diff --git a/brozzler/cli.py b/brozzler/cli.py
index a6d0aba..534dbe1 100755
--- a/brozzler/cli.py
+++ b/brozzler/cli.py
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ import warnings
 import yaml
 import shutil
 import base64
-import rethinkdb as r
+import rethinkdb as rdb
+
+r = rdb.RethinkDB()
 
 def add_common_options(arg_parser, argv=None):
     argv = argv or sys.argv
diff --git a/brozzler/dashboard/__init__.py b/brozzler/dashboard/__init__.py
index fdef316..6e85b3c 100644
--- a/brozzler/dashboard/__init__.py
+++ b/brozzler/dashboard/__init__.py
@@ -31,10 +31,12 @@ import doublethink
 import json
 import os
 import importlib
-import rethinkdb as r
+import rethinkdb as rdb
 import yaml
 import base64
 
+r = rdb.RethinkDB()
+
 app = flask.Flask(__name__)
 
 # configure with environment variables
diff --git a/brozzler/frontier.py b/brozzler/frontier.py
index 6e64e51..ac27047 100644
--- a/brozzler/frontier.py
+++ b/brozzler/frontier.py
@@ -21,10 +21,12 @@ import brozzler
 import random
 import time
 import datetime
-import rethinkdb as r
+import rethinkdb as rdb
 import doublethink
 import urlcanon
 
+r = rdb.RethinkDB()
+
 class UnexpectedDbResult(Exception):
     pass
 
diff --git a/brozzler/pywb.py b/brozzler/pywb.py
index 5932f0b..03d64b8 100644
--- a/brozzler/pywb.py
+++ b/brozzler/pywb.py
@@ -35,12 +35,14 @@ except ImportError as e:
             type(e).__name__, e)
     sys.exit(1)
 import doublethink
-import rethinkdb as r
+import rethinkdb as rdb
 import urlcanon
 import json
 import brozzler
 import argparse
 
+r = rdb.RethinkDB()
+
 class RethinkCDXSource(pywb.cdx.cdxsource.CDXSource):
     def __init__(self, servers, db, table):
         self.servers = servers
diff --git a/brozzler/worker.py b/brozzler/worker.py
index e8f7619..42c7c20 100644
--- a/brozzler/worker.py
+++ b/brozzler/worker.py
@@ -34,9 +34,11 @@ import doublethink
 import tempfile
 import urlcanon
 from requests.structures import CaseInsensitiveDict
-import rethinkdb as r
+import rethinkdb as rdb
 from . import ydl
 
+r = rdb.RethinkDB()
+
 class BrozzlerWorker:
     logger = logging.getLogger(__module__ + "." + __qualname__)