diff --git a/include/fc/api.hpp b/include/fc/api.hpp
index e84f50b..06414b1 100644
--- a/include/fc/api.hpp
+++ b/include/fc/api.hpp
@@ -38,8 +38,33 @@ namespace fc {
       OtherType& _source;
   };
 
+  template<typename Interface, typename Transform >
+  class api;
+
+  class api_connection;
+
+  typedef uint32_t api_id_type;
+
+  class api_base
+  {
+     public:
+        api_base() {}
+        virtual ~api_base() {}
+
+        virtual uint64_t get_handle()const = 0;
+
+        virtual api_id_type register_api( api_connection& conn )const = 0;
+
+        // defined in api_connection.hpp
+        template< typename T >
+        api<T, identity_member> as();
+  };
+  typedef std::shared_ptr< api_base > api_ptr;
+
+  class api_connection;
+
   template<typename Interface, typename Transform = identity_member >
-  class api {
+  class api : public api_base {
     public:
       typedef vtable<Interface,Transform> vtable_type;
 
@@ -58,10 +83,12 @@ namespace fc {
       }
 
       api( const api& cpy ):_vtable(cpy._vtable),_data(cpy._data) {}
+      virtual ~api() {}
 
       friend bool operator == ( const api& a, const api& b ) { return a._data == b._data && a._vtable == b._vtable;    }
       friend bool operator != ( const api& a, const api& b ) { return !(a._data == b._data && a._vtable == b._vtable); }
-      uint64_t  get_handle()const { return uint64_t(_data.get()); }
+      virtual uint64_t get_handle()const override { return uint64_t(_data.get()); }
+      virtual api_id_type register_api( api_connection& conn )const override;    // defined in api_connection.hpp
 
       vtable_type& operator*()const  { FC_ASSERT( _vtable ); return *_vtable; }
       vtable_type* operator->()const {  FC_ASSERT( _vtable ); return _vtable.get(); }
diff --git a/include/fc/rpc/api_connection.hpp b/include/fc/rpc/api_connection.hpp
index c06d2d0..44fc7c3 100644
--- a/include/fc/rpc/api_connection.hpp
+++ b/include/fc/rpc/api_connection.hpp
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@
 
 namespace fc {
    class api_connection;
-   
-   typedef uint32_t api_id_type;
 
    namespace detail {
       template<typename Signature>
@@ -68,6 +66,33 @@ namespace fc {
          };
       }
 
+      /**
+       * If api<T> is returned from a remote method, the API is eagerly bound to api<T> of
+       * the correct type in api_visitor::from_variant().  This binding [1] needs a reference
+       * to the api_connection, which is made available to from_variant() as a parameter.
+       *
+       * However, in the case of a remote method which returns api_base which can subsequently
+       * be cast by the caller with as<T>, we need to keep track of the connection because
+       * the binding is done later (when the client code actually calls as<T>).
+       *
+       * [1] The binding actually happens in get_remote_api().
+       */
+      class any_api : public api_base
+      {
+         public:
+            any_api( api_id_type api_id, const std::shared_ptr<fc::api_connection>& con )
+               : _api_id(api_id), _api_connection(con) {}
+
+            virtual uint64_t get_handle()const override
+            {  return _api_id;    }
+
+            virtual api_id_type register_api( api_connection& conn )const override
+            {  FC_ASSERT( false ); return api_id_type(); }
+
+            api_id_type                         _api_id;
+            std::weak_ptr<fc::api_connection>   _api_connection;
+      };
+
    } // namespace detail
 
    class generic_api
@@ -151,6 +176,9 @@ namespace fc {
             template<typename Interface, typename Adaptor, typename ... Args>
             std::function<variant(const fc::variants&)> to_generic( const std::function<fc::optional<api<Interface,Adaptor>>(Args...)>& f )const;
 
+            template<typename ... Args>
+            std::function<variant(const fc::variants&)> to_generic( const std::function<fc::api_ptr(Args...)>& f )const;
+
             template<typename R, typename ... Args>
             std::function<variant(const fc::variants&)> to_generic( const std::function<R(Args...)>& f )const;
 
@@ -267,6 +295,15 @@ namespace fc {
                return con->get_remote_api<ResultInterface>( v.as_uint64() );
             }
 
