diff --git a/po/POTFILES.in b/po/POTFILES.in
index 7bbdfae2..1a15bd69 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.in
+++ b/po/POTFILES.in
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ subiquity/client/client.py
 subiquity/client/controller.py
 subiquity/client/controllers/__init__.py
 subiquity/client/controllers/progress.py
+subiquity/client/controllers/refresh.py
 subiquity/client/controllers/welcome.py
 subiquity/client/__init__.py
 subiquity/client/keycodes.py
@@ -35,7 +36,6 @@ subiquity/controllers/mirror.py
 subiquity/controllers/network.py
 subiquity/controllers/proxy.py
 subiquity/controllers/reboot.py
-subiquity/controllers/refresh.py
 subiquity/controllers/snaplist.py
 subiquity/controllers/ssh.py
 subiquity/controllers/tests/__init__.py
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ subiquity/server/controllers/__init__.py
 subiquity/server/controllers/install.py
 subiquity/server/controllers/locale.py
 subiquity/server/controllers/package.py
+subiquity/server/controllers/refresh.py
 subiquity/server/controllers/reporting.py
 subiquity/server/controllers/userdata.py
 subiquity/server/dryrun.py
diff --git a/subiquity/client/client.py b/subiquity/client/client.py
index 6f455572..8291c352 100644
--- a/subiquity/client/client.py
+++ b/subiquity/client/client.py
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ class SubiquityClient(TuiApplication):
 
     controllers = [
         "Welcome",
+        "Refresh",
         "Progress",
         ]
 
diff --git a/subiquity/client/controllers/__init__.py b/subiquity/client/controllers/__init__.py
index 0ec38317..4aa0d493 100644
--- a/subiquity/client/controllers/__init__.py
+++ b/subiquity/client/controllers/__init__.py
@@ -14,9 +14,11 @@
 # along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 from .progress import ProgressController
+from .refresh import RefreshController
 from .welcome import WelcomeController
 
 __all__ = [
     'ProgressController',
+    'RefreshController',
     'WelcomeController',
 ]
diff --git a/subiquity/client/controllers/refresh.py b/subiquity/client/controllers/refresh.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..05214a9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/subiquity/client/controllers/refresh.py
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+# Copyright 2019 Canonical, Ltd.
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
+# published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+# License, or (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+import asyncio
+import logging
+
+import aiohttp
+
+from subiquitycore.tuicontroller import (
+    Skip,
+    )
+
+from subiquity.common.types import (
+    RefreshCheckState,
+    )
+from subiquity.client.controller import (
+    SubiquityTuiController,
+    )
+from subiquity.ui.views.refresh import RefreshView
+
+
+log = logging.getLogger('subiquity.client.controllers.refresh')
+
+
+class RefreshController(SubiquityTuiController):
+
+    endpoint_name = 'refresh'
+
+    def __init__(self, app):
+        super().__init__(app)
+        self.offered_first_time = False
+
+    async def get_progress(self, change):
+        while True:
+            try:
+                return await self.endpoint.progress.GET(change_id=change)
+            except aiohttp.ClientError:
+                # Probably the server is restarting.
+                await asyncio.sleep(1)
+
+    async def make_ui(self, index=1):
+        if self.app.updated:
+            raise Skip()
+        show = False
+        self.status = await self.endpoint.GET()
+        if index == 1:
+            if self.status.availability == RefreshCheckState.AVAILABLE:
+                show = True
+                self.offered_first_time = True
+        elif index == 2:
+            if not self.offered_first_time:
+                if self.status.availability in [RefreshCheckState.UNKNOWN,
+                                                RefreshCheckState.AVAILABLE]:
+                    show = True
+        else:
+            raise AssertionError("unexpected index {}".format(index))
+        if show:
+            return RefreshView(self)
+        else:
+            raise Skip()
+
+    async def wait_for_check(self):
+        self.status = await self.endpoint.GET(wait=True)
+        return self.status
+
+    async def start_update(self):
+        return await self.endpoint.POST()
+
+    def run_answers(self):
+        # Handled in the view
+        pass
+
+    def done(self, sender=None):
+        log.debug("RefreshController.done next_screen")
+        self.app.next_screen()
+
+    def cancel(self, sender=None):
+        self.app.prev_screen()
diff --git a/subiquity/common/apidef.py b/subiquity/common/apidef.py
index 0724bc96..b871ca88 100644
--- a/subiquity/common/apidef.py
+++ b/subiquity/common/apidef.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ from subiquity.common.types import (
     ErrorReportRef,
     InstallState,
     InstallStatus,
+    RefreshStatus,
     )
 
 
@@ -59,6 +60,18 @@ class API:
             def GET() -> None:
                 """Requests to this method will fail with a HTTP 500."""
 
