URL, sintf string) (*Listener, error) {
 				cancel()
 				break
 			}
-			addr := conn.RemoteAddr().(*net.TCPAddr)
-			name := fmt.Sprintf("tls://%s", addr)
-			info := linkInfoFor("tls", sintf, addr.String())
-			if err = l.handler(name, info, conn, linkOptionsForListener(url), true, addr.IP.IsLinkLocalUnicast()); err != nil {
+			laddr := conn.LocalAddr().(*net.TCPAddr)
+			raddr := conn.RemoteAddr().(*net.TCPAddr)
+			name := fmt.Sprintf("tls://%s", raddr)
+			info := linkInfoFor("tls", sintf, tcpIDFor(laddr, raddr))
+			if err = l.handler(name, info, conn, linkOptionsForListener(url), true, raddr.IP.IsLinkLocalUnicast()); err != nil {
 				l.core.log.Errorln("Failed to create inbound link:", err)
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/src/multicast/multicast.go b/src/multicast/multicast.go
index 81e575f1..8d7fbb7d 100644
--- a/src/multicast/multicast.go
+++ b/src/multicast/multicast.go
@@ -78,7 +78,11 @@ func (m *Multicast) _start() error {
 	if m._isOpen {
 		return fmt.Errorf("multicast module is already started")
 	}
-	if len(m.config._interfaces) == 0 {
+	var anyEnabled bool
+	for intf := range m.config._interfaces {
+		anyEnabled = anyEnabled || intf.Beacon || intf.Listen
+	}
+	if !anyEnabled {
 		return nil
 	}
 	m.log.Debugln("Starting multicast module")