diff --git a/gnocchi/cli.py b/gnocchi/cli.py
index 8ae29ca4..f7c68dcc 100644
--- a/gnocchi/cli.py
+++ b/gnocchi/cli.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 import multiprocessing
 import threading
 import time
-import uuid
 
 import cotyledon
 from futurist import periodics
@@ -143,16 +142,11 @@ class MetricScheduler(MetricProcessBase):
     TASKS_PER_WORKER = 16
     BLOCK_SIZE = 4
 
-    def _enable_coordination(self, conf):
-        self._coord = coordination.get_coordinator(
-            conf.storage.coordination_url, self._my_id)
-        self._coord.start(start_heart=True)
-
     def __init__(self, worker_id, conf, queue):
         super(MetricScheduler, self).__init__(
             worker_id, conf, conf.storage.metric_processing_delay)
-        self._my_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
-        self._enable_coordination(conf)
+        self._coord, self._my_id = utils.get_coordinator_and_start(
+            conf.storage.coordination_url)
         self.queue = queue
         self.previously_scheduled_metrics = set()
         self.workers = conf.metricd.workers
diff --git a/gnocchi/storage/_carbonara.py b/gnocchi/storage/_carbonara.py
index 55992877..ee6061a4 100644
--- a/gnocchi/storage/_carbonara.py
+++ b/gnocchi/storage/_carbonara.py
@@ -65,24 +65,14 @@ class CarbonaraBasedStorage(storage.StorageDriver):
 
     def __init__(self, conf):
         super(CarbonaraBasedStorage, self).__init__(conf)
-        self.coord = coordination.get_coordinator(
-            conf.coordination_url,
-            str(uuid.uuid4()).encode('ascii'))
         self.aggregation_workers_number = conf.aggregation_workers_number
         if self.aggregation_workers_number == 1:
             # NOTE(jd) Avoid using futures at all if we don't want any threads.
             self._map_in_thread = self._map_no_thread
         else:
             self._map_in_thread = self._map_in_futures_threads
-        self.start()
-
-    @utils.retry
-    def start(self):
-        try:
-            self.coord.start(start_heart=True)
-        except Exception as e:
-            LOG.error("Unable to start coordinator: %s" % e)
-            raise utils.Retry(e)
+        self.coord, my_id = utils.get_coordinator_and_start(
+            conf.coordination_url)
 
     def stop(self):
         self.coord.stop()
diff --git a/gnocchi/utils.py b/gnocchi/utils.py
index a49b161d..d823aace 100644
--- a/gnocchi/utils.py
+++ b/gnocchi/utils.py
@@ -14,13 +14,19 @@
 # License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 # under the License.
 import datetime
+import uuid
 
 import iso8601
+
+from oslo_log import log
 from oslo_utils import timeutils
 from pytimeparse import timeparse
 import retrying
 import six
-import uuid
+from tooz import coordination
+
+
+LOG = log.getLogger(__name__)
 
 # uuid5 namespace for id transformation.
 # NOTE(chdent): This UUID must stay the same, forever, across all
@@ -64,6 +70,23 @@ retry = retrying.retry(wait_exponential_multiplier=500,
                        retry_on_exception=retry_if_retry_is_raised)
 
 
+# TODO(jd) Move this to tooz?
+@retry
+def _enable_coordination(coord):
+    try:
+        coord.start(start_heart=True)
+    except Exception as e:
+        LOG.error("Unable to start coordinator: %s", e)
+        raise Retry(e)
+
+
+def get_coordinator_and_start(url):
+    my_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
+    coord = coordination.get_coordinator(url, my_id)
+    _enable_coordination(coord)
+    return coord, my_id
+
+
 def to_timestamp(v):
     if isinstance(v, datetime.datetime):
         return v