diff --git a/api/client.go b/api/client.go
index 545c1a27..cbeb891c 100644
--- a/api/client.go
+++ b/api/client.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package api
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/nats-io/nats.go"
@@ -168,8 +169,16 @@ func (c *ControlAPIClient) GetInfo(nodeId string) (*models.InfoResponse, error)
 	return resp, nil
 }
 
-func (c *ControlAPIClient) SetLameDuck(nodeId string) (*models.LameduckResponse, error) {
-	req := models.LameduckRequest{}
+func (c *ControlAPIClient) SetLameDuck(nodeId string, tag map[string]string) (*models.LameduckResponse, error) {
+	if nodeId == "" && len(tag) != 1 {
+		return nil, errors.New("invalid inputs to lameduck request")
+	}
+
+	req := models.LameduckRequest{
+		NodeId: nodeId,
+		Tag:    tag,
+	}
+
 	req_b, err := json.Marshal(req)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/cmd/nex/node.go b/cmd/nex/node.go
index ea15030a..70f115ab 100644
--- a/cmd/nex/node.go
+++ b/cmd/nex/node.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/nats-io/nkeys"
 
+	control "github.com/synadia-io/nex/api"
 	options "github.com/synadia-io/nex/models"
 	"github.com/synadia-io/nex/node"
 )
@@ -113,16 +114,6 @@ func (l LameDuck) Validate() error {
 	if len(l.Label) > 1 {
 		return errors.New("only one label allowed")
 	}
-
-	switch {
-	case l.NodeID != "":
-		fmt.Println("Putting node in lameduck")
-	case len(l.Label) == 1:
-		fmt.Println("Putting all nodes with label in lameduck")
-	default:
-		return errors.New("used must provide valid Node ID or one label")
-	}
-
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -130,7 +121,27 @@ func (l LameDuck) Run(ctx context.Context, globals *Globals) error {
 	if globals.Check {
 		return printTable("Node Lameduck Configuration", append(globals.Table(), l.Table()...)...)
 	}
-	fmt.Println("run lameduck")
+
+	nc, err := configureNatsConnection(globals)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	controller, err := control.NewControlApiClient(nc)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	resp, err := controller.SetLameDuck(l.NodeID, l.Label)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if !resp.Success {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to put node in lameduck mode: %s", resp.Msg)
+	}
+
+	fmt.Printf("Node %s is now in lameduck mode. Workloads will begin stopping gracefully.\n", l.NodeID)
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/models/controlapi.go b/models/controlapi.go
index 3213e93d..959977e3 100644
--- a/models/controlapi.go
+++ b/models/controlapi.go
@@ -12,5 +12,11 @@ type UndeployRequest struct{}
 type UndeployResponse struct{}
 type InfoRequest struct{}
 type InfoResponse struct{}
-type LameduckRequest struct{}
-type LameduckResponse struct{}
+type LameduckRequest struct {
+	NodeId string
+	Tag    map[string]string
+}
+type LameduckResponse struct {
+	Success bool
+	Msg     string
+}