diff --git a/client/alloc_runner_test.go b/client/alloc_runner_test.go
index 148a33a42..15077c76c 100644
--- a/client/alloc_runner_test.go
+++ b/client/alloc_runner_test.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ func testAllocRunner(restarts bool) (*MockAllocStateUpdater, *AllocRunner) {
 	conf.AllocDir = os.TempDir()
 	upd := &MockAllocStateUpdater{}
 	alloc := mock.Alloc()
-	consulClient, _ := NewConsulClient(logger)
+	consulClient, _ := NewConsulClient(logger, "127.0.0.1:8500")
 	if !restarts {
 		alloc.Job.Type = structs.JobTypeBatch
 		*alloc.Job.LookupTaskGroup(alloc.TaskGroup).RestartPolicy = structs.RestartPolicy{Attempts: 0}
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func TestAllocRunner_SaveRestoreState(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Create a new alloc runner
-	consulClient, err := NewConsulClient(ar.logger)
+	consulClient, err := NewConsulClient(ar.logger, "127.0.0.1:8500")
 	ar2 := NewAllocRunner(ar.logger, ar.config, upd.Update,
 		&structs.Allocation{ID: ar.alloc.ID}, consulClient)
 	err = ar2.RestoreState()
diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index 8e605f4a5..040d80bbf 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -99,7 +99,8 @@ func NewClient(cfg *config.Config) (*Client, error) {
 	logger := log.New(cfg.LogOutput, "", log.LstdFlags)
 
 	// Create the consul client
-	consulClient, err := NewConsulClient(logger)
+	consulAddr := cfg.ReadDefault("consul.address", "127.0.0.1:8500")
+	consulClient, err := NewConsulClient(logger, consulAddr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create the consul client: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/client/consul.go b/client/consul.go
index db22eea56..0e122f13a 100644
--- a/client/consul.go
+++ b/client/consul.go
@@ -27,10 +27,12 @@ type ConsulClient struct {
 	trackedServices map[string]*trackedService
 }
 
-func NewConsulClient(logger *log.Logger) (*ConsulClient, error) {
+func NewConsulClient(logger *log.Logger, consulAddr string) (*ConsulClient, error) {
 	var err error
 	var c *consul.Client
-	if c, err = consul.NewClient(consul.DefaultConfig()); err != nil {
+	cfg := consul.DefaultConfig()
+	cfg.Address = consulAddr
+	if c, err = consul.NewClient(cfg); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
diff --git a/client/task_runner_test.go b/client/task_runner_test.go
index 788b0b1d5..f8bc9e466 100644
--- a/client/task_runner_test.go
+++ b/client/task_runner_test.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func testTaskRunner(restarts bool) (*MockTaskStateUpdater, *TaskRunner) {
 	upd := &MockTaskStateUpdater{}
 	alloc := mock.Alloc()
 	task := alloc.Job.TaskGroups[0].Tasks[0]
-	consulClient, _ := NewConsulClient(logger)
+	consulClient, _ := NewConsulClient(logger, "127.0.0.1:8500")
 	// Initialize the port listing. This should be done by the offer process but
 	// we have a mock so that doesn't happen.
 	task.Resources.Networks[0].ReservedPorts = []structs.Port{{"", 80}}
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ func TestTaskRunner_SaveRestoreState(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Create a new task runner
-	consulClient, _ := NewConsulClient(tr.logger)
+	consulClient, _ := NewConsulClient(tr.logger, "127.0.0.1:8500")
 	tr2 := NewTaskRunner(tr.logger, tr.config, upd.Update,
 		tr.ctx, tr.allocID, &structs.Task{Name: tr.task.Name}, tr.state, tr.restartTracker,
 		consulClient)