diff --git a/common/docker/client.go b/common/docker/client.go
index 6a4eaff1..ded610b3 100644
--- a/common/docker/client.go
+++ b/common/docker/client.go
@@ -80,3 +80,16 @@ func (c *Client) IsContainerNotRunning(idStr string) bool {
 	Log.Errorf("[docker] Could not check container status: %s", err)
 	return false
 }
+
+func (c *Client) GetContainerBridgeIP(nameOrID string) (string, error) {
+	Log.Debugf("Getting IP for container %s", nameOrID)
+	info, err := c.InspectContainer(nameOrID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return info.NetworkSettings.IPAddress, nil
+}
+
+func (c *Client) InspectContainer(nameOrId string) (*docker.Container, error) {
+	return c.Client.InspectContainer(nameOrId)
+}
diff --git a/plugin/dns.go b/plugin/dns.go
index 27652cfe..526d46bd 100644
--- a/plugin/dns.go
+++ b/plugin/dns.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (d *dockerer) registerWithDNS(ID string, fqdn string, ip string) error {
-	dnsip, err := d.getContainerBridgeIP(WeaveDNSContainer)
+	dnsip, err := d.client.GetContainerBridgeIP(WeaveContainer)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("nameserver not available: %s", err)
 	}
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func (d *dockerer) registerWithDNS(ID string, fqdn string, ip string) error {
 }
 
 func (d *dockerer) deregisterWithDNS(ID string, ip string) error {
-	dnsip, err := d.getContainerBridgeIP(WeaveDNSContainer)
+	dnsip, err := d.client.GetContainerBridgeIP(WeaveContainer)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("nameserver not available: %s", err)
 	}
diff --git a/plugin/docker.go b/plugin/docker.go
index d7b4b337..4934d737 100644
--- a/plugin/docker.go
+++ b/plugin/docker.go
@@ -1,23 +1,9 @@
 package plugin
 
 import (
-	"github.com/fsouza/go-dockerclient"
-	. "github.com/weaveworks/weave/common"
+	"github.com/weaveworks/weave/common/docker"
 )
 
 type dockerer struct {
 	client *docker.Client
 }
-
-func (d *dockerer) getContainerBridgeIP(nameOrID string) (string, error) {
-	Log.Debugf("Getting IP for container %s", nameOrID)
-	info, err := d.InspectContainer(nameOrID)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	return info.NetworkSettings.IPAddress, nil
-}
-
-func (d *dockerer) InspectContainer(nameOrId string) (*docker.Container, error) {
-	return d.client.InspectContainer(nameOrId)
-}
diff --git a/plugin/driver.go b/plugin/driver.go
index 8467c58f..85cded7c 100644
--- a/plugin/driver.go
+++ b/plugin/driver.go
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/libnetwork/types"
 
 	. "github.com/weaveworks/weave/common"
+	"github.com/weaveworks/weave/common/docker"
 	"github.com/weaveworks/weave/common/odp"
 	"github.com/weaveworks/weave/plugin/skel"
 
-	docker "github.com/fsouza/go-dockerclient"
 	"github.com/vishvananda/netlink"
 )
 
diff --git a/plugin/ipam.go b/plugin/ipam.go
index 927f7fff..bbc28aaf 100644
--- a/plugin/ipam.go
+++ b/plugin/ipam.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (d *dockerer) ipamOp(ID string, op string) (*net.IPNet, error) {
-	weaveip, err := d.getContainerBridgeIP(WeaveContainer)
+	weaveip, err := d.client.GetContainerBridgeIP(WeaveContainer)
 	Log.Debugf("IPAM operation %s for %s", op, ID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func (d *dockerer) lookupIP(ID string) (*net.IPNet, error) {
 
 // release an IP which is no longer needed
 func (d *dockerer) releaseIP(ID string) error {
-	weaveip, err := d.getContainerBridgeIP(WeaveContainer)
+	weaveip, err := d.client.GetContainerBridgeIP(WeaveContainer)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/plugin/watcher.go b/plugin/watcher.go
index 50f87dd5..1bfafd03 100644
--- a/plugin/watcher.go
+++ b/plugin/watcher.go
@@ -4,19 +4,16 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/fsouza/go-dockerclient"
 	. "github.com/weaveworks/weave/common"
+	"github.com/weaveworks/weave/common/docker"
 )
 
 const (
-	WeaveDNSContainer = "weavedns"
-	WeaveDomain       = "weave.local"
+	WeaveDomain = "weave.local"
 )
 
 type watcher struct {
 	dockerer
-	networks map[string]bool
-	events   chan *docker.APIEvents
 }
 
 type Watcher interface {
@@ -27,31 +24,18 @@ func NewWatcher(client *docker.Client) (Watcher, error) {
 		dockerer: dockerer{
 			client: client,
 		},
-		networks: make(map[string]bool),
-		events:   make(chan *docker.APIEvents),
 	}
-	err := client.AddEventListener(w.events)
+	err := client.AddObserver(w)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	go func() {
-		for event := range w.events {
-			switch event.Status {
-			case "start":
-				w.ContainerStart(event.ID)
-			case "die":
-				w.ContainerDied(event.ID)
-			}
-		}
-	}()
-
 	return w, nil
 }
 
-func (w *watcher) ContainerStart(id string) {
+func (w *watcher) ContainerStarted(id string) {
 	Log.Debugf("Container started %s", id)
-	info, err := w.InspectContainer(id)
+	info, err := w.client.InspectContainer(id)
 	if err != nil {
 		Log.Warningf("error inspecting container: %s", err)
 		return
@@ -69,7 +53,7 @@ func (w *watcher) ContainerStart(id string) {
 
 func (w *watcher) ContainerDied(id string) {
 	Log.Debugf("Container died %s", id)
-	info, err := w.InspectContainer(id)
+	info, err := w.client.InspectContainer(id)
 	if err != nil {
 		Log.Warningf("error inspecting container: %s", err)
 		return