diff --git a/src/api/admin/api.rs b/src/api/admin/api.rs
index 9663d53a..8e00192a 100644
--- a/src/api/admin/api.rs
+++ b/src/api/admin/api.rs
@@ -78,9 +78,10 @@ admin_endpoints![
 
 	// Worker operations
 	GetWorkerVariable,
+	SetWorkerVariable,
 ];
 
-local_admin_endpoints![GetWorkerVariable,];
+local_admin_endpoints![GetWorkerVariable, SetWorkerVariable,];
 
 // **********************************************
 //      Special endpoints
@@ -594,6 +595,8 @@ pub struct RemoveBucketAliasResponse(pub GetBucketInfoResponse);
 //      Worker operations
 // **********************************************
 
+// ---- GetWorkerVariable ----
+
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct LocalGetWorkerVariableRequest {
 	pub variable: Option<String>,
@@ -601,3 +604,17 @@ pub struct LocalGetWorkerVariableRequest {
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct LocalGetWorkerVariableResponse(pub HashMap<String, String>);
+
+// ---- SetWorkerVariable ----
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub struct LocalSetWorkerVariableRequest {
+	pub variable: String,
+	pub value: String,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub struct LocalSetWorkerVariableResponse {
+	pub variable: String,
+	pub value: String,
+}
diff --git a/src/api/admin/worker.rs b/src/api/admin/worker.rs
index 6aded45d..b4c676a2 100644
--- a/src/api/admin/worker.rs
+++ b/src/api/admin/worker.rs
@@ -30,3 +30,21 @@ impl RequestHandler for LocalGetWorkerVariableRequest {
 		Ok(LocalGetWorkerVariableResponse(res))
 	}
 }
+
+#[async_trait]
+impl RequestHandler for LocalSetWorkerVariableRequest {
+	type Response = LocalSetWorkerVariableResponse;
+
+	async fn handle(
+		self,
+		garage: &Arc<Garage>,
+		_admin: &Admin,
+	) -> Result<LocalSetWorkerVariableResponse, Error> {
+		garage.bg_vars.set(&self.variable, &self.value)?;
+
+		Ok(LocalSetWorkerVariableResponse {
+			variable: self.variable,
+			value: self.value,
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/garage/admin/mod.rs b/src/garage/admin/mod.rs
index ea26f8fb..596ce733 100644
--- a/src/garage/admin/mod.rs
+++ b/src/garage/admin/mod.rs
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ pub enum AdminRpc {
 		HashMap<usize, garage_util::background::WorkerInfo>,
 		WorkerListOpt,
 	),
-	WorkerVars(Vec<(Uuid, String, String)>),
 	WorkerInfo(usize, garage_util::background::WorkerInfo),
 	BlockErrorList(Vec<BlockResyncErrorInfo>),
 	BlockInfo {
@@ -354,54 +353,10 @@ impl AdminRpcHandler {
 					.clone();
 				Ok(AdminRpc::WorkerInfo(*tid, info))
 			}
-			WorkerOperation::Set {
-				all_nodes,
-				variable,
-				value,
-			} => self.handle_set_var(*all_nodes, variable, value).await,
 			_ => unreachable!(),
 		}
 	}
 
-	async fn handle_set_var(
-		&self,
-		all_nodes: bool,
-		variable: &str,
-		value: &str,
-	) -> Result<AdminRpc, Error> {
-		if all_nodes {
-			let mut ret = vec![];
-			let all_nodes = self.garage.system.cluster_layout().all_nodes().to_vec();
-			for node in all_nodes.iter() {
-				let node = (*node).into();
-				match self
-					.endpoint
-					.call(
-						&node,
-						AdminRpc::Worker(WorkerOperation::Set {
-							all_nodes: false,
-							variable: variable.to_string(),
-							value: value.to_string(),
-						}),
-						PRIO_NORMAL,
-					)
-					.await??
-				{
-					AdminRpc::WorkerVars(v) => ret.extend(v),
-					m => return Err(GarageError::unexpected_rpc_message(m).into()),
-				}
-			}
-			Ok(AdminRpc::WorkerVars(ret))
-		} else {
-			self.garage.bg_vars.set(variable, value)?;
-			Ok(AdminRpc::WorkerVars(vec![(
-				self.garage.system.id,
-				variable.to_string(),
-				value.to_string(),
-			)]))
-		}
-	}
-
 	// ================ META DB COMMANDS ====================
 
 	async fn handle_meta_cmd(self: &Arc<Self>, mo: &MetaOperation) -> Result<AdminRpc, Error> {
diff --git a/src/garage/cli/cmd.rs b/src/garage/cli/cmd.rs
index a6540c65..6f1b0681 100644
--- a/src/garage/cli/cmd.rs
+++ b/src/garage/cli/cmd.rs
@@ -20,9 +20,6 @@ pub async fn cmd_admin(
 		AdminRpc::WorkerList(wi, wlo) => {
 			print_worker_list(wi, wlo);
 		}
-		AdminRpc::WorkerVars(wv) => {
-			print_worker_vars(wv);
-		}
 		AdminRpc::WorkerInfo(tid, wi) => {
 			print_worker_info(tid, wi);
 		}
diff --git a/src/garage/cli/util.rs b/src/garage/cli/util.rs
index a3a1480e..8261fb3e 100644
--- a/src/garage/cli/util.rs
+++ b/src/garage/cli/util.rs
@@ -126,14 +126,6 @@ pub fn print_worker_info(tid: usize, info: WorkerInfo) {
 	format_table(table);
 }
 
-pub fn print_worker_vars(wv: Vec<(Uuid, String, String)>) {
-	let table = wv
-		.into_iter()
-		.map(|(n, k, v)| format!("{:?}\t{}\t{}", n, k, v))
-		.collect::<Vec<_>>();
-	format_table(table);
-}
-
 pub fn print_block_error_list(el: Vec<BlockResyncErrorInfo>) {
 	let now = now_msec();
 	let tf = timeago::Formatter::new();
diff --git a/src/garage/cli_v2/worker.rs b/src/garage/cli_v2/worker.rs
index 56a76dec..9183d529 100644
--- a/src/garage/cli_v2/worker.rs
+++ b/src/garage/cli_v2/worker.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ impl Cli {
 				all_nodes,
 				variable,
 			} => self.cmd_get_var(all_nodes, variable).await,
+			WorkerOperation::Set {
+				all_nodes,
+				variable,
+				value,
+			} => self.cmd_set_var(all_nodes, variable, value).await,
 			wo => cli_v1::cmd_admin(
 				&self.admin_rpc_endpoint,
 				self.rpc_host,
@@ -51,4 +56,34 @@ impl Cli {
 
 		Ok(())
 	}
+
+	pub async fn cmd_set_var(
+		&self,
+		all: bool,
+		variable: String,
+		value: String,
+	) -> Result<(), Error> {
+		let res = self
+			.api_request(SetWorkerVariableRequest {
+				node: if all {
+					"*".to_string()
+				} else {
+					hex::encode(self.rpc_host)
+				},
+				body: LocalSetWorkerVariableRequest { variable, value },
+			})
+			.await?;
+
+		let mut table = vec![];
+		for (node, kv) in res.success.iter() {
+			table.push(format!("{:.16}\t{}\t{}", node, kv.variable, kv.value));
+		}
+		format_table(table);
+
+		for (node, err) in res.error.iter() {
+			eprintln!("{:.16}: error: {}", node, err);
+		}
+
+		Ok(())
+	}
 }