diff --git a/governor.py b/governor.py
index 25647355..9fd3d238 100755
--- a/governor.py
+++ b/governor.py
@@ -35,9 +35,12 @@ class Governor:
         self.etcd = Etcd(config['etcd'])
         self.postgresql = Postgresql(config['postgresql'])
         self.ha = Ha(self.postgresql, self.etcd)
+        host, port = config['restapi']['listen'].split(':')
+        self.api = RestApiServer(self, config['restapi'])
 
     def touch_member(self, ttl=None):
-        return self.etcd.touch_member(self.postgresql.name, self.postgresql.connection_string, ttl)
+        connection_string = self.postgresql.connection_string + '?application_name=' + self.api.connection_string
+        return self.etcd.touch_member(self.postgresql.name, connection_string, ttl)
 
     def initialize(self):
         # wait for etcd to be available
@@ -66,6 +69,7 @@ class Governor:
             self.postgresql.load_replication_slots()
 
     def run(self):
+        self.api.start()
         while True:
             self.touch_member()
             logging.info(self.ha.run_cycle())
@@ -87,9 +91,6 @@ def main():
     governor = Governor(config)
     try:
         governor.initialize()
-        # Start the http_server to serve a simple healthcheck
-        host, port = config['restapi']['listen'].split(':')
-        RestApiServer(governor, host, int(port)).start()
         governor.run()
     finally:
         governor.touch_member(300)  # schedule member removal
diff --git a/helpers/api.py b/helpers/api.py
index 83aa619b..c723e47b 100644
--- a/helpers/api.py
+++ b/helpers/api.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class RestApiHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
     def get_postgresql_status(self):
         if not self.server.governor.postgresql.is_running():
             return {'running': False}
-        cursor = self.server.cursor()
+        cursor = self.server._cursor()
         cursor.execute("""SELECT to_char(pg_postmaster_start_time(), 'YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS.MS TZ'),
                                  pg_is_in_recovery(),
                                  CASE WHEN pg_is_in_recovery()
@@ -59,14 +59,16 @@ class RestApiHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
 
 class RestApiServer(HTTPServer, Thread):
 
-    def __init__(self, governor, listen_address='0.0.0.0', listen_port=8080):
-        HTTPServer.__init__(self, (listen_address, listen_port), RestApiHandler)
+    def __init__(self, governor, config):
+        self.connection_string = 'http://{}/governor'.format(config.get('connect_address', None) or config['listen'])
+        host, port = config['listen'].split(':')
+        HTTPServer.__init__(self, (host, int(port)), RestApiHandler)
         Thread.__init__(self, target=self.serve_forever)
         self.governor = governor
         self._cursor_holder = None
         self.daemon = True
 
-    def cursor(self):
+    def _cursor(self):
         if not self._cursor_holder or self._cursor_holder.closed:
             self._cursor_holder = self.governor.postgresql.connection().cursor()
         return self._cursor_holder
diff --git a/postgres0.yml b/postgres0.yml
index 8d56715b..7684f776 100644
--- a/postgres0.yml
+++ b/postgres0.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 loop_wait: 10
 restapi:
   listen: 127.0.0.1:8008
+  connect_address: 127.0.0.1:8008
 etcd:
   scope: batman
   ttl: 30
diff --git a/postgres1.yml b/postgres1.yml
index 6f08741f..46fd22af 100644
--- a/postgres1.yml
+++ b/postgres1.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 loop_wait: 10
 restapi:
   listen: 127.0.0.1:8009
+  connect_address: 127.0.0.1:8009
 etcd:
   scope: batman
   ttl: 30
diff --git a/tests/test_etcd.py b/tests/test_etcd.py
index 8b3d60b2..8f2280e6 100644
--- a/tests/test_etcd.py
+++ b/tests/test_etcd.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ def requests_get(url, **kwargs):
     if url.startswith('http://local'):
         raise requests.exceptions.RequestException()
     response = MockResponse()
-    if url.startswith('http://remote'):
+    if url.startswith('http://remote') or url.startswith('http://127.0.0.1'):
         response.content = '{"action":"get","node":{"key":"/service/batman5","dir":true,"nodes":[{"key":"/service/batman5/initialize","value":"postgresql0","modifiedIndex":1582,"createdIndex":1582},{"key":"/service/batman5/leader","value":"postgresql1","expiration":"2015-05-15T09:11:00.037397538Z","ttl":21,"modifiedIndex":20728,"createdIndex":20434},{"key":"/service/batman5/optime","dir":true,"nodes":[{"key":"/service/batman5/optime/leader","value":"2164261704","modifiedIndex":20729,"createdIndex":20729}],"modifiedIndex":20437,"createdIndex":20437},{"key":"/service/batman5/members","dir":true,"nodes":[{"key":"/service/batman5/members/postgresql1","value":"postgres://replicator:rep-pass@127.0.0.1:5434/postgres","expiration":"2015-05-15T09:10:59.949384522Z","ttl":21,"modifiedIndex":20727,"createdIndex":20727},{"key":"/service/batman5/members/postgresql0","value":"postgres://replicator:rep-pass@127.0.0.1:5433/postgres","expiration":"2015-05-15T09:11:09.611860899Z","ttl":30,"modifiedIndex":20730,"createdIndex":20730}],"modifiedIndex":1581,"createdIndex":1581}],"modifiedIndex":1581,"createdIndex":1581}}'
     elif url.startswith('http://other'):
         response.status_code = 404