diff --git a/cmd/drone-server/drone.go b/cmd/drone-server/drone.go
index 6377e12a..8d1717ef 100644
--- a/cmd/drone-server/drone.go
+++ b/cmd/drone-server/drone.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	runner "github.com/drone/drone/pkg/runner/builtin"
 	"github.com/drone/drone/pkg/store"
 
+	_ "github.com/drone/drone/pkg/remote/builtin/github"
 	_ "github.com/drone/drone/pkg/store/builtin"
 
 	_ "net/http/pprof"
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ func main() {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
-	remote, err := remote.New(settings)
+	remote, err := remote.New(settings.Remote.Driver, settings)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index f227add1..f7805a6d 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package config
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path"
diff --git a/pkg/remote/builtin/github/github.go b/pkg/remote/builtin/github/github.go
index 1deec057..796619ce 100644
--- a/pkg/remote/builtin/github/github.go
+++ b/pkg/remote/builtin/github/github.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/drone/drone/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/hashicorp/golang-lru"
 	"github.com/drone/drone/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/drone/drone/pkg/oauth2"
+	"github.com/drone/drone/pkg/remote"
 	common "github.com/drone/drone/pkg/types"
 	"github.com/drone/drone/pkg/utils/httputil"
 
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
+	DefaultURL   = "https://github.com"
 	DefaultScope = "repo,repo:status,user:email"
 )
 
@@ -35,7 +37,11 @@ type GitHub struct {
 	cache *lru.Cache
 }
 
-func New(conf *config.Config) *GitHub {
+func init() {
+	remote.Register("github", NewDriver)
+}
+
+func NewDriver(conf *config.Config) (remote.Remote, error) {
 	var github = GitHub{
 		API:         conf.Github.API,
 		URL:         conf.Github.Host,
@@ -49,7 +55,7 @@ func New(conf *config.Config) *GitHub {
 	var err error
 	github.cache, err = lru.New(1028)
 	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	// the API must have a trailing slash
@@ -60,12 +66,12 @@ func New(conf *config.Config) *GitHub {
 	if strings.HasSuffix(github.URL, "/") {
 		github.URL = github.URL[:len(github.URL)-1]
 	}
-	return &github
+	return &github, nil
 }
 
 func (g *GitHub) Login(token, secret string) (*common.User, error) {
 	client := NewClient(g.API, token, g.SkipVerify)
-	login, err := GetUserEmail(client, g.URL)
+	login, err := GetUserEmail(client)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/remote/builtin/github/helper.go b/pkg/remote/builtin/github/helper.go
index f54c19d6..bedd39ce 100644
--- a/pkg/remote/builtin/github/helper.go
+++ b/pkg/remote/builtin/github/helper.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func NewClient(uri, token string, skipVerify bool) *github.Client {
 
 // GetUserEmail is a heper function that retrieves the currently
 // authenticated user from GitHub + Email address.
-func GetUserEmail(client *github.Client, defaultURL string) (*github.User, error) {
+func GetUserEmail(client *github.Client) (*github.User, error) {
 	user, _, err := client.Users.Get("")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func GetUserEmail(client *github.Client, defaultURL string) (*github.User, error
 	// WARNING, HACK
 	// for out-of-date github enterprise editions the primary
 	// and verified fields won't exist.
-	if !strings.HasPrefix(*user.HTMLURL, defaultURL) && len(emails) != 0 {
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(*user.HTMLURL, DefaultURL) && len(emails) != 0 {
 		user.Email = emails[0].Email
 		return user, nil
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/remote/remote.go b/pkg/remote/remote.go
index fe4486ae..0da71981 100644
--- a/pkg/remote/remote.go
+++ b/pkg/remote/remote.go
@@ -1,17 +1,42 @@
 package remote
 
 import (
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
-	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/drone/drone/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/drone/drone/pkg/oauth2"
-	"github.com/drone/drone/pkg/remote/builtin/github"
 	common "github.com/drone/drone/pkg/types"
 )
 
+var drivers = make(map[string]DriverFunc)
+
+// Register makes a remote driver available by the provided name.
+// If Register is called twice with the same name or if driver is nil,
+// it panics.
+func Register(name string, driver DriverFunc) {
+	if driver == nil {
+		panic("remote: Register driver is nil")
+	}
+	if _, dup := drivers[name]; dup {
+		panic("remote: Register called twice for driver " + name)
+	}
+	drivers[name] = driver
+}
+
+// DriverFunc returns a new connection to the remote.
+// Config is a struct, with base remote configuration.
+type DriverFunc func(conf *config.Config) (Remote, error)
+
+// New creates a new remote connection.
+func New(driver string, conf *config.Config) (Remote, error) {
+	fn, ok := drivers[driver]
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("remote: unknown driver %q", driver)
+	}
+	return fn(conf)
+}
+
 type Remote interface {
 	// Login authenticates the session and returns the
 	// remote user details.
@@ -64,14 +89,3 @@ type Remote interface {
 	// Default scope for remote
 	Scope() string
 }
-
-func New(conf *config.Config) (Remote, error) {
-	switch strings.ToLower(conf.Remote.Driver) {
-	case "github":
-		return github.New(conf), nil
-	case "":
-		return nil, errors.New("Remote not specifed, please set env variable DRONE_REMOTE_DRIVER")
-	default:
-		return nil, errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("Remote driver not supported: DRONE_REMOTE_DRIVER=%s", conf.Remote.Driver))
-	}
-}