+    class refresh:
+        def GET(wait: bool = False) -> RefreshStatus:
+            """Get information about the snap refresh status.
+
+            If wait is true, block until the status is known."""
+
+        def POST() -> int:
+            """Start the update and return the change id."""
+
+        class progress:
+            def GET(change_id: int) -> dict: ...
+
     class install:
         class status:
             def GET(cur: Optional[InstallState] = None) -> InstallStatus: ...
diff --git a/subiquity/controllers/__init__.py b/subiquity/controllers/__init__.py
index cb644f2e..0f295ff2 100644
--- a/subiquity/controllers/__init__.py
+++ b/subiquity/controllers/__init__.py
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ from .mirror import MirrorController
 from .network import NetworkController
 from .proxy import ProxyController
 from .reboot import RebootController
-from .refresh import RefreshController
 from .snaplist import SnapListController
 from .ssh import SSHController
 from .zdev import ZdevController
@@ -34,7 +33,6 @@ __all__ = [
     'NetworkController',
     'ProxyController',
     'RebootController',
-    'RefreshController',
     'RepeatedController',
     'SnapListController',
     'SSHController',
diff --git a/subiquity/server/controllers/__init__.py b/subiquity/server/controllers/__init__.py
index d80883f4..6da15bc7 100644
--- a/subiquity/server/controllers/__init__.py
+++ b/subiquity/server/controllers/__init__.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from .debconf import DebconfController
 from .install import InstallController
 from .locale import LocaleController
 from .package import PackageController
+from .refresh import RefreshController
 from .reporting import ReportingController
 from .userdata import UserdataController
 
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ __all__ = [
     'LateController',
     'LocaleController',
     'PackageController',
+    'RefreshController',
     'ReportingController',
     'UserdataController',
 ]
diff --git a/subiquity/controllers/refresh.py b/subiquity/server/controllers/refresh.py
similarity index 76%
rename from subiquity/controllers/refresh.py
rename to subiquity/server/controllers/refresh.py
index 2f379a3a..faabed92 100644
--- a/subiquity/controllers/refresh.py
+++ b/subiquity/server/controllers/refresh.py
@@ -24,24 +24,23 @@ from subiquitycore.async_helpers import (
     SingleInstanceTask,
     )
 from subiquitycore.context import with_context
-from subiquitycore.tuicontroller import (
-    Skip,
-    )
 
+from subiquity.common.apidef import API
 from subiquity.common.types import (
     RefreshCheckState,
     RefreshStatus,
     )
-from subiquity.controller import (
-    SubiquityTuiController,
+from subiquity.server.controller import (
+    SubiquityController,
     )
-from subiquity.ui.views.refresh import RefreshView
 
 
-log = logging.getLogger('subiquity.controllers.refresh')
+log = logging.getLogger('subiquity.server.controllers.refresh')
 
 
-class RefreshController(SubiquityTuiController):
+class RefreshController(SubiquityController):
+
+    endpoint = API.refresh
 
     autoinstall_key = "refresh-installer"
     autoinstall_schema = {
@@ -58,23 +57,24 @@ class RefreshController(SubiquityTuiController):
     ]
 
     def __init__(self, app):
-        self.ai_data = {}
         super().__init__(app)
+        self.ai_data = {}
         self.snap_name = os.environ.get("SNAP_NAME", "subiquity")
         self.configure_task = None
         self.check_task = None
         self.status = RefreshStatus(availability=RefreshCheckState.UNKNOWN)
 
-        self.offered_first_time = False
-        if 'update' in self.ai_data:
-            self.active = self.ai_data['update']
-        else:
-            self.active = self.interactive()
-
     def load_autoinstall_data(self, data):
         if data is not None:
             self.ai_data = data
 
