diff --git a/ceilometer/api/__main__.py b/bin/ceilometer-api
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
similarity index 80%
rename from ceilometer/api/__main__.py
rename to bin/ceilometer-api
index cc0ea04f20..fadd9744fb
--- a/ceilometer/api/__main__.py
+++ b/bin/ceilometer-api
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
 # -*- encoding: utf-8 -*-
 #
 # Copyright © 2012 New Dream Network, LLC (DreamHost)
@@ -17,11 +18,16 @@
 # under the License.
 """Set up the development API server.
 """
+import sys
 
 from ceilometer.api.app import app
 from ceilometer.openstack.common import cfg
+from ceilometer.openstack.common import log as logging
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    cfg.CONF()
-    app.debug = True
+    cfg.CONF(sys.argv[1:])
+    logging.setup('ceilometer.api')
+    if cfg.CONF.verbose or cfg.CONF.debug:
+        app.debug = True
     app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=cfg.CONF.metering_api_port)
diff --git a/doc/source/install.rst b/doc/source/install.rst
index de90dfa6f4..2ab28d6079 100644
--- a/doc/source/install.rst
+++ b/doc/source/install.rst
@@ -61,15 +61,12 @@ ceilometer::
 Running the API Server
 ======================
 
-There is not currently a wrapper script for the ceilometer API server,
-so it must be started manually.
-
 .. index::
    double: installing; API
 
 ::
 
-  $ python -m ceilometer.api
+  $ ceilometer-api
 
 .. note::
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index b50aa235cf..b4ff50e6e6 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ setuptools.setup(
     setup_requires=['setuptools-git>=0.4'],
     scripts=['bin/ceilometer-agent-compute',
              'bin/ceilometer-agent-central',
+             'bin/ceilometer-api',
              'bin/ceilometer-collector'],
     py_modules=[],
     entry_points=textwrap.dedent("""
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 6ce51bab86..8999960bf9 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ commands = {toxinidir}/run_tests.sh --no-path-adjustment --with-coverage --cover
 
 [testenv:pep8]
 deps = pep8==1.1
-commands = pep8 --repeat --show-source ceilometer setup.py bin/ceilometer-agent-central bin/ceilometer-agent-compute bin/ceilometer-collector
+commands = pep8 --repeat --show-source ceilometer setup.py bin/ceilometer-agent-central bin/ceilometer-agent-compute bin/ceilometer-collector bin/ceilometer-api
 
 [testenv:py26-essex]
 deps = -r{toxinidir}/tools/pip-requires_essex