diff --git a/bluesky-zmq.yml b/bluesky-zmq.yml
index a15517cb..d3c590f2 100644
--- a/bluesky-zmq.yml
+++ b/bluesky-zmq.yml
@@ -18,3 +18,9 @@
       http_proxy: http://proxy:8888
       https_proxy: http://proxy:8888
       no_proxy: cs.nsls2.local,127.0.0.1,localhost
+
+# note: you need the zmq_hosts, zmq_proxy_out and beamline_user
+# variables set for all hosts specified
+- hosts: bec_zmq
+  roles:
+    - role: bec_zmq
diff --git a/production b/production
index fd73d79e..ffde5a3d 100644
--- a/production
+++ b/production
@@ -318,7 +318,10 @@ extra_packages=""
 ### FXI ###
 
 [18-ID:vars]
+beamline_user=xf18id
 current_env_tag="2018-2.1"
+zmq_host=xf18id-ca1
+zmq_proxy_out=5578
 
 [18-ID-collection]
 xf18id-ws[1:2].cs.nsls2.local
@@ -693,3 +696,6 @@ xf21id1-srv1.cs.nsls2.local
 xf28id-ca1
 xf28id1-ca1
 xf18id-ca1
+
+[bec_zmq:children]
+18-ID
diff --git a/roles/bec_zmq/tasks/main.yml b/roles/bec_zmq/tasks/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e90f5a71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/bec_zmq/tasks/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+- name: copy bec_zmq
+  template: src=bec_zmq.j2 dest=/usr/local/bin/bec_zmq owner=root group=root mode=0755
+  become: true
diff --git a/roles/bec_zmq/templates/bec_zmq.j2 b/roles/bec_zmq/templates/bec_zmq.j2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dffca342
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/bec_zmq/templates/bec_zmq.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#!/opt/conda_envs/collection-{{ current_env_tag }}/bin/python
+import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
+plt.ion()
+
+from bluesky.callbacks.zmq import RemoteDispatcher
+from bluesky.callbacks.best_effort import BestEffortCallback
+from bluesky.utils import install_qt_kicker
+
+bec = BestEffortCallback()
+
+host = "{{ zmq_host }}"
+port = "{{ zmq_proxy_out }}"
+rd = RemoteDispatcher((host, port))
+rd.subscribe(bec)
+install_qt_kicker(loop=rd.loop)
+
+rd.start()