diff --git a/doublethink/__init__.py b/doublethink/__init__.py
index cfb220c..2c1ad55 100644
--- a/doublethink/__init__.py
+++ b/doublethink/__init__.py
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ def parse_rethinkdb_url(s):
         `table` and `database` may be None
 
     Raises:
-        ValueError if url cannot be pasrsed a a rethinkdb url
+        ValueError if url cannot be parsed as a rethinkdb url
 
     There is some precedent for this kind of url (though only with a single
     host):
diff --git a/doublethink/services.py b/doublethink/services.py
index 2289190..50bb370 100644
--- a/doublethink/services.py
+++ b/doublethink/services.py
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@ import doublethink
 
 class ServiceRegistry(object):
     '''
-    Simple service registry which stores service information in the rethinkdb
-    table 'services'.
+    Simple rethinkdb service registry.
 
     Services are responsible for keeping their status information up to date
     by calling `heartbeat(status_info)` periodically.
@@ -82,7 +81,7 @@ class ServiceRegistry(object):
     '''
     logger = logging.getLogger('doublethink.ServiceRegistry')
 
-    def __init__(self, rr):
+    def __init__(self, rr, table='services'):
         '''
         Initialize the service registry.
 
@@ -93,6 +92,7 @@ class ServiceRegistry(object):
                 have `dbname` set
         '''
         self.rr = rr
+        self.table = table
         self._ensure_table()
 
     def _ensure_table(self):
@@ -103,14 +103,14 @@ class ServiceRegistry(object):
                     'creating rethinkdb database %s', repr(self.rr.dbname))
             self.rr.db_create(self.rr.dbname).run()
         tables = self.rr.table_list().run()
-        if not 'services' in tables:
+        if not self.table in tables:
             self.logger.info(
-                    "creating rethinkdb table 'services' in database %s",
-                    repr(self.rr.dbname))
+                    "creating rethinkdb table %r in database %r",
+                    self.table, self.rr.dbname)
             self.rr.table_create(
-                    'services', shards=1,
+                    self.table, shards=1,
                     replicas=min(3, len(self.rr.servers))).run()
-            self.rr.table('services').index_create('role').run()
+            self.rr.table(self.table).index_create('role').run()
 
     def heartbeat(self, status_info):
         '''
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ class ServiceRegistry(object):
         if not 'pid' in updated_status_info:
             updated_status_info['pid'] = os.getpid()
         try:
-            result = self.rr.table('services').insert(
+            result = self.rr.table(self.table).insert(
                     updated_status_info, conflict='replace',
                     return_changes=True).run()
             return result['changes'][0]['new_val'] # XXX check
@@ -162,9 +162,9 @@ class ServiceRegistry(object):
 
     def unregister(self, id):
         '''
-        Remove the service with id `id` from the 'services' table.
+        Remove the service with id `id` from the service registry.
         '''
-        result = self.rr.table('services').get(id).delete().run()
+        result = self.rr.table(self.table).get(id).delete().run()
         if result != {
                 'deleted':1, 'errors':0,'inserted':0,
                 'replaced':0,'skipped':0,'unchanged':0}:
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ class ServiceRegistry(object):
                 candidate['pid'] = os.getpid()
 
             result = self.rr.table(
-                    'services', read_mode='majority').get(role).replace(
+                    self.table, read_mode='majority').get(role).replace(
                             lambda row: r.branch(
                                 r.branch(
                                     row,
@@ -250,10 +250,10 @@ class ServiceRegistry(object):
                     if k not in ('first_heartbeat', 'last_heartbeat')]):
                 # candidate is the unique_service, send a heartbeat
                 del candidate['first_heartbeat'] # don't touch first_heartbeat
-                self.rr.table('services').get(role).update(candidate).run()
+                self.rr.table(self.table).get(role).update(candidate).run()
 
         results = list(self.rr.table(
-            'services', read_mode='majority').get_all(role).filter(
+            self.table, read_mode='majority').get_all(role).filter(
                 lambda row: row['last_heartbeat'] > now - row['ttl']).run())
         if results:
             return results[0]
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ class ServiceRegistry(object):
             value of 'load'
         '''
         try:
-            result = self.rr.table('services').get_all(role, index='role').filter(
+            result = self.rr.table(self.table).get_all(role, index='role').filter(
                     lambda svc: r.now().sub(svc["last_heartbeat"]) < svc["ttl"]
                 ).order_by("load")[0].run()
             return result
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ class ServiceRegistry(object):
             return an empty list.
         '''
         try:
-            query = self.rr.table('services')
+            query = self.rr.table(self.table)
             if role:
                 query = query.get_all(role, index='role')
             query = query.filter(
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ class ServiceRegistry(object):
     available_services = healthy_services
 
     def purge_stale_services(self, ttls_until_deletion=2):
-        query = self.rr.table('services').filter(
+        query = self.rr.table(self.table).filter(
                 lambda svc: r.now().sub(svc["last_heartbeat"]).gt(svc["ttl"] * ttls_until_deletion)
             ).delete()
         logging.debug("Running query: %s", query)
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 4c80ddc..4a14464 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import codecs
 
 setuptools.setup(
     name='doublethink',
-    version='0.2.0.dev86',
+    version='0.2.0.dev87',
     packages=['doublethink'],
     classifiers=[
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7',