diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6c36940..581db42 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -30,6 +30,20 @@ matterbridge_gateways:
   - { status: "movies", discord: [{ srv: "status-pub", ch: "movies" }] }
 ```
 
+# API
+
+To use the Matterbridge API it must be enabled with `matterbridge_api_enabled: true`.
+Currently only a single API (called `api`) is supported.
+
+It can be used in a gateway like this:
+
+```
+- { discord: [{ srv: "vac", ch: "waku" }], api: ["api"]}
+```
+
+The API is running on port 4242 by default (`matterbridge_api_port`). More info
+about the API can be found on the [Matterbridge wiki](https://github.com/42wim/matterbridge/wiki/Api).
+
 # Known Issues
 
 If your bridge is posting in a Discord channel but doesn't receive mesages from it you might have to adjust the channel-level permissions to give the bot message read rights.
diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 99b1b52..0420b0d 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ matterbridge_debug: false
 matterbridge_nick: bridge
 matterbridge_ens_name: bridge.stateofus.eth
 
+# configuration for API
+matterbridge_api_enabled: false
+matterbridge_api_port: 4242
+
 # configuration for gateways
 matterbridge_gateways: []
 
diff --git a/tasks/consul.yml b/tasks/consul.yml
index 1342bc5..559e16d 100644
--- a/tasks/consul.yml
+++ b/tasks/consul.yml
@@ -11,3 +11,17 @@
             name: 'MatterBridge health'
             type: 'script'
             script: '/usr/bin/pgrep -xl matterbridge'
+
+- name: Create Consul service definition for API
+  include_role: name=consul-service
+  when: '{{ matterbridge_api_enabled }}'
+  vars:
+    consul_config_name: '{{ matterbridge_cont_name }}-api'
+    consul_services:
+      - name: '{{ matterbridge_cont_name }}-api'
+        tags: ['matterbridge', 'bridge']
+        checks:
+          - id: '{{ matterbridge_cont_name }}-api-health'
+            name: 'MatterBridge API health'
+            type: 'script'
+            script: 'curl --fail http://localhost:{{ matterbridge_api_port }}/api/health'
diff --git a/tasks/container.yml b/tasks/container.yml
index cd8cbf4..d928b92 100644
--- a/tasks/container.yml
+++ b/tasks/container.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
     restart: '{{ config_file.changed or cont_restart }}'
     volumes:
       - '{{ matterbridge_cont_vol }}/matterbridge.yaml:/matterbridge.yaml'
+    ports: '{{ [lookup("vars", "docker_api_port")] if lookup("vars", "matterbridge_api_enabled") else [] }}'
     command: |
       -conf=/matterbridge.yaml
       {% if matterbridge_debug %}-debug{% endif %}
+  vars:
+    docker_api_port: '{{ matterbridge_api_port }}:{{ matterbridge_api_port }}'
diff --git a/templates/matterbridge.yaml.j2 b/templates/matterbridge.yaml.j2
index 7a62d17..1a988bf 100644
--- a/templates/matterbridge.yaml.j2
+++ b/templates/matterbridge.yaml.j2
@@ -12,6 +12,13 @@ general:
 {{ matterbridge_bridges | to_nice_yaml }}
 {% endif %}
 
+{% if matterbridge_api_enabled %}
+api.api:
+    BindAddress: 0.0.0.0:{{ matterbridge_api_port }}
+    Buffer: 1000
+    RemoteNickFormat: '{NICK}@api'
+{% endif %}
+
 #######################################
 # These are auto generated by Ansible #
 #######################################
@@ -31,6 +38,7 @@ gateway:
       - account: "api.{{ api_name }}"
         channel: "api"
     {% endfor %}
+
     {% if gtw.get("gitter", false) %}
 
       - account: "gitter.autobot"