+    @property
+    def active(self):
+        if 'update' in self.ai_data:
+            return True
+        else:
+            return self.interactive()
+
     def start(self):
         if not self.active:
             return
@@ -95,16 +95,9 @@ class RefreshController(SubiquityTuiController):
             return
         change_id = await self.start_update(context=context)
         while True:
-            try:
-                change = await self.get_progress(change_id)
-            except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
-                raise e
-            if change['status'] == 'Done':
-                # Clearly if we got here we didn't get restarted by
-                # snapd/systemctl (dry-run mode or logged in via SSH)
-                self.app.restart(remove_last_screen=False)
-            if change['status'] not in ['Do', 'Doing']:
-                raise Exception("update failed")
+            change = await self.get_progress(change_id)
+            if change['status'] not in ['Do', 'Doing', 'Done']:
+                raise Exception("update failed: %s", change['status'])
             await asyncio.sleep(0.1)
 
     @with_context()
@@ -137,8 +130,6 @@ class RefreshController(SubiquityTuiController):
 
     def get_refresh_channel(self):
         """Return the channel we should refresh subiquity to."""
-        if 'channel' in self.answers:
-            return self.answers['channel']
         prefix = "subiquity-channel="
         for arg in self.app.kernel_cmdline:
             if arg.startswith(prefix):
@@ -209,39 +200,20 @@ class RefreshController(SubiquityTuiController):
 
     async def get_progress(self, change):
         result = await self.app.snapd.get('v2/changes/{}'.format(change))
-        return result['result']
+        change = result['result']
+        if change['status'] == 'Done':
+            # Clearly if we got here we didn't get restarted by
+            # snapd/systemctl (dry-run mode)
+            self.app.restart()
+        return change
 
-    def make_ui(self, index=1):
-        if self.app.updated:
-            raise Skip()
-        show = False
-        if index == 1:
-            if self.status.availability == RefreshCheckState.AVAILABLE:
-                show = True
-                self.offered_first_time = True
-        elif index == 2:
-            if not self.offered_first_time:
-                if self.status.availability in [RefreshCheckState.UNKNOWN,
-                                                RefreshCheckState.AVAILABLE]:
-                    show = True
-        else:
-            raise AssertionError("unexpected index {}".format(index))
-        if show:
-            return RefreshView(self)
-        else:
-            raise Skip()
-
-    async def wait_for_check(self):
-        await self.check_task.task
+    async def GET(self, wait: bool = False) -> RefreshStatus:
+        if wait:
+            await self.check_task.wait()
         return self.status
 
-    def run_answers(self):
-        # Handled in the view
-        pass
+    async def POST(self, context) -> int:
+        return await self.start_update(context=context)
 
-    def done(self, sender=None):
-        log.debug("RefreshController.done next_screen")
-        self.app.next_screen()
-
-    def cancel(self, sender=None):
-        self.app.prev_screen()
+    async def progress_GET(self, change_id: int) -> dict:
+        return await self.get_progress(change_id)
diff --git a/subiquity/server/server.py b/subiquity/server/server.py
index da839479..196b7284 100644
--- a/subiquity/server/server.py
+++ b/subiquity/server/server.py
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ class SubiquityServer(Application):
         "Package",
         "Debconf",
         "Locale",
+        "Refresh",
         "Install",
         "Late",
         ]
diff --git a/subiquity/ui/views/refresh.py b/subiquity/ui/views/refresh.py
index 06ac64d0..5b679001 100644
--- a/subiquity/ui/views/refresh.py
+++ b/subiquity/ui/views/refresh.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import asyncio
 import json
 import logging
 
-import requests
+import aiohttp
 
 from urwid import (
     ProgressBar,
@@ -246,15 +246,11 @@ class RefreshView(BaseView):
     async def _update(self):
         try:
             change_id = await self.controller.start_update()
-        except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
+        except aiohttp.ClientError as e:
             self.update_failed(exc_message(e))
             return
         while True:
-            try:
-                change = await self.controller.get_progress(change_id)
-            except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
-                self.update_failed(exc_message(e))
-                return
+            change = await self.controller.get_progress(change_id)
             if change['status'] == 'Done':
                 # Clearly if we got here we didn't get restarted by
                 # snapd/systemctl (dry-run mode or logged in via SSH)