diff --git a/build/serve.js b/build/serve.js
index 25d89b87054e0dbdcedddf71669d030dea136fc3..3a8ff8525430999e384e88c15f76ab0e72cb96f0 100644
--- a/build/serve.js
+++ b/build/serve.js
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ gulp.task('serve', ['index'], serveDevelopmentMode);
 /**
  * Serves the application in production mode.
  */
-gulp.task('serve:prod', ['build-frontend', 'spawn-backend'], function () {
+gulp.task('serve:prod', ['build-frontend'], function () {
   browserSyncInit(conf.paths.dist);
 });
 
diff --git a/src/app/backend/apiserverclient.go b/src/app/backend/apiserverclient.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..08362e900f31ac7ddf15a1c214ab0346cb386831
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/backend/apiserverclient.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+// Copyright 2015 Google Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package backend
+
+import client "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/unversioned"
+
+// Factory that creates Kubernetes API clients.
+type ClientFactory interface {
+	// Creates new API client assuming that the binary runs in a cluster.
+	NewInCluster() (*client.Client, error)
+
+	// Creates new API client from the given config.
+	New(*client.Config) (*client.Client, error)
+}
+
+// Creates new Kubernetes Apiserver client. When apiserverHost param is empty string the function
+// assumes that it is running inside a Kubernetes cluster and attempts to discover the Apiserver.
+// Otherwise, it connects to the Apiserver specified.
+// apiserverHost param is in the format of protocol://address:port, e.g., http://localhost:8001.
+func CreateApiserverClient(apiserverHost string,
+	clientFactory ClientFactory) (*client.Client, error) {
+
+	if apiserverHost == "" {
+		return clientFactory.NewInCluster()
+	} else {
+		cfg := client.Config{
+			Host: apiserverHost,
+		}
+		return clientFactory.New(&cfg)
+	}
+}
+
+// Default implementation of the ClientFactory. It uses k8s.io package API.
+type ClientFactoryImpl struct{}
+
+func (ClientFactoryImpl) New(cfg *client.Config) (*client.Client, error) {
+	return client.New(cfg)
+}
+
+func (ClientFactoryImpl) NewInCluster() (*client.Client, error) {
+	return client.NewInCluster()
+}
diff --git a/src/app/backend/dashboard.go b/src/app/backend/dashboard.go
index 2c950a97bfbd0c82e5e8794d0f0c89a83cfeecec..fc010e4175ae3fae70c0dde850d87733394340b0 100644
--- a/src/app/backend/dashboard.go
+++ b/src/app/backend/dashboard.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
-package main
+package backend
 
 import (
 	"flag"
@@ -24,15 +24,33 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	argPort = pflag.Int("port", 8080, "The port to listen to for incomming HTTP requests")
+	argPort          = pflag.Int("port", 8080, "The port to listen to for incoming HTTP requests")
+	argApiserverHost = pflag.String("apiserver-host", "", "The address of the Kubernetes Apiserver "+
+		"to connect to in the format of protocol://address:port, e.g., "+
+		"http://localhost:8001. If not specified, the assumption is that the binary runs in a"+
+		"Kubernetes cluster and local discovery is attempted.")
 )
 
 func main() {
 	pflag.CommandLine.AddGoFlagSet(flag.CommandLine)
+
 	pflag.Parse()
 	glog.Info("Starting HTTP server on port ", *argPort)
 	defer glog.Flush()
 
+	apiserverClient, err := CreateApiserverClient(*argApiserverHost, new(ClientFactoryImpl))
+	if err != nil {
+		glog.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	serverAPIVersion, err := apiserverClient.ServerAPIVersions()
+	if err != nil {
+		glog.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// Display Apiserver version. This is just for tests.
+	println("Server API version: " + serverAPIVersion.GoString())
+
 	// Run a HTTP server that serves static files from current directory.
 	// TODO(bryk): Disable directory listing.
 	http.Handle("/", http.FileServer(http.Dir("./")))
diff --git a/src/test/backend/apiserverclient_test.go b/src/test/backend/apiserverclient_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..bebb83b4a1bfce5945770e75f6a428e5cde5d2ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/backend/apiserverclient_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+// Copyright 2015 Google Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package backend
+
+import (
+	"github.com/dashboard/src/app/backend"
+	client "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/unversioned"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+var fakeRemoteClient = new(client.Client)
+var fakeInClusterClient = new(client.Client)
+
+type FakeClientFactory struct{}
+
+func (FakeClientFactory) New(cfg *client.Config) (*client.Client, error) {
+	return fakeRemoteClient, nil
+}
+
+func (FakeClientFactory) NewInCluster() (*client.Client, error) {
+	return fakeInClusterClient, nil
+}
+
+func TestCreateApiserverClient_inCluster(t *testing.T) {
+	client, _ := backend.CreateApiserverClient("", new(FakeClientFactory))
+	if client != fakeInClusterClient {
+		t.Fatal("Expected in cluster client to be created")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCreateApiserverClient_remote(t *testing.T) {
+	client, _ := backend.CreateApiserverClient("http://foo:bar", new(FakeClientFactory))
+	if client != fakeRemoteClient {
+		t.Fatal("Expected remote client to be created")
+	}
+}