diff --git a/web/config/initializers/eventmachine.rb b/web/config/initializers/eventmachine.rb
index 15d4c627d..679b6c775 100644
--- a/web/config/initializers/eventmachine.rb
+++ b/web/config/initializers/eventmachine.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ unless $rails_rake_task
           :port => APP_CONFIG.websocket_gateway_port,
           :emwebsocket_debug => APP_CONFIG.websocket_gateway_internal_debug,
           :connect_time_stale => APP_CONFIG.websocket_gateway_connect_time_stale,
-          :connect_time_expire => APP_CONFIG.websocket_gateway_connect_time_expire)
+          :connect_time_expire => APP_CONFIG.websocket_gateway_connect_time_expire,
+          :rabbitmq_host => APP_CONFIG.rabbitmq_host,
+          :rabbitmq_port => APP_CONFIG.rabbitmq_port)
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/websocket-gateway/bin/websocket_gateway b/websocket-gateway/bin/websocket_gateway
index 067d12d93..343f589dc 100755
--- a/websocket-gateway/bin/websocket_gateway
+++ b/websocket-gateway/bin/websocket_gateway
@@ -48,4 +48,6 @@ Object.send(:remove_const, :Rails) # this is to 'fool' new relic into not thinki
 Server.new.run(:port => config["port"], 
                :emwebsocket_debug => config["emwebsocket_debug"], 
                :connect_time_stale => config["connect_time_stale"], 
-               :connect_time_expire => config["connect_time_expire"])
+               :connect_time_expire => config["connect_time_expire"],
+               :rabbitmq_host => config['rabbitmq_host'],
+               :rabbitmq_port => config['rabbitmq_port'])
diff --git a/websocket-gateway/config/application.yml b/websocket-gateway/config/application.yml
index 63da2c18b..7647b2df8 100644
--- a/websocket-gateway/config/application.yml
+++ b/websocket-gateway/config/application.yml
@@ -6,14 +6,20 @@ development:
   port: 6767
   verbose: true
   emwebsocket_debug: false
+  rabbitmq_host: localhost
+  rabbitmq_port: 5672
   <<: *defaults
 
 test:
   port: 6769
   verbose: true
+  rabbitmq_host: localhost
+  rabbitmq_port: 5672
   <<: *defaults
 
 production:
   port: 6767
-  verbose: false 
+  verbose: false
+  rabbitmq_host: localhost
+  rabbitmq_port: 5672
   <<: *defaults
diff --git a/websocket-gateway/lib/jam_websockets/server.rb b/websocket-gateway/lib/jam_websockets/server.rb
index 30cac4ac5..a82875450 100644
--- a/websocket-gateway/lib/jam_websockets/server.rb
+++ b/websocket-gateway/lib/jam_websockets/server.rb
@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@ module JamWebsockets
       port = options[:port]
       connect_time_stale = options[:connect_time_stale].to_i
       connect_time_expire = options[:connect_time_expire].to_i
+      rabbitmq_host = options[:rabbitmq_host]
+      rabbitmq_port = options[:rabbitmq_port].to_i
 
-      @log.info "starting server #{host}:#{port} with staleness_time=#{connect_time_stale}; reconnect time = #{connect_time_expire}"
+      @log.info "starting server #{host}:#{port} staleness_time=#{connect_time_stale}; reconnect time = #{connect_time_expire}, rabbitmq=#{rabbitmq_host}:#{rabbitmq_port}"
 
       EventMachine.error_handler{|e|
         @log.error "unhandled error #{e}"
@@ -26,7 +28,7 @@ module JamWebsockets
       }
 
       EventMachine.run do
-        @router.start(connect_time_stale) do
+        @router.start(connect_time_stale, host: rabbitmq_host, port: rabbitmq_port) do
           # take stale off the expire limit because the call to stale will
           # touch the updated_at column, adding an extra stale limit to the expire time limit
          # expire_time = connect_time_expire > connect_time_stale ? connect_time_expire - connect_time_stale : connect_time_expire