diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 75253152..334aa2c1 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1962,16 +1962,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "syn",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "dashmap"
-version = "4.0.2"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "e77a43b28d0668df09411cb0bc9a8c2adc40f9a048afe863e05fd43251e8e39c"
-dependencies = [
- "cfg-if 1.0.0",
- "num_cpus",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "debugid"
 version = "0.7.2"
@@ -3363,17 +3353,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "wasm-bindgen",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "json-patch"
-version = "0.2.6"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "f995a3c8f2bc3dd52a18a583e90f9ec109c047fa1603a853e46bcda14d2e279d"
-dependencies = [
- "serde",
- "serde_json",
- "treediff",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "jsonpath_lib"
 version = "0.3.0"
@@ -3468,7 +3447,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "kube-core",
  "openssl",
  "pem",
- "pin-project 1.0.8",
+ "pin-project",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
  "serde_yaml",
@@ -3489,7 +3468,6 @@ checksum = "04ccd59635e9b21353da8d4a394bb5d3473b5965ed44496c8f857281b0625ffe"
 dependencies = [
  "form_urlencoded",
  "http",
- "json-patch",
  "k8s-openapi",
  "once_cell",
  "serde",
@@ -3510,28 +3488,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "syn",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "kube-runtime"
-version = "0.60.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "eec378b03890f9f2bfa9448a51aa0f6a4299f6bb2ed0d180330e628c7a395918"
-dependencies = [
- "dashmap",
- "derivative",
- "futures",
- "json-patch",
- "k8s-openapi",
- "kube",
- "pin-project 1.0.8",
- "serde",
- "serde_json",
- "smallvec",
- "snafu",
- "tokio",
- "tokio-util",
- "tracing",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "language-tags"
 version = "0.3.2"
@@ -3951,7 +3907,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "k8s-openapi",
  "kube",
  "kube-derive",
- "kube-runtime",
  "log",
  "mr_messages_lib",
  "mr_utils_lib",
@@ -4018,6 +3973,8 @@ dependencies = [
  "chrono",
  "env_logger 0.8.4",
  "jwt-compact",
+ "k8s-openapi",
+ "kube",
  "mr_messages_lib",
  "mr_shared_lib",
  "mr_utils_lib",
@@ -4830,33 +4787,13 @@ dependencies = [
  "indexmap",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "pin-project"
-version = "0.4.29"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "9615c18d31137579e9ff063499264ddc1278e7b1982757ebc111028c4d1dc909"
-dependencies = [
- "pin-project-internal 0.4.29",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "pin-project"
 version = "1.0.8"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "576bc800220cc65dac09e99e97b08b358cfab6e17078de8dc5fee223bd2d0c08"
 dependencies = [
- "pin-project-internal 1.0.8",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "pin-project-internal"
-version = "0.4.29"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "044964427019eed9d49d9d5bbce6047ef18f37100ea400912a9fa4a3523ab12a"
-dependencies = [
- "proc-macro2",
- "quote",
- "syn",
+ "pin-project-internal",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -5966,8 +5903,6 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "eab12d3c261b2308b0d80c26fffb58d17eba81a4be97890101f416b478c79ca7"
 dependencies = [
  "doc-comment",
- "futures-core",
- "pin-project 0.4.29",
  "snafu-derive",
 ]
 
@@ -6549,7 +6484,7 @@ checksum = "511de3f85caf1c98983545490c3d09685fa8eb634e57eec22bb4db271f46cbd8"
 dependencies = [
  "futures-util",
  "log",
- "pin-project 1.0.8",
+ "pin-project",
  "tokio",
  "tungstenite",
 ]
@@ -6565,7 +6500,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "futures-sink",
  "log",
  "pin-project-lite",
- "slab",
  "tokio",
 ]
 
@@ -6596,7 +6530,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "hyper",
  "hyper-timeout",
  "percent-encoding",
- "pin-project 1.0.8",
+ "pin-project",
  "prost",
  "prost-derive",
  "tokio",
@@ -6618,7 +6552,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "futures-core",
  "futures-util",
  "indexmap",
- "pin-project 1.0.8",
+ "pin-project",
  "pin-project-lite",
  "rand 0.8.4",
  "slab",
@@ -6642,7 +6576,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "futures-util",
  "http",
  "http-body",
- "pin-project 1.0.8",
+ "pin-project",
  "tower-layer",
  "tower-service",
  "tracing",
@@ -6699,7 +6633,7 @@ version = "0.2.5"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "97d095ae15e245a057c8e8451bab9b3ee1e1f68e9ba2b4fbc18d0ac5237835f2"
 dependencies = [
- "pin-project 1.0.8",
+ "pin-project",
  "tracing",
 ]
 
