diff --git a/ipam/allocator.go b/ipam/allocator.go
index 93c81f21..20c78bd5 100644
--- a/ipam/allocator.go
+++ b/ipam/allocator.go
@@ -887,8 +887,10 @@ func (alloc *Allocator) loadPersistedData() {
 	if len(alloc.seed) != 0 {
 		alloc.infof("Initialising with supplied IPAM seed")
 		alloc.createRing(alloc.seed)
-	} else {
+	} else if alloc.paxos.IsElector() {
 		alloc.infof("Initialising via deferred consensus")
+	} else {
+		alloc.infof("Initialising as observer - awaiting IPAM data from another peer")
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/ipam/paxos/paxos.go b/ipam/paxos/paxos.go
index 6d157060..fe10775b 100644
--- a/ipam/paxos/paxos.go
+++ b/ipam/paxos/paxos.go
@@ -262,10 +262,11 @@ func (node *Node) IsElector() bool {
 }
 
 type Status struct {
+	Elector    bool
 	KnownNodes int
 	Quorum     uint
 }
 
 func NewStatus(node *Node) *Status {
-	return &Status{len(node.knows), node.quorum}
+	return &Status{true, len(node.knows), node.quorum}
 }
diff --git a/ipam/status.go b/ipam/status.go
index c826b9b1..a65de527 100644
--- a/ipam/status.go
+++ b/ipam/status.go
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ func NewStatus(allocator *Allocator, defaultSubnet address.CIDR) *Status {
 			if node, ok := allocator.paxos.(*paxos.Node); ok {
 				paxosStatus = paxos.NewStatus(node)
 			}
+		} else {
+			paxosStatus = &paxos.Status{Elector: false}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/prog/weaver/http.go b/prog/weaver/http.go
index 57945539..cf9254ac 100644
--- a/prog/weaver/http.go
+++ b/prog/weaver/http.go
@@ -166,7 +166,11 @@ var statusTemplate = defTemplate("status", `\
          Status: ready
 {{end}}\
 {{else if .IPAM.Paxos}}\
+{{if .IPAM.Paxos.Elector}}\
          Status: awaiting consensus (quorum: {{.IPAM.Paxos.Quorum}}, known: {{.IPAM.Paxos.KnownNodes}})
+{{else}}\
+         Status: awaiting consensus (observer)
+{{end}}\
 {{else}}\
          Status: idle
 {{end}}\