diff --git a/node-daemon/pvcd.sample.yaml b/node-daemon/pvcd.sample.yaml
index 6bba7d2f..c143b090 100644
--- a/node-daemon/pvcd.sample.yaml
+++ b/node-daemon/pvcd.sample.yaml
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ pvc:
     enable_networking: True
     # enable_storage: Enable or disable Ceph storage management functionality
     enable_storage: True
+    # enable_api: Enable or disable the API client, if installed, when node is Primary
+    enable_api: True
   # cluster: Cluster-level configuration
   cluster:
     # coordinators: The list of cluster coordinator hostnames
diff --git a/node-daemon/pvcd/Daemon.py b/node-daemon/pvcd/Daemon.py
index f2b23dfc..6793e9aa 100644
--- a/node-daemon/pvcd/Daemon.py
+++ b/node-daemon/pvcd/Daemon.py
@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@ def readConfig(pvcd_config_file, myhostname):
             'enable_hypervisor': o_config['pvc']['functions']['enable_hypervisor'],
             'enable_networking': o_config['pvc']['functions']['enable_networking'],
             'enable_storage': o_config['pvc']['functions']['enable_storage'],
+            'enable_api': o_config['pvc']['functions']['enable_api'],
             'dynamic_directory': o_config['pvc']['system']['configuration']['directories']['dynamic_directory'],
             'log_directory': o_config['pvc']['system']['configuration']['directories']['log_directory'],
             'console_log_directory': o_config['pvc']['system']['configuration']['directories']['console_log_directory'],
diff --git a/node-daemon/pvcd/NodeInstance.py b/node-daemon/pvcd/NodeInstance.py
index 8d71e0f2..4b64bc45 100644
--- a/node-daemon/pvcd/NodeInstance.py
+++ b/node-daemon/pvcd/NodeInstance.py
@@ -254,6 +254,8 @@ class NodeInstance(object):
             self.logger.out('Setting router {} to secondary state'.format(self.name), state='i')
             self.logger.out('Network list: {}'.format(', '.join(self.network_list)))
             time.sleep(2)
+            if self.config['enable_api']:
+                common.run_os_command("systemctl stop pvc-api.service")
             for network in self.d_network:
                 self.d_network[network].stopDHCPServer()
                 self.d_network[network].removeGateways()
@@ -269,6 +271,8 @@ class NodeInstance(object):
             for network in self.d_network:
                 self.d_network[network].createGateways()
                 self.d_network[network].startDHCPServer()
+            if self.config['enable_api']:
+                common.run_os_command("systemctl start pvc-api.service")
             time.sleep(1)
             # Force Patroni to switch to the local instance
             self.logger.out('Setting Patroni leader to this node', state='i')