diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e268dc5d..84414dc1 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 AC_INIT(rtorrent, 0.9.1, jaris@ifi.uio.no)
 
+AC_DEFINE(API_VERSION, 1, api version)
+
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE
 AM_CONFIG_HEADER(config.h)
 AM_PATH_CPPUNIT(1.9.6)
diff --git a/src/command_local.cc b/src/command_local.cc
index cd3225f2..9ca9a77c 100644
--- a/src/command_local.cc
+++ b/src/command_local.cc
@@ -328,6 +328,7 @@ initialize_command_local() {
   CMD2_ANY         ("system.hostname", std::bind(&system_hostname));
   CMD2_ANY         ("system.pid",      std::bind(&getpid));
 
+  CMD2_VAR_C_STRING("system.api_version",           (int64_t)API_VERSION);
   CMD2_VAR_C_STRING("system.client_version",        PACKAGE_VERSION);
   CMD2_VAR_C_STRING("system.library_version",       torrent::version());
   CMD2_VAR_VALUE   ("system.file.allocate",         0);
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index 2d50006c..796a96a2 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -188,9 +188,6 @@ main(int argc, char** argv) {
 
     control = new Control;
     
-    worker_thread = new ThreadWorker();
-    worker_thread->init_thread();
-
     srandom(cachedTime.usec());
     srand48(cachedTime.usec());
 
@@ -217,6 +214,9 @@ main(int argc, char** argv) {
     torrent::main_thread()->slot_do_work() = tr1::bind(&client_perform);
     torrent::main_thread()->slot_next_timeout() = tr1::bind(&client_next_timeout, control);
 
+    worker_thread = new ThreadWorker();
+    worker_thread->init_thread();
+
     // Initialize option handlers after libtorrent to ensure
     // torrent::ConnectionManager* are valid etc.
     initialize_commands();