diff --git a/scripts/bootstrap_ipfs.sh b/scripts/bootstrap_ipfs.sh
index 099a3c407..e9eb628a2 100755
--- a/scripts/bootstrap_ipfs.sh
+++ b/scripts/bootstrap_ipfs.sh
@@ -3,38 +3,48 @@
 # Exit immediately if a command exits with a non-zero status.
 set -e
 
-# Initialize IPFS
-ipfs init
+# check if ~/.ipfs exists, if not create it
+if [ ! -d ~/.ipfs ]; then
+  ipfs init
+  setup_ipfs
+  start_ipfs
+else
+  start_ipfs
+fi
 
-# Optimize local discovery and connectivity
-ipfs config --json Discovery.MDNS.Enabled true
-ipfs config --json Routing.Type "dhtclient"
-ipfs config --json Swarm.ConnMgr.LowWater 200
-ipfs config --json Swarm.ConnMgr.HighWater 500
+function setup_ipfs() {
+  # Optimize local discovery and connectivity
+  ipfs config --json Discovery.MDNS.Enabled true
+  ipfs config --json Routing.Type "dhtclient"
+  ipfs config --json Swarm.ConnMgr.LowWater 200
+  ipfs config --json Swarm.ConnMgr.HighWater 500
 
-# Set up the Cloudflare IPFS gateway peers
-ipfs config --json Peering.Peers '[
-  {"ID": "QmcFf2FH3CEgTNHeMRGhN7HNHU1EXAxoEk6EFuSyXCsvRE", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-1.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
-  {"ID": "QmcFmLd5ySfk2WZuJ1mfSWLDjdmHZq7rSAua4GoeSQfs1z", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-2.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
-  {"ID": "QmcfFmzSDVbwexQ9Au2pt5YEXHK5xajwgaU6PpkbLWerMa", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-3.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
-  {"ID": "QmcfJeB3Js1FG7T8YaZATEiaHqNKVdQfybYYkbT1knUswx", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-4.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
-  {"ID": "QmcfVvzK4tMdFmpJjEKDUoqRgP4W9FnmJoziYX5GXJJ8eZ", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-5.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
-  {"ID": "QmcfZD3VKrUxyP9BbyUnZDpbqDnT7cQ4WjPP8TRLXaoE7G", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-6.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
-  {"ID": "QmcfZP2LuW4jxviTeG8fi28qjnZScACb8PEgHAc17ZEri3", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-7.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
-  {"ID": "QmcfgsJsMtx6qJb74akCw1M24X1zFwgGo11h1cuhwQjtJP", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-8.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
-  {"ID": "Qmcfr2FC7pFzJbTSDfYaSy1J8Uuy8ccGLeLyqJCKJvTHMi", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-9.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
-  {"ID": "QmcfR3V5YAtHBzxVACWCzXTt26SyEkxdwhGJ6875A8BuWx", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-10.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
-  {"ID": "Qmcfuo1TM9uUiJp6dTbm915Rf1aTqm3a3dnmCdDQLHgvL5", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-11.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
-  {"ID": "QmcfV2sg9zaq7UUHVCGuSvT2M2rnLBAPsiE79vVyK3Cuev", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-12.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]}
-]'
+  # Set up the Cloudflare IPFS gateway peers
+  ipfs config --json Peering.Peers '[
+    {"ID": "QmcFf2FH3CEgTNHeMRGhN7HNHU1EXAxoEk6EFuSyXCsvRE", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-1.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
+    {"ID": "QmcFmLd5ySfk2WZuJ1mfSWLDjdmHZq7rSAua4GoeSQfs1z", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-2.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
+    {"ID": "QmcfFmzSDVbwexQ9Au2pt5YEXHK5xajwgaU6PpkbLWerMa", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-3.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
+    {"ID": "QmcfJeB3Js1FG7T8YaZATEiaHqNKVdQfybYYkbT1knUswx", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-4.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
+    {"ID": "QmcfVvzK4tMdFmpJjEKDUoqRgP4W9FnmJoziYX5GXJJ8eZ", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-5.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
+    {"ID": "QmcfZD3VKrUxyP9BbyUnZDpbqDnT7cQ4WjPP8TRLXaoE7G", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-6.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
+    {"ID": "QmcfZP2LuW4jxviTeG8fi28qjnZScACb8PEgHAc17ZEri3", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-7.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
+    {"ID": "QmcfgsJsMtx6qJb74akCw1M24X1zFwgGo11h1cuhwQjtJP", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-8.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
+    {"ID": "Qmcfr2FC7pFzJbTSDfYaSy1J8Uuy8ccGLeLyqJCKJvTHMi", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-9.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
+    {"ID": "QmcfR3V5YAtHBzxVACWCzXTt26SyEkxdwhGJ6875A8BuWx", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-10.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
+    {"ID": "Qmcfuo1TM9uUiJp6dTbm915Rf1aTqm3a3dnmCdDQLHgvL5", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-11.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]},
+    {"ID": "QmcfV2sg9zaq7UUHVCGuSvT2M2rnLBAPsiE79vVyK3Cuev", "Addrs": ["/dnsaddr/node-12.ingress.cloudflare-ipfs.com"]}
+  ]'
 
-# Configure API and Gateway addresses to listen on localhost only
-ipfs config Addresses.API /ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/5001
-ipfs config Addresses.Gateway /ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/8080
+  # Configure API and Gateway addresses to listen on localhost only
+  ipfs config Addresses.API /ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/5001
+  ipfs config Addresses.Gateway /ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/8080
 
-# Enable experimental features
-ipfs config --json Experimental.FilestoreEnabled true
-ipfs config --json Experimental.UrlstoreEnabled true
+  # Enable experimental features
+  ipfs config --json Experimental.FilestoreEnabled true
+  ipfs config --json Experimental.UrlstoreEnabled true
+}
 
-# Start the IPFS daemon with additional options for better performance and compatibility
-ipfs daemon --enable-gc --migrate --enable-pubsub-experiment --enable-namesys-pubsub
+function start_ipfs() {
+  # Start the IPFS daemon with additional options for better performance and compatibility
+  ipfs daemon --enable-gc --migrate --enable-pubsub-experiment --enable-namesys-pubsub
+}