diff --git a/cmd/geth/main.go b/cmd/geth/main.go
index d556ad92c3..a45009e6cb 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/main.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/main.go
@@ -261,15 +261,7 @@ func geth(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// startNode boots up the system node and all registered protocols, after which
-// it unlocks any requested accounts, and starts the RPC/IPC interfaces and the
-// miner.
-func startNode(ctx *cli.Context, stack *node.Node) {
-	debug.Memsize.Add("node", stack)
-
-	// Start up the node itself
-	utils.StartNode(stack)
-
+func startInternalAccountManagement(ctx *cli.Context, stack *node.Node) {
 	// Unlock any account specifically requested
 	ks := stack.AccountManager().Backends(keystore.KeyStoreType)[0].(*keystore.KeyStore)
 
@@ -283,7 +275,6 @@ func startNode(ctx *cli.Context, stack *node.Node) {
 	// Register wallet event handlers to open and auto-derive wallets
 	events := make(chan accounts.WalletEvent, 16)
 	stack.AccountManager().Subscribe(events)
-
 	go func() {
 		// Create a chain state reader for self-derivation
 		rpcClient, err := stack.Attach()
@@ -321,6 +312,25 @@ func startNode(ctx *cli.Context, stack *node.Node) {
 			}
 		}
 	}()
+}
+
+// startNode boots up the system node and all registered protocols, after which
+// it unlocks any requested accounts, and starts the RPC/IPC interfaces and the
+// miner.
+func startNode(ctx *cli.Context, stack *node.Node) {
+	debug.Memsize.Add("node", stack)
+
+	// Start up the node itself
+	utils.StartNode(stack)
+
+	// Start account management
+	if ctx.IsSet(utils.ExternalSignerFlag.Name){
+		extApi := ctx.GlobalString(utils.ExternalSignerFlag.Name)
+
+	}else{
+		startInternalAccountManagement(ctx, stack)
+	}
+
 	// Start auxiliary services if enabled
 	if ctx.GlobalBool(utils.MiningEnabledFlag.Name) || ctx.GlobalBool(utils.DeveloperFlag.Name) {
 		// Mining only makes sense if a full Ethereum node is running
diff --git a/cmd/utils/flags.go b/cmd/utils/flags.go
index d6142f246c..475dd909fd 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/flags.go
@@ -355,6 +355,11 @@ var (
 		Usage: "Password file to use for non-interactive password input",
 		Value: "",
 	}
+	ExternalSignerFlag = cli.StringFlag{
+		Name:  "signer",
+		Usage: "External signer (url or path to ipc file)",
+		Value: "",
+	}
 
 	VMEnableDebugFlag = cli.BoolFlag{
 		Name:  "vmdebug",
diff --git a/eth/backend.go b/eth/backend.go
index 865534b198..a0212b9f1e 100644
--- a/eth/backend.go
+++ b/eth/backend.go
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ type Ethereum struct {
 	eventMux       *event.TypeMux
 	engine         consensus.Engine
 	accountManager *accounts.Manager
+	externalSigner string
 
 	bloomRequests chan chan *bloombits.Retrieval // Channel receiving bloom data retrieval requests
 	bloomIndexer  *core.ChainIndexer             // Bloom indexer operating during block imports
@@ -372,6 +373,7 @@ func (s *Ethereum) IsListening() bool                  { return true } // Always
 func (s *Ethereum) EthVersion() int                    { return int(s.protocolManager.SubProtocols[0].Version) }
 func (s *Ethereum) NetVersion() uint64                 { return s.networkID }
 func (s *Ethereum) Downloader() *downloader.Downloader { return s.protocolManager.downloader }
+func (s *Ethereum) ExternalSigner() string             { return s.externalSigner }
 
 // Protocols implements node.Service, returning all the currently configured
 // network protocols to start.
diff --git a/internal/ethapi/api.go b/internal/ethapi/api.go
index d1e6eeefb0..f70bbda97c 100644
--- a/internal/ethapi/api.go
+++ b/internal/ethapi/api.go
@@ -211,13 +211,20 @@ type PrivateAccountAPI struct {
 
 // NewPrivateAccountAPI create a new PrivateAccountAPI.
 func NewPrivateAccountAPI(b Backend, nonceLock *AddrLocker) *PrivateAccountAPI {
-	extapi, _ := NewExternalSigner()
-	return &PrivateAccountAPI{
+	p := &PrivateAccountAPI{
 		am:        b.AccountManager(),
 		nonceLock: nonceLock,
 		b:         b,
-		extapi:    extapi,
 	}
+	if b.ExternalSigner() != "" {
+		extapi, err := NewExternalSigner(b.ExternalSigner())
+		if err == nil {
+			p.extapi = extapi
+		} else {
+			log.Error("Error initializing external signer", "url", b.ExternalSigner(), "error", err)
+		}
+	}
+	return p
 }
 