+            static fc::api_ptr from_variant(
+               const variant& v,
+               fc::api_ptr* /* used for template deduction */,
+               const std::shared_ptr<fc::api_connection>&  con
+            )
+            {
+               return fc::api_ptr( new detail::any_api( v.as_uint64(), con ) );
+            }
+
             template<typename T>
             static fc::variant convert_callbacks( const std::shared_ptr<fc::api_connection>&, const T& v ) 
             { 
@@ -370,6 +407,24 @@ namespace fc {
          return variant();
       };
    }
+
+   template<typename ... Args>
+   std::function<variant(const fc::variants&)> generic_api::api_visitor::to_generic(
+                                               const std::function<fc::api_ptr(Args...)>& f )const
+   {
+      auto api_con = _api_con;
+      auto gapi = &api;
+      return [=]( const variants& args ) -> fc::variant {
+         auto con = api_con.lock();
+         FC_ASSERT( con, "not connected" );
+
+         auto api_result = gapi->call_generic( f, args.begin(), args.end() );
+         if( !api_result )
+            return variant();
+         return api_result->register_api( *con );
+      };
+   }
+
    template<typename R, typename ... Args>
    std::function<variant(const fc::variants&)> generic_api::api_visitor::to_generic( const std::function<R(Args...)>& f )const
    {
@@ -389,6 +444,40 @@ namespace fc {
       };
    }
 
+   /**
+    * It is slightly unclean tight coupling to have this method in the api class.
+    * It breaks encapsulation by requiring an api class method to have a pointer
+    * to an api_connection.  The reason this is necessary is we have a goal of being
+    * able to call register_api() on an api<T> through its base class api_base.  But
+    * register_api() must know the template parameters!
+    *
+    * The only reasonable way to achieve the goal is to implement register_api()
+    * as a method in api<T> (which obviously knows the template parameter T),
+    * then make the implementation accessible through the base class (by making
+    * it a pure virtual method in the base class which is overridden by the subclass's
+    * implementation).
+    */
+   template< typename Interface, typename Transform >
+   api_id_type api< Interface, Transform >::register_api( api_connection& conn )const
+   {
+      return conn.register_api( *this );
+   }
+
+   template< typename T >
+   api<T> api_base::as()
+   {
+      // TODO:  this method should probably be const (if it is not too hard)
+      api<T>* maybe_requested_type = dynamic_cast< api<T>* >(this);
+      if( maybe_requested_type != nullptr )
+         return *maybe_requested_type;
+
+      detail::any_api* maybe_any = dynamic_cast< detail::any_api* >(this);
+      FC_ASSERT( maybe_any != nullptr );
+      std::shared_ptr< api_connection > api_conn = maybe_any->_api_connection.lock();
+      FC_ASSERT( api_conn );
+      return api_conn->get_remote_api<T>( maybe_any->_api_id );
+   }
+
    namespace detail {
       template<typename Signature>
       template<typename... Args> 
diff --git a/src/rpc/http_api.cpp b/src/rpc/http_api.cpp
index c842369..c9a7786 100644
--- a/src/rpc/http_api.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/http_api.cpp
@@ -11,9 +11,22 @@ http_api_connection::http_api_connection()
 {
    _rpc_state.add_method( "call", [this]( const variants& args ) -> variant
    {
+      // TODO: This logic is duplicated between http_api_connection and websocket_api_connection
+      // it should be consolidated into one place instead of copy-pasted
       FC_ASSERT( args.size() == 3 && args[2].is_array() );
+      api_id_type api_id;
+      if( args[0].is_string() )
+      {
+         variants subargs;
+         subargs.push_back( args[0] );
+         variant subresult = this->receive_call( 1, "get_api_by_name", subargs );
+         api_id = subresult.as_uint64();
+      }
+      else
+         api_id = args[0].as_uint64();
+
       return this->receive_call(
-         args[0].as_uint64(),
+         api_id,
          args[1].as_string(),
          args[2].get_array() );
    } );
diff --git a/src/rpc/websocket_api.cpp b/src/rpc/websocket_api.cpp
index df09a68..60ef706 100644
--- a/src/rpc/websocket_api.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/websocket_api.cpp
@@ -13,8 +13,19 @@ websocket_api_connection::websocket_api_connection( fc::http::websocket_connecti
    _rpc_state.add_method( "call", [this]( const variants& args ) -> variant
    {
       FC_ASSERT( args.size() == 3 && args[2].is_array() );
+      api_id_type api_id;
+      if( args[0].is_string() )
+      {
+         variants subargs;
+         subargs.push_back( args[0] );
+         variant subresult = this->receive_call( 1, "get_api_by_name", subargs );
+         api_id = subresult.as_uint64();
+      }
+      else
+         api_id = args[0].as_uint64();
+
       return this->receive_call(
-         args[0].as_uint64(),
+         api_id,
          args[1].as_string(),
          args[2].get_array() );
    } );