diff --git a/plugin/ipam/driver.go b/plugin/ipam/driver.go
index 106ba5aa..e4098cf1 100644
--- a/plugin/ipam/driver.go
+++ b/plugin/ipam/driver.go
@@ -7,10 +7,8 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/docker/libnetwork/ipamapi"
 	"github.com/docker/libnetwork/netlabel"
-	godocker "github.com/fsouza/go-dockerclient"
 	"github.com/weaveworks/weave/api"
 	. "github.com/weaveworks/weave/common"
-	"github.com/weaveworks/weave/common/docker"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -18,19 +16,11 @@ const (
 )
 
 type ipam struct {
-	client *docker.Client
-	weave  *api.Client
+	weave *api.Client
 }
 
-func NewIpam(client *docker.Client, version string) (ipamapi.Ipam, error) {
-	resolver := func() (string, error) {
-		addr, err := client.GetContainerIP(WeaveContainer)
-		if _, ok := err.(*godocker.NoSuchContainer); ok {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("%s container is not present. Have you launched it?", WeaveContainer)
-		}
-		return addr, err
-	}
-	return &ipam{client: client, weave: api.NewClientWithResolver(resolver)}, nil
+func NewIpam(weave *api.Client) ipamapi.Ipam {
+	return &ipam{weave: weave}
 }
 
 func (i *ipam) GetDefaultAddressSpaces() (string, string, error) {
diff --git a/plugin/net/driver.go b/plugin/net/driver.go
index 0af2c1be..ab292b7e 100644
--- a/plugin/net/driver.go
+++ b/plugin/net/driver.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/libnetwork/drivers/remote/api"
 	"github.com/docker/libnetwork/types"
 
+	weaveapi "github.com/weaveworks/weave/api"
 	. "github.com/weaveworks/weave/common"
 	"github.com/weaveworks/weave/common/docker"
 	"github.com/weaveworks/weave/common/odp"
@@ -21,22 +22,20 @@ const (
 )
 
 type driver struct {
-	version          string
 	scope            string
 	noMulticastRoute bool
 	sync.RWMutex
 	endpoints map[string]struct{}
 }
 
-func New(client *docker.Client, version string, scope string, noMulticastRoute bool) (skel.Driver, error) {
+func New(client *docker.Client, weave *weaveapi.Client, scope string, noMulticastRoute bool) (skel.Driver, error) {
 	driver := &driver{
 		noMulticastRoute: noMulticastRoute,
-		version:          version,
 		scope:            scope,
 		endpoints:        make(map[string]struct{}),
 	}
 
-	_, err := NewWatcher(client, driver)
+	_, err := NewWatcher(client, weave, driver)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/plugin/net/watcher.go b/plugin/net/watcher.go
index 935d4ed8..6bcb9ee6 100644
--- a/plugin/net/watcher.go
+++ b/plugin/net/watcher.go
@@ -21,16 +21,9 @@ type watcher struct {
 type Watcher interface {
 }
 
-func NewWatcher(client *docker.Client, driver *driver) (Watcher, error) {
-	resolver := func() (string, error) { return client.GetContainerIP(WeaveContainer) }
-	w := &watcher{client: client, driver: driver,
-		weave: weaveapi.NewClientWithResolver(resolver)}
-	err := client.AddObserver(w)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	return w, nil
+func NewWatcher(client *docker.Client, weave *weaveapi.Client, driver *driver) (Watcher, error) {
+	w := &watcher{client: client, weave: weave, driver: driver}
+	return w, client.AddObserver(w)
 }
 
 func (w *watcher) ContainerStarted(id string) {
diff --git a/prog/plugin/main.go b/prog/plugin/main.go
index 84440fee..846311b4 100644
--- a/prog/plugin/main.go
+++ b/prog/plugin/main.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"syscall"
 
 	"github.com/docker/libnetwork/ipamapi"
+	weaveapi "github.com/weaveworks/weave/api"
 	. "github.com/weaveworks/weave/common"
 	"github.com/weaveworks/weave/common/docker"
 	ipamplugin "github.com/weaveworks/weave/plugin/ipam"
@@ -48,19 +49,21 @@ func main() {
 		Log.Fatalf("unable to connect to docker: %s", err)
 	}
 
+	weave := weaveapi.NewClient(os.Getenv("WEAVE_HTTP_ADDR"))
+
 	Log.Println("Weave plugin", version, "Command line options:", os.Args[1:])
 	Log.Info(dockerClient.Info())
 
-	err = run(dockerClient, address, meshAddress, noMulticastRoute)
+	err = run(dockerClient, weave, address, meshAddress, noMulticastRoute)
 	if err != nil {
 		Log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 }
 
-func run(dockerClient *docker.Client, address, meshAddress string, noMulticastRoute bool) error {
+func run(dockerClient *docker.Client, weave *weaveapi.Client, address, meshAddress string, noMulticastRoute bool) error {
 	endChan := make(chan error, 1)
 	if address != "" {
-		globalListener, err := listenAndServe(dockerClient, address, noMulticastRoute, endChan, "global", false)
+		globalListener, err := listenAndServe(dockerClient, weave, address, noMulticastRoute, endChan, "global", false)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -68,7 +71,7 @@ func run(dockerClient *docker.Client, address, meshAddress string, noMulticastRo
 		defer globalListener.Close()
 	}
 	if meshAddress != "" {
-		meshListener, err := listenAndServe(dockerClient, meshAddress, noMulticastRoute, endChan, "local", true)
+		meshListener, err := listenAndServe(dockerClient, weave, meshAddress, noMulticastRoute, endChan, "local", true)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -88,17 +91,15 @@ func run(dockerClient *docker.Client, address, meshAddress string, noMulticastRo
 	}
 }
 
-func listenAndServe(dockerClient *docker.Client, address string, noMulticastRoute bool, endChan chan<- error, scope string, withIpam bool) (net.Listener, error) {
-	d, err := netplugin.New(dockerClient, version, scope, noMulticastRoute)
+func listenAndServe(dockerClient *docker.Client, weave *weaveapi.Client, address string, noMulticastRoute bool, endChan chan<- error, scope string, withIpam bool) (net.Listener, error) {
+	d, err := netplugin.New(dockerClient, weave, scope, noMulticastRoute)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	var i ipamapi.Ipam
 	if withIpam {
-		if i, err = ipamplugin.NewIpam(dockerClient, version); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+		i = ipamplugin.NewIpam(weave)
 	}
 
 	var listener net.Listener
diff --git a/weave b/weave
index 92f77ad6..60cdfb62 100755
--- a/weave
+++ b/weave
@@ -1686,6 +1686,7 @@ launch_plugin_if_not_running() {
         --net=host \
         $(docker_sock_options) \
         -v /run/docker/plugins:/run/docker/plugins \
+        -e WEAVE_HTTP_ADDR \
         $PLUGIN_IMAGE "$@") ; then
         return 1
     fi