diff --git a/voltha/coordinator.py b/voltha/coordinator.py
index 636e383..1c8c57b 100644
--- a/voltha/coordinator.py
+++ b/voltha/coordinator.py
@@ -48,11 +48,11 @@
 
     CONNECT_RETRY_INTERVAL_SEC = 1
     RETRY_BACKOFF = [0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 5]
-    LEADER_KEY = 'service/voltha/leader'
+    #LEADER_KEY = 'service/voltha/leader'
 
-    MEMBERSHIP_PREFIX = 'service/voltha/members/'
-    ASSIGNMENT_PREFIX = 'service/voltha/assignments/'
-    WORKLOAD_PREFIX = 'service/voltha/work/'
+    #MEMBERSHIP_PREFIX = 'service/voltha/members/'
+    #ASSIGNMENT_PREFIX = 'service/voltha/assignments/'
+    #WORKLOAD_PREFIX = 'service/voltha/work/'
 
     # Public methods:
 
@@ -61,15 +61,36 @@
                  external_host_address,
                  instance_id,
                  rest_port,
+                 config,
                  consul='localhost:8500',
                  leader_class=Leader):
 
+        self.log = get_logger()
+        self.log.info('initializing-coordinator')
+        self.config = config['coordinator']
+        self.worker_config = config['worker']
+        self.leader_config = config['leader']
+        #self.log.info('config: %r' % self.config)
+        self.membership_watch_relatch_delay = config.get(
+            'membership_watch_relatch_delay', 0.1)
+        self.tracking_loop_delay = config.get(
+            'tracking_loop_delay', 1)
+        self.prefix = self.config.get('voltha_kv_prefix', 'service/voltha')
+        self.leader_prefix = '/'.join([self.prefix, self.config.get(
+                self.config['leader_key'], 'leader')])
+        self.membership_prefix = '/'.join([self.prefix, self.config.get(
+                self.config['membership_key'], 'members')])
+        self.assignment_prefix = '/'.join([self.prefix, self.config.get(
+                self.config['assignment_key'], 'assignments')])
+        self.workload_prefix = '/'.join([self.prefix, self.config.get(
+                self.config['workload_key'], 'work')])
+
         self.retries = 0
         self.instance_id = instance_id
         self.internal_host_address = internal_host_address
         self.external_host_address = external_host_address
         self.rest_port = rest_port
-        self.membership_record_key = self.MEMBERSHIP_PREFIX + self.instance_id
+        self.membership_record_key = self.membership_prefix + self.instance_id
 
         self.session_id = None
         self.i_am_leader = False
@@ -79,9 +100,6 @@
 
         self.worker = Worker(self.instance_id, self)
 
-        self.log = get_logger()
-        self.log.info('initializing-coordinator')
-
         host = consul.split(':')[0].strip()
         port = int(consul.split(':')[1].strip())
 
@@ -211,7 +229,8 @@
         finally:
             # except in shutdown, the loop must continue (after a short delay)
             if not self.shutting_down:
-                reactor.callLater(0.1, self._maintain_membership_record)
+                reactor.callLater(self.membership_watch_relatch_delay,
+                                  self._maintain_membership_record)
 
     def _start_leader_tracking(self):
         reactor.callLater(0, self._leadership_tracking_loop)
@@ -228,7 +247,7 @@
             # attempt acquire leader lock
             self.log.debug('leadership-attempt')
             result = yield self._retry(self.consul.kv.put,
-                                       self.LEADER_KEY,
+                                       self.leader_prefix,
                                        self.instance_id,
                                        acquire=self.session_id)
 
@@ -238,7 +257,7 @@
             # key gets wiped out administratively since the previous line,
             # the returned record can be None. Handle it.
             (index, record) = yield self._retry(self.consul.kv.get,
-                                                self.LEADER_KEY)
+                                                self.leader_prefix)
             self.log.debug('leadership-key',
                            i_am_leader=result, index=index, record=record)
 
