diff --git a/rpc/client/localclient.go b/rpc/client/localclient.go
index f5f6d7da..be989ee1 100644
--- a/rpc/client/localclient.go
+++ b/rpc/client/localclient.go
@@ -88,8 +88,8 @@ func (Local) DialSeeds(seeds []string) (*ctypes.ResultDialSeeds, error) {
 	return core.UnsafeDialSeeds(seeds)
 }
 
-func (Local) DialPeers(peers []string, persistent bool, private bool) (*ctypes.ResultDialPeers, error) {
-	return core.UnsafeDialPeers(peers, persistent, private)
+func (Local) DialPeers(peers []string, persistent bool) (*ctypes.ResultDialPeers, error) {
+	return core.UnsafeDialPeers(peers, persistent)
 }
 
 func (Local) BlockchainInfo(minHeight, maxHeight int64) (*ctypes.ResultBlockchainInfo, error) {
diff --git a/rpc/client/mock/client.go b/rpc/client/mock/client.go
index 8c9b8ad7..6af9abb2 100644
--- a/rpc/client/mock/client.go
+++ b/rpc/client/mock/client.go
@@ -110,8 +110,8 @@ func (c Client) DialSeeds(seeds []string) (*ctypes.ResultDialSeeds, error) {
 	return core.UnsafeDialSeeds(seeds)
 }
 
-func (c Client) DialPeers(peers []string, persistent bool, private bool) (*ctypes.ResultDialPeers, error) {
-	return core.UnsafeDialPeers(peers, persistent, private)
+func (c Client) DialPeers(peers []string, persistent bool) (*ctypes.ResultDialPeers, error) {
+	return core.UnsafeDialPeers(peers, persistent)
 }
 
 func (c Client) BlockchainInfo(minHeight, maxHeight int64) (*ctypes.ResultBlockchainInfo, error) {
diff --git a/rpc/core/net.go b/rpc/core/net.go
index abe7f7a2..9b04926a 100644
--- a/rpc/core/net.go
+++ b/rpc/core/net.go
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ package core
 
 import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
-	p2p "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/p2p"
+
 	ctypes "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/rpc/core/types"
 )
 
@@ -67,17 +67,13 @@ func UnsafeDialSeeds(seeds []string) (*ctypes.ResultDialSeeds, error) {
 	return &ctypes.ResultDialSeeds{"Dialing seeds in progress. See /net_info for details"}, nil
 }
 
-func UnsafeDialPeers(peers []string, persistent bool, private bool) (*ctypes.ResultDialPeers, error) {
+func UnsafeDialPeers(peers []string, persistent bool) (*ctypes.ResultDialPeers, error) {
 	if len(peers) == 0 {
 		return &ctypes.ResultDialPeers{}, errors.New("No peers provided")
 	}
 	// starts go routines to dial each peer after random delays
 	logger.Info("DialPeers", "addrBook", addrBook, "peers", peers, "persistent", persistent)
-	var ab p2p.AddrBook
-	if !private {
-		ab = addrBook
-	}
-	err := p2pSwitch.DialPeersAsync(ab, peers, persistent)
+	err := p2pSwitch.DialPeersAsync(addrBook, peers, persistent)
 	if err != nil {
 		return &ctypes.ResultDialPeers{}, err
 	}
diff --git a/rpc/core/routes.go b/rpc/core/routes.go
index e4343cf4..3ea7aa08 100644
--- a/rpc/core/routes.go
+++ b/rpc/core/routes.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ var Routes = map[string]*rpc.RPCFunc{
 func AddUnsafeRoutes() {
 	// control API
 	Routes["dial_seeds"] = rpc.NewRPCFunc(UnsafeDialSeeds, "seeds")
-	Routes["dial_peers"] = rpc.NewRPCFunc(UnsafeDialPeers, "peers,persistent,private")
+	Routes["dial_peers"] = rpc.NewRPCFunc(UnsafeDialPeers, "peers,persistent")
 	Routes["unsafe_flush_mempool"] = rpc.NewRPCFunc(UnsafeFlushMempool, "")
 
 	// profiler API