diff --git a/cli/daemon.go b/cli/daemon.go
index 7bfa5d0..d2b439a 100644
--- a/cli/daemon.go
+++ b/cli/daemon.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ func getDaemonCommand() *cobra.Command {
 		Use:   "daemon",
 		Short: "Starts a daemon instance.",
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			d := daemon.NewDaemon("", 8000)
+			d := daemon.NewDaemon("", 8000, nil)
 
 			d.Start()
 			return nil
diff --git a/daemon/api.go b/daemon/api.go
index 0f594d0..ec52f77 100644
--- a/daemon/api.go
+++ b/daemon/api.go
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
 package daemon
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"net/http"
 )
 
-func GetApiRoutes() map[string]http.HandlerFunc {
-	return map[string]http.HandlerFunc{
+func GetApiRoutes() map[string]HandlerFuncWithContext {
+	return map[string]HandlerFuncWithContext{
 		"/service": ServiceList,
 	}
 }
 
-func ServiceList(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+func ServiceList(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, c context.Context) {
 	var returnPayload []byte
 	var returnCode int
 
diff --git a/daemon/api_test.go b/daemon/api_test.go
index 62e54d4..034f1bd 100644
--- a/daemon/api_test.go
+++ b/daemon/api_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package daemon
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"testing"
@@ -12,7 +13,7 @@ func TestServiceListUnsupportedMethods(t *testing.T) {
 			req := httptest.NewRequest(method, "/service", nil)
 			resp := httptest.NewRecorder()
 
-			ServiceList(resp, req)
+			ServiceList(resp, req, context.Background())
 
 			response := resp.Result()
 
diff --git a/daemon/daemon.go b/daemon/daemon.go
index 1c36579..a684439 100644
--- a/daemon/daemon.go
+++ b/daemon/daemon.go
@@ -1,17 +1,37 @@
 package daemon
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
+	service "spud/service"
 )
 
 type Daemon struct {
-	Host string
-	Port int
+	Host     string
+	Port     int
+	Services service.ServiceClient
+	Routes   map[string]http.HandlerFunc
 }
 
-func NewDaemon(host string, port int) *Daemon {
-	return &Daemon{Host: host, Port: port}
+type HandlerFuncWithContext = func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, c context.Context)
+
+func handleFuncWithContext(h HandlerFuncWithContext, c context.Context) http.HandlerFunc {
+	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		h(w, r, c)
+	}
+}
+
+func NewDaemon(host string, port int, serviceClient service.ServiceClient) *Daemon {
+	d := &Daemon{Host: host, Port: port}
+
+	if serviceClient == nil {
+		d.Services = &service.PodmanServiceClient{}
+	} else {
+		d.Services = serviceClient
+	}
+
+	return d
 }
 
 func (d Daemon) GetListenAddress() string {
@@ -19,8 +39,9 @@ func (d Daemon) GetListenAddress() string {
 }
 
 func (d Daemon) Start() {
+	daemonContext := context.WithValue(context.Background(), "client", d.Services)
 	for route, handler := range GetApiRoutes() {
-		http.HandleFunc(route, handler)
+		http.HandleFunc(route, handleFuncWithContext(handler, daemonContext))
 	}
 
 	http.ListenAndServe(d.GetListenAddress(), nil)
diff --git a/daemon/daemon_test.go b/daemon/daemon_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b97a39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/daemon/daemon_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package daemon
+
+import (
+	"reflect"
+	service "spud/service"
+	service_definition "spud/service_definition"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+type DummyClient struct{}
+
+func (c DummyClient) Create(d service_definition.ServiceDefinition) {}
+func (c DummyClient) Stop(d string)                                 {}
+
+func TestDaemonDefaultsToPodmanClient(t *testing.T) {
+	d := NewDaemon("host", 0, nil)
+
+	clientType := reflect.TypeOf(d.Services).String()
+	if clientType != reflect.TypeOf(&service.PodmanServiceClient{}).String() {
+		t.Errorf("Expected podman client, got %s instead.", clientType)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDaemonUsesInjectedClientIfProvided(t *testing.T) {
+	d := NewDaemon("host", 0, DummyClient{})
+
+	clientType := reflect.TypeOf(d.Services).String()
+	if clientType != reflect.TypeOf(DummyClient{}).String() {
+		t.Errorf("Expected dummy client, got %s instead.", clientType)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/service/client.go b/service/client.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8dcd38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/service/client.go
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+package service
+
+import (
+	service_definition "spud/service_definition"
+)
+
+type ServiceClient interface {
+	Create(service_definition.ServiceDefinition)
+	Stop(string)
+}
diff --git a/service/service.go b/service/service.go
index b616e3e..7ed7ef9 100644
--- a/service/service.go
+++ b/service/service.go
@@ -7,6 +7,16 @@ import (
 	service_definition "spud/service_definition"
 )
 
+type PodmanServiceClient struct{}
+
+func (c PodmanServiceClient) Create(definition service_definition.ServiceDefinition) {
+	CreateService(definition)
+}
+
+func (c PodmanServiceClient) Stop(name string) {
+	StopService(name)
+}
+
 func CreateService(definition service_definition.ServiceDefinition) {
 	var err error