@@ -259,7 +278,7 @@
             while last is not None:
                 # this shall return only when update is made to leader key
                 (index, updated) = yield self._retry(self.consul.kv.get,
-                                                     self.LEADER_KEY,
+                                                     self.leader_prefix,
                                                      index=index)
                 self.log.debug('leader-key-change',
                                index=index, updated=updated)
@@ -275,7 +294,8 @@
         finally:
             # except in shutdown, the loop must continue (after a short delay)
             if not self.shutting_down:
-                reactor.callLater(1, self._leadership_tracking_loop)
+                reactor.callLater(self.tracking_loop_delay,
+                                  self._leadership_tracking_loop)
 
     @inlineCallbacks
     def _assert_leadership(self):
diff --git a/voltha/leader.py b/voltha/leader.py
index 9f6b715..7f1e177 100644
--- a/voltha/leader.py
+++ b/voltha/leader.py
@@ -51,13 +51,13 @@
         self.reassignment_soak_timer = None
 
         self.workload_id_match = re.compile(
-             self.ID_EXTRACTOR % self.coord.WORKLOAD_PREFIX).match
+             self.ID_EXTRACTOR % self.coord.workload_prefix).match
 
         self.member_id_match = re.compile(
-            self.ID_EXTRACTOR % self.coord.MEMBERSHIP_PREFIX).match
+            self.ID_EXTRACTOR % self.coord.membership_prefix).match
 
         self.assignment_match = re.compile(
-            self.ASSIGNMENT_EXTRACTOR % self.coord.ASSIGNMENT_PREFIX).match
+            self.ASSIGNMENT_EXTRACTOR % self.coord.assignment_prefix).match
 
     @inlineCallbacks
     def start(self):
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
         # TODO for now we simply generate a fixed number of fake entries
         yield DeferredList([
             self.coord.kv_put(
-                self.coord.WORKLOAD_PREFIX + 'device_group_%04d' % (i + 1),
+                self.coord.workload_prefix + 'device_group_%04d' % (i + 1),
                 'placeholder for device group %d data' % (i + 1))
             for i in xrange(100)
         ])
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
 
         try:
             (index, results) = yield self.coord.kv_get(
-                self.coord.WORKLOAD_PREFIX, index=index, recurse=True)
+                self.coord.workload_prefix, index=index, recurse=True)
 
             matches = (self.workload_id_match(e['Key']) for e in results)
             workload = [m.group(2) for m in matches if m is not None]
@@ -122,7 +122,11 @@
 
         except Exception, e:
             self.log.exception('workload-track-error', e=e)
-            yield asleep(1.0)  # to prevent flood
+            yield asleep(
+                self.coord.leader_config.get(
+                    self.coord.leader_config[
+                        'workload_track_error_to_prevent_flood'], 1))
+            # to prevent flood
 
         finally:
             if not self.halted:
@@ -133,7 +137,7 @@
 
         try:
             (index, results) = yield self.coord.kv_get(
-                self.coord.MEMBERSHIP_PREFIX, index=index, recurse=True)
+                self.coord.membership_prefix, index=index, recurse=True)
 
             matches = (self.member_id_match(e['Key']) for e in results or [])
             members = [m.group(2) for m in matches if m is not None]
@@ -147,7 +151,11 @@
 
         except Exception, e:
             self.log.exception('members-track-error', e=e)
-            yield asleep(1.0)  # to prevent flood
+            yield asleep(
+                self.coord.leader_config.get(
+                    self.coord.leader_config[
+                        'members_track_error_to_prevent_flood']), 1)
+            # to prevent flood
 
         finally:
             if not self.halted:
@@ -205,7 +213,7 @@
             # Step 2: discover current assignment (from consul)
 