 // ListAccounts will return a list of addresses for accounts this node manages.
@@ -984,7 +991,18 @@ type PublicTransactionPoolAPI struct {
 
 // NewPublicTransactionPoolAPI creates a new RPC service with methods specific for the transaction pool.
 func NewPublicTransactionPoolAPI(b Backend, nonceLock *AddrLocker) *PublicTransactionPoolAPI {
-	return &PublicTransactionPoolAPI{b, nonceLock, nil}
+	var (
+		extapi *ExternalSignerAPI
+		err    error
+	)
+	if b.ExternalSigner() != "" {
+		extapi, err = NewExternalSigner(b.ExternalSigner())
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Error("Error initializing external signer", "url", b.ExternalSigner(), "error", err)
+		}
+
+	}
+	return &PublicTransactionPoolAPI{b, nonceLock, extapi}
 }
 
 // GetBlockTransactionCountByNumber returns the number of transactions in the block with the given block number.
@@ -1534,8 +1552,8 @@ type ExternalSignerAPI struct {
 	client *rpc.Client
 }
 
-func NewExternalSigner() (*ExternalSignerAPI, error) {
-	client, err := rpc.DialHTTP("http://localhost:8550")
+func NewExternalSigner(endpoint string) (*ExternalSignerAPI, error) {
+	client, err := rpc.DialHTTP(endpoint)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/ethapi/backend.go b/internal/ethapi/backend.go
index c9ffe230c6..f7946b367f 100644
--- a/internal/ethapi/backend.go
+++ b/internal/ethapi/backend.go
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ type Backend interface {
 	ChainDb() ethdb.Database
 	EventMux() *event.TypeMux
 	AccountManager() *accounts.Manager
-
+	ExternalSigner() string
+	
 	// BlockChain API
 	SetHead(number uint64)
 	HeaderByNumber(ctx context.Context, blockNr rpc.BlockNumber) (*types.Header, error)
diff --git a/les/api_backend.go b/les/api_backend.go
index 4232d3ae07..bd5a9b873b 100644
--- a/les/api_backend.go
+++ b/les/api_backend.go
@@ -187,6 +187,10 @@ func (b *LesApiBackend) AccountManager() *accounts.Manager {
 	return b.eth.accountManager
 }
 
+func (b *LesApiBackend) ExternalSigner() string {
+	return b.eth.externalSigner
+}
+
 func (b *LesApiBackend) BloomStatus() (uint64, uint64) {
 	if b.eth.bloomIndexer == nil {
 		return 0, 0
diff --git a/les/backend.go b/les/backend.go
index 178bc1e0e4..3aaafa4c88 100644
--- a/les/backend.go
+++ b/les/backend.go
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ type LightEthereum struct {
 	eventMux       *event.TypeMux
 	engine         consensus.Engine
 	accountManager *accounts.Manager
+	externalSigner string
 
 	networkId     uint64
 	netRPCService *ethapi.PublicNetAPI
diff --git a/node/config.go b/node/config.go
index a4d5920a8b..8bee88c116 100644
--- a/node/config.go
+++ b/node/config.go
@@ -86,6 +86,10 @@ type Config struct {
 	// NoUSB disables hardware wallet monitoring and connectivity.
 	NoUSB bool `toml:",omitempty"`
 
+	// ExternalSigner path/url to external signer. Implicitly disables native account
+	// management
+	ExternalSigner string `toml:",omitempty"`
+
 	// IPCPath is the requested location to place the IPC endpoint. If the path is
 	// a simple file name, it is placed inside the data directory (or on the root
 	// pipe path on Windows), whereas if it's a resolvable path name (absolute or
diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index ada3837217..429cec89d1 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ type Node struct {
 	eventmux *event.TypeMux // Event multiplexer used between the services of a stack
 	config   *Config
 	accman   *accounts.Manager
+	extapi   string // If non-empty, the ipc-path or http(s)-url to an external signer
 
 	ephemeralKeystore string         // if non-empty, the key directory that will be removed by Stop
 	instanceDirLock   flock.Releaser // prevents concurrent use of instance directory
@@ -99,9 +100,15 @@ func New(conf *Config) (*Node, error) {
 	}
 	// Ensure that the AccountManager method works before the node has started.
 	// We rely on this in cmd/geth.
-	am, ephemeralKeystore, err := makeAccountManager(conf)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+	var (
+		am                *accounts.Manager
+		ephemeralKeystore string
+	)
+	if conf.ExternalSigner != "" {
+		var err error
+		if am, ephemeralKeystore, err = makeAccountManager(conf); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 	if conf.Logger == nil {
 		conf.Logger = log.New()
@@ -110,6 +117,7 @@ func New(conf *Config) (*Node, error) {
 	// in the data directory or instance directory is delayed until Start.
 	return &Node{
 		accman:            am,
+		extapi:            conf.ExternalSigner,
 		ephemeralKeystore: ephemeralKeystore,
 		config:            conf,
 		serviceFuncs:      []ServiceConstructor{},