@@ -6757,15 +6691,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "wasm-bindgen",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "treediff"
-version = "3.0.2"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "761e8d5ad7ce14bb82b7e61ccc0ca961005a275a060b9644a2431aa11553c2ff"
-dependencies = [
- "serde_json",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "try-lock"
 version = "0.2.3"
diff --git a/bins/matchmaker/Cargo.toml b/bins/matchmaker/Cargo.toml
index e894bf3f..268e0eb7 100644
--- a/bins/matchmaker/Cargo.toml
+++ b/bins/matchmaker/Cargo.toml
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ futures = "0.3.17"
 hyper = "0.14.15"
 kube = "0.60.0"
 kube-derive = "0.60.0"
-kube-runtime = "0.60.0"
 log = "0.4.14"
 k8s-openapi = { version = "0.13.1", default-features = false, features = ["v1_20"] }
 rymder = "0.2.2"
diff --git a/libs/server_lib/Cargo.toml b/libs/server_lib/Cargo.toml
index 21e40cd8..d96c8b4d 100644
--- a/libs/server_lib/Cargo.toml
+++ b/libs/server_lib/Cargo.toml
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ bevy_rapier2d = { version = "0.11" }
 chrono = "0.4.19"
 env_logger = "0.8.1"
 jwt-compact = { version = "0.5.0", features = ["std", "clock", "with_rsa"], default-features = false }
+kube = "0.60.0"
+k8s-openapi = { version = "0.13.1", default-features = false, features = ["v1_20"] }
 puffin = { version = "0.8.1", optional = true }
 rand = "0.8.4"
 reqwest = "0.11.8"
diff --git a/libs/server_lib/src/kube_discovery.rs b/libs/server_lib/src/kube_discovery.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d206ba50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/server_lib/src/kube_discovery.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+use bevy::log;
+use k8s_openapi::api::core::v1::Pod;
+use kube::{api::ListParams, Api, Client};
+use reqwest::Url;
+
+pub async fn discover_persistence() -> Option<Url> {
+    let client = Client::try_default().await.ok()?;
+    log::info!("Kubernetes environment detected, trying to fetch mr-persistence pods...");
+
+    let pods: Api<Pod> = Api::namespaced(client, "default");
+    let lp = ListParams::default()
+        .labels("app=muddle-run,service=mr-persistence")
+        .timeout(0);
+    let pods_list = pods
+        .list(&lp)
+        .await
+        .map_err(|err| {
+            log::warn!("Failed to fetch kubernetes pods: {:?}", err);
+            err
+        })
+        .ok()?;
+
+    let pod_ip = pods_list.items.first()?.status.as_ref()?.pod_ip.as_ref()?;
+    let persistence_url = format!("http://{}:8083", pod_ip).parse().unwrap();
+    log::info!("Using \"{}\" as MUDDLE_PERSISTENCE_URL", persistence_url);
+
+    Some(persistence_url)
+}
diff --git a/libs/server_lib/src/lib.rs b/libs/server_lib/src/lib.rs
index 2c2ab206..9a38a1c3 100644
--- a/libs/server_lib/src/lib.rs
+++ b/libs/server_lib/src/lib.rs
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ use mr_shared_lib::{
     registry::IncrementId,
     simulations_per_second, MuddleSharedPlugin,
 };
+use reqwest::Url;
 use std::{
     lazy::SyncLazy,
     time::{Duration, Instant},
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ use std::{
 use tokio::sync::mpsc::UnboundedReceiver;
 
 mod game_events;
+mod kube_discovery;
 mod net;
 mod persistence;
 mod player_updates;
@@ -84,7 +86,9 @@ impl Plugin for MuddleServerPlugin {
         builder.add_startup_system(init_level.system());
         builder.add_startup_system(startup.system());
 
-        if let Some(url) = try_parse_from_env!("MUDDLE_PERSISTENCE_URL") {
+        let persistence_url: Option<Url> = try_parse_from_env!("MUDDLE_PERSISTENCE_URL")
+            .or_else(|| TOKIO.block_on(kube_discovery::discover_persistence()));
+        if let Some(url) = persistence_url {
             let config = PersistenceConfig {
                 url,
                 google_web_client_id: std::env::var("MUDDLE_GOOGLE_WEB_CLIENT_ID")