             (_, results) = yield self.coord.kv_get(
-                self.coord.ASSIGNMENT_PREFIX, recurse=True)
+                self.coord.assignment_prefix, recurse=True)
 
             matches = [
                 (self.assignment_match(e['Key']), e) for e in results or []]
@@ -230,7 +238,7 @@
                 # work, we could add a consul-based protocol here
                 for work_id in work_to_revoke:
                     yield self.coord.kv_delete(
-                        self.coord.ASSIGNMENT_PREFIX
+                        self.coord.assignment_prefix
                         + member_id + '/' + work_id)
 
             # Step 4: assign new work as needed
@@ -242,7 +250,7 @@
 
                 for work_id in work_to_assign:
                     yield self.coord.kv_put(
-                        self.coord.ASSIGNMENT_PREFIX
+                        self.coord.assignment_prefix
                         + member_id + '/' + work_id, '')
 
         except Exception, e:
diff --git a/voltha/main.py b/voltha/main.py
index 29edc0b..3d03653 100755
--- a/voltha/main.py
+++ b/voltha/main.py
@@ -215,6 +215,9 @@
                                  verbosity_adjust=verbosity_adjust,
                                  fluentd=args.fluentd)
 
+        # configurable variables from voltha.yml file
+        #self.configurable_vars = self.config.get('Constants', {})
+
         # components
         self.coordinator = None
         self.grpc_server = None
@@ -239,6 +242,7 @@
             external_host_address=self.args.external_host_address,
             rest_port=self.args.rest_port,
             instance_id=self.args.instance_id,
+            config=self.config,
             consul=self.args.consul)
         init_rest_service(self.args.rest_port)
 
diff --git a/voltha/voltha.yml b/voltha/voltha.yml
index ae19f05..e5d7e18 100644
--- a/voltha/voltha.yml
+++ b/voltha/voltha.yml
@@ -42,3 +42,20 @@
             level: INFO # this can be bumped up/down by -q and -v command line
                         # options
             propagate: False
+
+coordinator:
+    voltha_kv_prefix: 'service/voltha'
+    leader_key: 'leader'
+    membership_key: 'members'
+    assignment_key: 'assignments'
+    workload_key: 'work'
+    membership_watch_relatch_delay: 0.1
+    tracking_loop_delay: 1
+
+worker:
+    time_to_let_leader_update: 5
+    assignments_track_error_to_avoid_flood: 1
+
+leader:
+    workload_track_error_to_prevent_flood: 1
+    members_track_error_to_prevent_flood: 1
diff --git a/voltha/worker.py b/voltha/worker.py
index 2e531a4..8d0206c 100644
--- a/voltha/worker.py
+++ b/voltha/worker.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
         self.my_candidate_workload = set()  # we stash here during soaking
 
         self.assignment_match = re.compile(
-            self.ASSIGNMENT_EXTRACTOR % self.coord.ASSIGNMENT_PREFIX).match
+            self.ASSIGNMENT_EXTRACTOR % self.coord.assignment_prefix).match
 
     @inlineCallbacks
     def start(self):
@@ -78,10 +78,11 @@
                 yield d
                 # additional time to let leader update
                 # assignments, to minimize potential churn
-                yield asleep(5)
+                yield asleep(self.coord.worker_config.get(
+                    self.coord.worker_config['time_to_let_leader_update'], 5))
 
             (index, results) = yield self.coord.kv_get(
-                self.coord.ASSIGNMENT_PREFIX + self.instance_id,
+                self.coord.assignment_prefix + self.instance_id,
                 index=index, recurse=True)
 
             matches = [
@@ -96,7 +97,11 @@
 
         except Exception, e:
             self.log.exception('assignments-track-error', e=e)
-            yield asleep(1)  # to prevent flood
+            yield asleep(
+                self.coord.worker_config.get(
+                    self.coord.worker_config[
+                        'assignments_track_error_to_avoid_flood'], 1))
+            # to prevent flood
 
         finally:
             if not self.halted: