diff --git a/backup-server/.env.template b/backup-server/.env.template
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..388c38bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backup-server/.env.template
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+HOST=0.0.0.0
+PORT=3003
+# npm run create-keypair
+SECRET_KEY=
+PUBLIC_KEY=
diff --git a/backup-server/README.md b/backup-server/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7ecf2b9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backup-server/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+# react-native-ldk backup server
+
+This a server allows apps using the react-native-ldk to persist all node state remotely and can be restored only using the seed.
+
+## Running the server
+``` bash
+npm i
+
+cp .env.template .env
+
+npm run create-keypair
+
+#Paste new key pair in .env
+
+npm start
+```
+** Remember to update wallet env with new backup server pub key
+
+## Clients
+[Swift](https://github.com/synonymdev/react-native-ldk/blob/master/lib/ios/Classes/BackupClient.swift)
+[Kotlin](https://github.com/synonymdev/react-native-ldk/blob/master/lib/android/src/main/java/com/reactnativeldk/classes/BackupClient.kt)
+[NodeJS](https://github.com/synonymdev/react-native-ldk/blob/master/backup-server/src/test.js)
+
+## Persiting
+All message signing/verifying is done using [LDK's node signing](https://docs.rs/lightning/latest/lightning/util/message_signing/fn.sign.html) on the client and [ln-verifymessagejs](https://github.com/SeverinAlexB/ln-verifymessagejs) on the server.
+
+1. Payload is encrypted using using standard AES/GCM encryption with the encryption key being the node secret.
+2. Client creates a hash of encrypted backup and signs it.
+3. Client creates unique challenge in this format: `sha256_hash(pubkey+timestamp)`
+4. Client uploads encrypted bytes along with node pubkey, signed hash and challenge in request header.
+5. Server hashes received payload and validates client's signed hash was actually signed by provided pubkey.
+6. Server stores encrypted bytes to disk.
+7. Server signs client's challenge and returns signature in response.
+8. Client validate that the bytes were stored by the correct server by checking the signature in the response was signed by the server pubkey hard coded in the client.
+
+## Retrieving
+Retieving or querying a backup requires a bearer token first done by a fairly standard challenge/response using the same node signing.
+
+1. Client fetches challenge from server by posting timestamp (nonce) and signed (signed timestamp) in body with pubkey in the header.
+2. Server validates signature and returns challenge (32 bytes hex string).
+3. Client signs challenge.
+4. Client posts signed challenge with pubkey in the header.
+5. Server validates signature.
+6. On success server returns bearer token with 5min expiry. A long expiry isn't needed as token is only used briefly to perform a restore.
+7. Client uses bearer token to pull list of backed up files.
+8. Client iterates through list and downloads each file and persists to disk.
diff --git a/example/Dev.tsx b/example/Dev.tsx
index 45ba0af0..25124431 100644
--- a/example/Dev.tsx
+++ b/example/Dev.tsx
@@ -635,6 +635,10 @@ const Dev = (): ReactElement => {
 					<Button
 						title={'Restore backup from server'}
 						onPress={async (): Promise<void> => {
+							if (!backupServerDetails) {
+								return setMessage('Set backupServerDetails in constants.ts');
+							}
+
 							setMessage('Stopping LDK...');
 							await ldk.stop();
 
diff --git a/example/utils/constants.ts b/example/utils/constants.ts
index cf951307..6cf0c71e 100644
--- a/example/utils/constants.ts
+++ b/example/utils/constants.ts
@@ -48,8 +48,10 @@ export const customPeers = {
 	bitcoinSignet: [],
 };
 
-export const backupServerDetails: TBackupServerDetails = {
-	host: 'https://jaybird-logical-sadly.ngrok-free.app',
-	serverPubKey:
-		'0343a6c1b7700840ac7b76372617a6e9a05cf4c9716efdc847def65360b238f243',
-};
+//Once local server is setup, add server details below to enable backups
+export const backupServerDetails: TBackupServerDetails | undefined = undefined;
+// 	{
+// 	host: 'https://jaybird-logical-sadly.ngrok-free.app',
+// 	serverPubKey:
+// 		'0343a6c1b7700840ac7b76372617a6e9a05cf4c9716efdc847def65360b238f243',
+// };
diff --git a/lib/android/src/main/java/com/reactnativeldk/classes/BackupClient.kt b/lib/android/src/main/java/com/reactnativeldk/classes/BackupClient.kt
index 43ea2dde..495a305b 100644
--- a/lib/android/src/main/java/com/reactnativeldk/classes/BackupClient.kt
+++ b/lib/android/src/main/java/com/reactnativeldk/classes/BackupClient.kt
@@ -152,20 +152,25 @@ class BackupClient {
             return hash.joinToString("") { String.format("%02x", it) }
         }
 
+        @Throws(BackupError::class)
         private fun decrypt(blob: ByteArray): ByteArray {
-            if (encryptionKey == null) {
-                throw BackupError.requiresSetup
+            try {
+                if (encryptionKey == null) {
+                    throw BackupError.requiresSetup
+                }
+
+                val nonce = blob.take(12).toByteArray()
+                val encrypted = blob.copyOfRange(12, blob.size)
+
+                val cipher = Cipher.getInstance("AES/GCM/NoPadding")
+                val gcmSpec = GCMParameterSpec(128, nonce)
+
+                cipher.init(Cipher.DECRYPT_MODE, encryptionKey, gcmSpec)
+                val decryptedBytes = cipher.doFinal(encrypted)
+                return decryptedBytes
+            } catch (e: Exception) {
+                throw DecryptFailed(e.message ?: "")
             }
-
-            val nonce = blob.take(12).toByteArray()
-            val encrypted = blob.copyOfRange(12, blob.size)
-
-            val cipher = Cipher.getInstance("AES/GCM/NoPadding")
-            val gcmSpec = GCMParameterSpec(128, nonce)
-
-            cipher.init(Cipher.DECRYPT_MODE, encryptionKey, gcmSpec)
-            val decryptedBytes = cipher.doFinal(encrypted)
-            return decryptedBytes
         }
 
         @Throws(BackupError::class)
diff --git a/lib/src/lightning-manager.ts b/lib/src/lightning-manager.ts
index d60e916b..1035aceb 100644
--- a/lib/src/lightning-manager.ts
+++ b/lib/src/lightning-manager.ts
@@ -355,13 +355,6 @@ class LightningManager {
 			if (backupSetupRes.isErr()) {
 				return err(backupSetupRes.error);
 			}
-
-			//TODO remove after dev
-			const backupCheckRes = await ldk.backupSelfCheck();
-			if (backupCheckRes.isErr()) {
-				console.error('Backup check failed', backupCheckRes.error);
-				return err(backupCheckRes.error);
-			}
 		}
 
 		// Step 1: Initialize the FeeEstimator