diff --git a/.drone.yml b/.drone.yml
index a51e43c22..b39c7e1b3 100644
--- a/.drone.yml
+++ b/.drone.yml
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ compose:
     # NOTE: Using 1.4.21 instead of 1.4.17 due to tag availability.
     image: memcached:1.4.21
 
+  zookeeper:
+    image: jplock/zookeeper:3.4.6
+
 # Build steps are where the setup, compilation, and tests happen.
 build:
   # This is a fat Docker image with the apt dependencies pre-installed.
diff --git a/install/install_services.sh b/install/install_services.sh
index a1e459d1d..ced6d8a43 100755
--- a/install/install_services.sh
+++ b/install/install_services.sh
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ haproxy
 nginx
 gunicorn
 redis-server
+zookeeperd
 PACKAGES
 
 ###############################################################################
diff --git a/r2/example.ini b/r2/example.ini
index 0b9fd7f1f..bed0acfe7 100644
--- a/r2/example.ini
+++ b/r2/example.ini
@@ -590,9 +590,15 @@ amqp_virtual_host = /
 
 ############################################ ZOOKEEPER
 # zookeeper is optional at the moment
-zookeeper_connection_string =
-zookeeper_username =
-zookeeper_password =
+zookeeper_connection_string = localhost:2181
+zookeeper_username = reddit
+zookeeper_password = reddit
+
+# these should be one of "config" or "zookeeper"
+# - config: read from the local ini file
+# - zookeeper: read from the zookeeper cluster
+liveconfig_source = config
+secrets_source = config
 
 
 ############################################ EMAIL
diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py b/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py
index fd1ad4d20..a026e5a1a 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ from r2.lib.stats import (
 )
 from r2.lib.translation import get_active_langs, I18N_PATH
 from r2.lib.utils import config_gold_price, thread_dump
+from r2.lib.zookeeper import connect_to_zookeeper, LiveConfig, LiveList
 
 
 LIVE_CONFIG_NODE = "/config/live"
@@ -325,6 +326,11 @@ class Globals(object):
              'cassandra_wcl',
         ],
 
+        ConfigValue.choice(zookeeper="zookeeper", config="config"): [
+            "liveconfig_source",
+            "secrets_source",
+        ],
+
         ConfigValue.timeinterval: [
             'ARCHIVE_AGE',
             "vote_queue_grace_period",
@@ -679,33 +685,29 @@ class Globals(object):
         self.startup_timer.intermediate("configuration")
 
         ################# ZOOKEEPER
-        # for now, zookeeper will be an optional part of the stack.
-        # if it's not configured, we will grab the expected config from the
-        # [live_config] section of the ini file
-        zk_hosts = self.config.get("zookeeper_connection_string")
-        if zk_hosts:
-            from r2.lib.zookeeper import (connect_to_zookeeper,
-                                          LiveConfig, LiveList)
-            zk_username = self.config["zookeeper_username"]
-            zk_password = self.config["zookeeper_password"]
-            self.zookeeper = connect_to_zookeeper(zk_hosts, (zk_username,
-                                                             zk_password))
-            self.live_config = LiveConfig(self.zookeeper, LIVE_CONFIG_NODE)
-            self.secrets = fetch_secrets(self.zookeeper)
-            self.throttles = LiveList(self.zookeeper, "/throttles",
-                                      map_fn=ipaddress.ip_network,
-                                      reduce_fn=ipaddress.collapse_addresses)
+        zk_hosts = self.config["zookeeper_connection_string"]
+        zk_username = self.config["zookeeper_username"]
+        zk_password = self.config["zookeeper_password"]
+        self.zookeeper = connect_to_zookeeper(zk_hosts, (zk_username,
+                                                         zk_password))
 
-            # close our zk connection when the app shuts down
-            SHUTDOWN_CALLBACKS.append(self.zookeeper.stop)
+        self.throttles = LiveList(self.zookeeper, "/throttles",
+                                  map_fn=ipaddress.ip_network,
+                                  reduce_fn=ipaddress.collapse_addresses)
+
+        parser = ConfigParser.RawConfigParser()
+        parser.optionxform = str
+        parser.read([self.config["__file__"]])
+
+        if self.config["liveconfig_source"] == "zookeeper":
+            self.live_config = LiveConfig(self.zookeeper, LIVE_CONFIG_NODE)
         else:
-            self.zookeeper = None
-            parser = ConfigParser.RawConfigParser()
-            parser.optionxform = str
-            parser.read([self.config["__file__"]])
             self.live_config = extract_live_config(parser, self.plugins)
+
+        if self.config["secrets_source"] == "zookeeper":
+            self.secrets = fetch_secrets(self.zookeeper)
+        else:
             self.secrets = extract_secrets(parser)
-            self.throttles = tuple()  # immutable since it's not real
 
         ################# PRIVILEGED USERS
         self.admins = PermissionFilteredEmployeeList(