diff --git a/warcprox/dedup.py b/warcprox/dedup.py
index 6c76ab0..4206f26 100644
--- a/warcprox/dedup.py
+++ b/warcprox/dedup.py
@@ -246,36 +246,35 @@ class CdxServerDedup(object):
         """
         pass
 
-class TroughDedupDb(object):
-    '''
-    https://github.com/jkafader/trough
-    '''
-    logger = logging.getLogger("warcprox.dedup.TroughDedupDb")
+class TroughClient(object):
+    logger = logging.getLogger("warcprox.dedup.TroughClient")
 
-    def __init__(self, options=warcprox.Options()):
-        parsed = doublethink.parse_rethinkdb_url(
-                options.rethinkdb_trough_db_url)
+    def __init__(self, rethinkdb_trough_db_url):
+        parsed = doublethink.parse_rethinkdb_url(rethinkdb_trough_db_url)
         self.rr = doublethink.Rethinker(
                 servers=parsed.hosts, db=parsed.database)
         self.svcreg = doublethink.ServiceRegistry(self.rr)
-        self.options = options
 
-    def start(self):
-        pass
-
-    def stop(self):
-        pass
-
-    def _write_url(self, bucket):
-        segment_id = 'warcprox-trough-%s' % bucket
+    def segment_manager_url(self):
+        # XXX cache until expired (check last_heartbeat and ttl)
         master_node = self.svcreg.unique_service('trough-sync-master')
-        response = requests.post(master_node['url'], segment_id)
-        response.raise_for_status()
-        write_url = response.text.strip()
-        return write_url
+        assert master_node
+        return master_node['url']
 
-    def _read_url(self, bucket):
-        segment_id = 'warcprox-trough-%s' % bucket
+    def write_url(self, segment_id, schema_id='default'):
+        provision_url = os.path.join(self.segment_manager_url(), 'provision')
+        payload_dict = {'segment': segment_id, 'schema': schema_id}
+        response = requests.post(provision_url, json=payload_dict)
+        if response.status_code != 200:
+            raise Exception(
+                    'Received %s: %r in response to POST %s with data %s' % (
+                        response.status_code, response.text, provision_url,
+                        json.dumps(payload_dict)))
+        result_dict = response.json()
+        # assert result_dict['schema'] == schema_id  # previously provisioned?
+        return result_dict['write_url']
+
+    def read_url(self, segment_id):
         reql = self.rr.table('services').get_all(
                 segment_id, index='segment').filter(
                         {'role':'trough-read'}).filter(
@@ -289,6 +288,52 @@ class TroughDedupDb(object):
         else:
             return None
 
+    def schema_exists(self, schema_id):
+        url = os.path.join(self.segment_manager_url(), 'schema', schema_id)
+        response = requests.get(url)
+        if response.status_code == 200:
+            return True
+        elif response.status_code == 404:
+            return False
+        else:
+            response.raise_for_status()
+
+    def register_schema(self, schema_id, sql):
+        url = '%s/schema/%s/sql' % (self.segment_manager_url(), schema_id)
+        response = requests.put(url, sql)
+        if response.status_code not in (201, 204):
+            raise Exception(
+                    'Received %s: %r in response to PUT %r with data %r' % (
+                        response.status_code, response.text, sql, url))
+
+class TroughDedupDb(object):
+    '''
+    https://github.com/internetarchive/trough
+    '''
+    logger = logging.getLogger("warcprox.dedup.TroughDedupDb")
+
+    SCHEMA_ID = 'warcprox-dedup-v1'
+    SCHEMA_SQL = ('create table dedup (\n'
+                  '    digest_key varchar(100) primary key,\n'
+                  '    url varchar(2100) not null,\n'
+                  '    date datetime not null,\n'
+                  '    id varchar(100));\n') # warc record id
+
+    def __init__(self, options=warcprox.Options()):
+        self.options = options
+        self._trough_cli = TroughClient(options.rethinkdb_trough_db_url)
+
+    def start(self):
+        self._trough_cli.register_schema(self.SCHEMA_ID, self.SCHEMA_SQL)
+
+    def _write_url(self, bucket):
+        segment_id = 'warcprox-trough-%s' % bucket
+        return self._trough_cli.write_url(segment_id, self.SCHEMA_ID)
+
+    def _read_url(self, bucket):
+        segment_id = 'warcprox-trough-%s' % bucket
+        return self._trough_cli.read_url(segment_id)
+
     def sql_value(self, x):
         if x is None:
             return 'null'
@@ -317,14 +362,7 @@ class TroughDedupDb(object):
         url = response_record.get_header(warctools.WarcRecord.URL)
         warc_date = response_record.get_header(warctools.WarcRecord.DATE)
 
-        # XXX create table statement here is a temporary hack,
-        # see https://webarchive.jira.com/browse/AITFIVE-1465
-        sql = ('create table if not exists dedup (\n'
-               '    digest_key varchar(100) primary key,\n'
-               '    url varchar(2100) not null,\n'
-               '    date datetime not null,\n'
-               '    id varchar(100));\n' # warc record id
-               'insert into dedup (digest_key, url, date, id) '
+        sql = ('insert into dedup (digest_key, url, date, id) '
                'values (%s, %s, %s, %s);') % (
                        self.sql_value(digest_key), self.sql_value(url),
                        self.sql_value(warc_date), self.sql_value(record_id))